As my life has gotten fuller and busier as a wife, mother, and attorney, I found that the only reading I was doing was for work or occasionally a Christian book. I used to read for pleasure, but that seemed like a far off ideal, a pastime that belonged to a more carefree version of myself. Then, about two years ago, I was asked to read a book for work that was not directly related to the legal field. What I thought was just a “weird self-help book” ended up sparking an interest in productivity for me and reminded me how much I truly enjoyed reading for pleasure and self-improvement (aside from the Bible, strictly legal reading, or an occasional Christian book). Since then, I have picked up several books that have helped my career by helping me become a better me as I balance being a busy wife, mother, and attorney.
Looking for book recommendations? Ā Here’s a round-up of 10 books that are helping me bring order to a (sometimes chaotic) life as a busy mom.
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Winning the Week
This is the book I mentioned above – it ignited my interest in productivity and caused me to research other ways to manage my time. My group at work has largely adopted the method of productivity explained in this book. While I find some steps of the method overwhelming, the overall theme and concept of time management resonated with me. Busy moms, check this one out!
Feel-Good Productivity
I love this author’s YouTube videos discussing productivity strategies and tools, so when he published this book I jumped at the chance to read it. As an attorney fulfilling billable hours, I am keenly interested in being more productive at work while also making the most of my time at home! I am listening to the audiobook version of this, but I wish I bought it the hardcopy so that I could see his visuals throughout the book.
Atomic Habits
I picked this up a few years ago and now I am finally finishing this up. This author details how to form good habits and break bad ones. Habits and productivity are tied together, so I am finishing this up before I return to work from maternity leave to be as prepared as possible to combat chaotic and hectic schedules.
13 Things Mentally Strong People Don’t Do
Pick this one up if you want to build your mental strength to deal with the chaos. The author, a psychotherapist, writes, “Developing mental strength is about improving your ability to regulate your emotions, manage your thoughts, and behave in a positive manner, despite your circumstances.” If you’ve been through some tough times (and who hasn’t?) and want to build your mental fortitude, then grab this book.
Be The Unicorn
A speaker at a legal conference recommended this one. Building on a theme of resilience, this one is supposed to guide us on how to transform into exceptional leaders in our organizations. This one is next on my to-read list!
Positive Intelligence
Another recommendation from the legal conference, this one is about overcoming mental barriers. The author discusses positive intelligence — a measure of the time your mind serves you as opposed to sabotaging you — and its ability to determine how much of your potential you can achieve. I have not read this one yet, but I am curious to see if there are any tools or techniques that overlap with my Christian beliefs to deal with the chaos of life.
Emotional Intelligence
This book comes highly recommended from other attorneys and leaders alike. While society tends to tie your IQ — a measure of your intelligence based on logic, reasoning, and the like — to your success, this author made the argument decades ago that emotional intelligence is even more crucial for leadership success. If you want to increase your awareness and management of yourself and your relationships in the busy-ness of life, try this book.
Give and Take
One of my mentors gave this to me as a gift to read to show me a business development perspective that comports with my ethos. She knows I had some ambivalence towards business development in the traditional sense, so I suspect she gave me this book to show me that helping others from a pure heart is an effective business development strategy. I’m working through this one and I’m enjoying it so far!
Point Made
This recommendation is for the law students and lawyers. I met this author when I attended a writing workshop at my old firm. I found his techniques helpful and incredibly clear, so when I saw that he wrote this book I had to grab it! I like how he uses actual practitioners’ writing as examples of good legal writing. It definitely transformed my writing at work!
Point Taken
This one is a bonus recommendation — similar to the above, but from the vantage point of writing like a judge. This was a fantastic read for me as a law clerk. If you are clerking or would like to pursue a clerkship, pick this one up!
