Welcome to the Balancing Busy Podcast. I’m Leah Remillet and this is Episode 25. And as we are finishing up 2022, I got inspired by another podcast and I thought I am gonna share my Favorite books from this past year. So these are the ones that have stuck with me that I actually want to read again. And I am not someone who reads books or watches movies twice, but these ones truly are powerful.

[00:01:01] So I’m so excited to share them with you, and I hope you’ll pick at least one to maybe. Grab and start listening or reading, which speaking of, I wanna talk about that. So I absolutely love to read. I feel like my education comes from a combination of audible, the library system, YouTube. I mean, that is truly where I have learned.

[00:01:27] So much about business. It is just astounding to me. When we think about this, people will pour their heart and their soul into. the creation of a book and we can buy it for what? About $20. That is incredible. So I love reading. I, for years had a goal to read a minimum of 50 books a year, and I surpassed it over and over.

[00:01:55] And I actually, this past year decided to not do that this time. So one of the things that I’ve really. is that I read all of these books and they blend together. I end up where, I can’t remember, I know of an idea, but I’m like, I don’t know which book it was from. I have a thought and I’m like, oh, but who was that?

[00:02:16] Or, I am talking about a book and I know I read it, but I can’t remember what that one was about because they’re all just blending together. So this year I decided to take a different approach. I decided, okay. Maybe the whole reading 50 plus books a year is more of a vanity metric. For myself, I like to be able to say that I read so many books, and this is just me being really vulnerable and honest and just sharing with you my own journey with.

[00:02:44] self discovery, I guess, and my personal development path, which is of course in the form of books, but also in the form of actually me, myself developing. And when you’re reading book after book as fast as you can, you’re not really taking the time to implement the things that you learn. And I started thinking about that because, let’s be honest, here’s the truth, like.

[00:03:07] who cares how much I’m consuming and how fast I’m learning if I’m not implementing anything and if I’m going in the wrong direction. So I decided that I really, really wanted to focus on implementing the things that I was excited about that resonated with me in the book. So this year I read about half I’m, I’m somewhere around 25.

[00:03:32] Plus books, which is very, very different from my normal. But you know what? I feel like I’ve gotten a lot more out of them. So that’s really exciting. And maybe next year it’s gonna be even less. I don’t know. We’ll see. But in all of the books that I have read, and yes, this is from 2022, but I did think back on some other years, I’m like, is there anything else I should include?

[00:03:52] But truly, these books really resonated with me. So let’s jump in to my most influential books of 2020. Now these are. A particular order, not necessarily by favorite, but something really profound and incredible happened for me this year. And it was that I kind of felt like I was in a drought. I don’t know if you’ve ever felt like that, but you know, you keep reading these different books, but it’s like, oh, it’s the same thing, just packaged a little different.

[00:04:20] I just, I was looking for something to shake me up and get me thinking and, and fired up. And then I finally found it and it came in the form of the book into the Magic Shop by Dr. James Doty. Now, this had been on my list for a really, really long time and I had never grabbed onto it. And the reason it was on my list is that I had noticed it on some really, really incredible thought leaders.

[00:04:49] I mean, you know, the ones who are making. Insane, insane changes, um, for entire industries. And they had mentioned this book, so I’m like, okay, well if they love it, then I need to listen to it. And I finally got to it, and I’m gonna say it’s free on Audible. This is one, if you have an Audible account, you don’t even have to use a credit.

[00:05:10] This is one that is free. So it’s into The Magic Shop by Dr. James Dody. And the reason that it is so cool is that it’s taking the. concept of mindfulness and the power of thought, but it’s being shared through the lens of a neurosurgeon. So this was so fascinating to me because he is talking about the power of how we think affirmations, the way we speak to ourselves, the way that we focus in.

[00:05:44] And these are things that he learned as a small child. I mean, he learned somewhere around 12. , yet he grows up to become this neurosurgeon. So he knows the inner workings of the brain more than than any of us would. And so it’s such an incredible read. So I read Into the Magic Shop by Dr. James Dody. It was so good that I was like, I told my sister she had to read it.

[00:06:10] I told several people, I’m like, I had so many conversations with so many friends, so many people. I’m like, you have to read this. . So I read that and then I’m like, oh man. Like I, I wish there was this next part though, like, I want to know what to do next now that I’m understanding this. And, and that was one, you know, I love a book if I buy the hard copy, so I listen to everything on Audible.

[00:06:33] That is how I read so much. And yes, listening absolutely counts as reading. I, there’s so many people who wanna give you a hard time and they’re like, oh, did you actually read though? If you listen to the Audible, you get to say you read the book, and you know what? That is how we balance the busy. I may not have time to sit down.

[00:06:55] flip through pages, but I can learn and grow and become more by popping in some AirPods and listening to these incredible books while I am doing all of the other things. So I’m just gonna put that little caveat that, um, yes, audio books absolutely count. And the way that I get all my books in is it’s this combination of audible.

[00:07:17] Libby, which is your public library system if you’re in the States. And then I have this other app that’s called Deserret Bookshelf. Um, so I have memberships for Audible and Dest Bookshelf, and then I have my Libby app. And so I, between those three, there are always books on those that I am, I’m listening to.

[00:07:35] Okay. So. Into the Magic Shop. It was so good. In fact, I bought the actual hard copy. I’m holding it in my hand right now because there were exercises in it that I knew I was going to want to do. Like, I’m like, oh, I wanna, I wanna go through this again slowly, and I want to just make this really, really work for me.

[00:07:59] So I actually. Bought this one and have been so excited to just go through it really, really slow. Okay. So that was the first book, which was into the Magic Shop. Then I’m like, oh, I want another great one like that. That just fires me up and Oh wow. It was like I hit the lottery twice. The Big Leap by gay Hendrix.

[00:08:21] If you have not read this, you are going to love me for introducing this book to you. It is so incredible. I have all of my kids reading it, my husband reading it, my sister reading it, all of my friends reading it. Their husband’s reading it. I am not kidding. I think I have already gotten probably 20 people to read this book and, and what I’m telling everybody is there’s an order that I think we should read them in and I really feel like this is what I keep saying to my friends.

[00:08:49] I’m like, I think if we can read and master these three books, so into the Magic Shop, then the big leap, and I’ll tell you the third one in a minute, I’m like, I’m pretty sure we. Conquer the world, I’m pretty sure we will be unstoppable. That is how incredible I feel like these are. So the big leap, this book was just mind blowing because this idea of going from where we are right now to where we want to be, to that place that we talk about, that we dream about, that we imagine for ourselves, and yet we can’t seem to ever get there.

[00:09:22] And if you’ve ever wondered like, why can’t I get to that next level, the big leap. Your book, this is your answer. And it’s this idea that there is a place where we feel comfortable, that we feel safe and we sabotage essentially, even if it is our inner thoughts, even if it’s our subconscious, even if we don’t realize what we’re doing and.

[00:09:51] he starts by talking about lottery winners, and this comes up in a lot of books, but you know how the majority of lottery winners are back to where they were or less than where they were before they won the lottery within two years. And this idea of like, why does this happen? What goes wrong? And they were thrust into this experience that was much bigger than what they believed that they deserved or could handle or were capable of or whatever it might be.

[00:10:19] And so whether. Unintentionally intentionally did it. They brought themselves back to where they’re comfortable. And one example that he gives, and it struck a chord with me is he’s like, have you ever had something going really, really great? Within your work, within your career, and all of a sudden you’re in a big fight with your spouse.

[00:10:36] And I was like, no, never. I’ve never done that. Only I have, I can think of these different times within my company. There’s, there’s two that really stand out, uh, right. Right before my very first retreat that I was hosting, you know, on the other side of the country, there was so much, oh, just getting in a huge fight with Taylor and you know, it was like so many great things were happening.

[00:11:03] It was, I truly, I look back and I’m like, oh, that is what I was doing. Like I couldn’t handle so much goodness. So I like picked a fight. I remember this other time I was doing a webinar and. I, it was right before getting on the webinar and I could have a maximum of a thousand people. I had well over 2000 that had already registered.

[00:11:23] I knew we were gonna like fill capacity. I was sending an email saying, please jump on early because it’s going to fill and you won’t be able to get in. And, um, and I was so excited. I mean, just over the moon excited. Like, this is amazing. I can’t believe this. Many people want to come listen to me. This is so incredible.

[00:11:42] So I was so, so, so excited. And then truly, moments before I’m going to go live on this webinar, tailored said something. It was, it was like, He meant no harm. He like made one of those jokes only. I was so stressed, I was so nervous. I was so wounds like just incredibly tight that he said it. And I was like, RA, like just, and I think about that.

[00:12:08] I’m like, oh, this is exactly what I was doing. I was self sabotaging because there was so much goodness, so much excitement. It was like I brought myself down. So the big leap, it is incredible. I truly feel like it has helped me to be a better wife, better mom. Better within business. I mean, every single area of my life has improved every area because of this book.

[00:12:32] I, I am in love with this book and my husband read it too. I was like, please read this. And it’s so fun cuz we have these, these conversations with her, with each other where, um, , it’s, it’s this idea of the upper limit problem. You, you, when you start to reach your upper limit of where, where your subconscious believes that you, you can be, it starts to bring you down.

[00:12:53] And so one of us will do something and we’ll be like, oh my gosh. I just, I just oped myself. I just had an upper limit moment. And, and so it’s just been amazing. Okay, so that’s the big leap. Now the third one, and this is where I just feel. . I don’t know if you ever saw that viral video that was like triple rainbow.

[00:13:12] What can it mean? ? That’s what I feel like happened for me. I know that sounds so dramatic, but truly I, it had been a while since I found a great book and to find three. back to back to back, that built on each other where it felt like, oh my gosh. The one question I still had just got answered by the next one.

[00:13:33] And then the question that I had just got answered by the next one, I mean just absolutely incredible. So the third book. is the gap in the gain by Dan Sullivan and Dr. Benjamin Hardy. Now I’ve read other books of Benjamin Hardy. I love his books, but I just, for whatever reason, had not read this one yet.

[00:13:51] And so I finish the Big Leap and I’m like, okay, I am completely aware of the upper limit problem. I see myself where things are going so, so great. And I get in my own way. , but I was left with this. How? Now I’m aware. That’s fantastic, right? Like the first step is always self-awareness. So I’m aware of it, I’m catching myself, but I wanna do even more like how do I eliminate this even more for myself?

[00:14:19] And then I found the gap and the gain and I was like, okay, truly I’m about to be like unstoppable. I’m pretty much going to be like, I can conquer anything if I can. Harness. What I have learned from these three books, so the Gap in the Gain by Dan Sullivan and Dr. Benjamin Hardy. Dan Sullivan is a world renowned, super famous business coach.

[00:14:45] Okay? He’s been around for forever, and he came up with the concept of the gap in the game, kind of on accident. Actually, he was coaching. there, a group coaching setting. There’s one client who just cannot stop noticing everything that is wrong. Do you have a friend like that? I feel like we all do. We all have that family member or that friend where it’s like it does not matter what you say.

[00:15:05] They will find what is wrong with it, and you’re like, oh my gosh. So he has one of those who is just pointing out everything that is wrong. And he’s just talking out loud and he says, you know what’s happening? You are stuck in the gap instead of the gain. And the guy didn’t wanna hear it, it didn’t resinate with him, but everyone else in the room was like, oh my goodness, you just nailed it.

[00:15:33] And they started thinking about and recognizing where this happens in their life now, Benjamin Hardy, his doctorate, oh gosh, now I’m worried I’m gonna get it wrong. It’s either organizational psychology or it. I think it’s organizational psychology because it’s exactly what my daughter wants to go into, so I’m pretty sure it’s organizational psychology.

[00:15:51] Um, so he has his doctorate in organizational psychology. So he comes from the side of. Of breaking it down, pulling it all apart, and then in between the chapters. This is why I love the audible so much in between the chapters Dan and Benjamin talk to each other, just super relaxed. It’s so fascinating.

[00:16:09] Interesting. So this book really, really is helping me to recognize when I am thinking in the gap, here’s, here’s what I wanted and here’s where I fell short, and I’m seeing that versus the gain. Here’s where I started and here’s where I got to. . If we had a scale, we start at one and we wanna get to a 10.

[00:16:32] Okay, let’s just say you’re, you’re, you’re on the starting line at A one. You wanna get to the 10 and you get to the seven. . If you’re in the gain, then you see, wow, seven whole steps forward. That’s amazing. When we’re in the gap, we see three short. I was supposed to get to 10 and I only got to seven, and it’s very, very natural to be in the gap.

[00:16:56] The. , but that can hurt and affect everything because we’re missing all the growth that happened. And I think the most profound area for me, with the gap in the gain has actually been in my relationships, especially with my kids, because as he talked about this, I really started recognizing, and Benjamin Hardy talks about this.

[00:17:18] He recognized it and I did too, where we are focusing on the. with our kids where they’re falling short instead of recognizing the insane, incredible gains of all that they do and have accomplished. So these three books in that order, start with into the Magic Shop, then do the big leap, and then the gap in the gain.

[00:17:41] I’m telling you, I have recommended these to more people this year. I can’t remember the last time I’ve recomme. Books so much. So I think those ones are incre incredible. If you don’t read any other books in 2023, like let these be the three books. All right. Now I do have three more, and I actually am really excited about these ones too.

[00:17:59] But I did start with the ones that I’m like, I’m reading all of them again. I bought all of them in hard copies so that I can actually read them and mark them and make notes and I’m listening to all of them. Again, these are ones that I want them to just, I, I want them. Saturate every part of me that I can absorb them to where they are just they are second, what am I trying to say?

[00:18:27] I want to absorb these so that they are second nature. For me, it’s the way that I feel about how to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie. That is one of my all-time favorite books, and I have read it so many times. That entire paragraphs of that book will come to my mind that I could recite for you because I just love that book and have read it so many times, and that is one that, you know, I have Recomme.

[00:18:50] A million times, and now these three, oh, they are just so, so good. Okay, to finish off my list, the last three, this one is a novel and it was so fun and so cute and made me so happy that I just have to make it on the list. And because you didn’t even expect a novel, because we all know I love my business and personal development and all those kind of books, but this one was so great.

[00:19:13] So Mrs. Harris goes to Paris by Paul Gala. I don’t know if I’m actually pronouncing his last name right. One of the things that was really surprising to me is that this was actually written, I believe, in the 1940s. I did not expect that, and it’s so cute and it’s so fun. and then there was the movie that came out this year, and here’s what I think is so cool.

[00:19:36] The movie is incredible, and this was one of the very, very few times where I read the book and then saw the movie, and I was not disappointed at. All. I mean, I loved the movie. In fact, I went to the theater twice to see it, and I don’t see movies more than once. And I was willing to see it in the theater twice.

[00:19:56] I would’ve seen it three times, honestly. And I’m totally excited to watch it again. And the book was incredible. And when you buy the book on Amazon, it’s a double, it’s Mrs. Harris goes to Paris and then Mrs. Harris goes to New York. And that one was cute too. As a complete surprise, Mrs. Harris goes to Paris.

[00:20:14] I loved it and it’s set in my two most favorite cities, London and Paris. And of course, because I got to go to Paris this year for my 40th birthday, it made it even more magical and special for me, and London is one of my favorite cities. We spent. About six weeks there a few years ago as a family, it was just, oh, I love that city so much.

[00:20:36] So to have it be set in those two cities that are probably my two favorite cities on the entire planet, it was just, it made my heart so happy. So Mrs. Harris goes to Paris. I highly recommend the book and the movie. The next one I wanna share with you is Have more Fun by Mandy Ado. And this one was just the mom kick in the pants I needed it just re-energized me and got me excited about.

[00:21:07] Motherhood, having fun, making time for fun, infusing more joy into my days, which is something that I’ve always been an advocate for and loved, especially because, you know, I’m the balance girl, right? I talk all about systems and automations and balancing the busy, but one of the things that I really think matters if you wanna feel balanced, is to make time for fun.

[00:21:29] Like I really, really think that that matters. And so this book just re-energized. With being more intentional about fun when it comes to motherhood and just life in general. So I loved that book. And then the last one that I’m going to share is the Ultimate Jim Rhone Library. Now this is when you wanna get on Audible because it’s like $50.

[00:21:54] So definitely use an audible credit for this one so you don’t have to pay that much. And it is insanely. . I have been reading this over the entire year and what I love is that it’s these short little, several. wonderful episodes from Jim Rhone speaking throughout the years and years, and so it’s great because I’ll just listen to a little bit of it on a walk or what I did a lot was I would finish my run and I’d be listening to my running playlist, and then in my cool down I’d switch to Jim Roone.

[00:22:29] It would just be a few minutes and I’d get this like wonderful dose of personal development motivat. Inspiration. Just really, really good life lessons that were just mm, they were good. So the ultimate Jim Roan library, I have really, really enjoyed that and I’ve just been listening to it all year super slowly, just in the inwes and have gotten so much out of it.

[00:22:56] So those are my six books. I’ll say ’em for you one last time and I’ll have links to everything in the show notes for this. Into The Magic Shop by Dr. James Dody, and that’s free on Audible, the Big Leap by Gay Hendrix. The Gap in the Gain by Dan Sullivan and Dr. Benjamin Hardy. Mrs. Harris goes to Paris, my one single novel, but it’s so fun.

[00:23:20] And come on, there’s a movie and the movie is so good by Paul Gallico. have more fun by Mandy, ato. And finally, the ultimate Jim Rhone library, quite obviously by Jim Rhone. So there you go. Those are my favorite books as we wrap up 2022 that I truly feel have helped just make this year. more magical for me, more motivated, more inspired, more excited.

[00:23:50] So I hope you’ll pick up at least one of ’em. Honestly. You know, I want you to pick up the first three because, well, I think they’re incredible together. So I hope you will grab something that this has inspired you, or at least even if you never read ’em, got just a little nugget from them that you can take with you right now.

[00:24:06] One of the biggest things for me is that, Want to implement what I’m learning. That is my focus. And something that I am really, really passionate about. No more just listening, taking it in and not doing anything with it. If we want to know anything, we have to do something. So all of these books that I read, sure things are going in, but I’m not really going to learn and understand until I implement it for myself.

[00:24:33] So that’s been my goal. This last year, and I’m taking that straight into 2023 as well. What about you? What have been your favorite books? I would love to know, so connect with me on Instagram at Leah rela, l e a h R e M I L L E T, and drop me a message and tell me what have been your favorite books. What do you feel like I absolutely need to add to my list next, and if I’ve read it, then how fun we can talk about it together.

[00:25:03] That is this episode and that is bringing us to wrapping up this year. Oh my goodness. I hope that it has been an incredible year for you and that you are so excited for what comes next because truly, you deserve to have all of the amazing. Thank you so much for listening to this podcast and being part of this podcast.

[00:25:28] Thank you for. Downloading for listening. If you’ve ever given a comment, if you’ve left a review. Oh my goodness. Thank you, thank you, thank you. Thank you for supporting me, and I am so excited to bring you more incredible episodes. I hope they’re incredible to help you balance busy in this upcoming year.

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