Augusto Marolla, originally from Argentina and now living in Switzerland after cruising through warm Panama, is a Global Brand Manager for Pampers at Procter & Gamble. An avid & constant learner, he is often obsessed by topics like productivity, habits & happiness. For Augusto, “Work follows Life”, not the other way around. Here are some of the books that have shaped a new version of him, and you can reach that “new version” of him here.
The 4 Hour Work Week by Tim Ferris
It’s not news this has been a life-changing book for many, especially for those looking at the entrepreneur path. While I have only dipped my toe in that path, this book has actually completely changed my thinking on productivity in the corporate world. Tips like: how the 80/20 rule not only applies to success, but also to the drainers of it; the difference between being busy and being productive; the “not-to-do” list; “just-in-time” vs “just-in-case”; info saving & reading – and more and more. All of these have reshaped my working approach and made a significant difference in my – and my teams’ – productivity beyond any other internal or external training we have ever gotten.
The ONE Thing by Gary Keller & Jay Papasan
Very much in the same line as the preceding book, but slightly different because it’s not so much about life hacks as it is about life concepts. I particularly loved the observation that we actually need imbalance to create outstanding results. In other words, you can’t have a “work-life balance” if you intend to be remarkable. For Gary, it’s all about focus, since “extraordinary results are determined by how narrow you can make your focus”. Packed with amazing concepts behind the domino effect of stacking well focused effort, the key that the book offers is getting you to figure out the ONE thing you can do differently that will make everything else either easier or unnecessary – and then applying that to each pillar of your life.
How To Win Friends & Influence People by Dale Carnegie
What an outstanding book, indeed! Considered the first “self help” book in history, this guy wrote in the 1930s concepts that just today are getting discovered by relationship & sales experts. Very well structured, it takes you through several principles and (old but interesting) examples of great men who put them to practice. From simple tasks like “smile”, “remember people’s first name” or “always talk about what the other person is interested in” – to more complicated insights like “every man’s deepest longing is the feeling of importance & appreciation”. The concept I loved the most – and which is working wonders for me – is “be warm in your appreciation and generous in your praise of others.” Simple enough to think it’s silly, yet powerful enough to change any interaction. Fantastic!
The Miracle Morning by Hal Elrod
You may or may not be a morning person. You may or may not follow Hal’s interesting approach to the “miracle routine” that got him out of depression into huge success. But what you will most probably learn is a few habits that will make you happy & successful, and a way to simplify them so that they are doable in your busy day, everyday. I don’t actually follow Elrod’s routine, but I have used it to create my own based on it, after a long time of not doing anything just because everything was just “too much”.
The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success by Deepak Chopra
To believe or not to believe, that is the question. BUT… even if you don’t believe in the energy of the Universe, the law of attraction and the power of affirmations, you may still find Deepak’s advice useful to relax a little and to focus your energy on the positive and on your best effort rather than on the uncontrollable factors that may affect your results. And regardless, does it really sound crazy to 1. Believe you are capable of anything, 2. Give without asking back, 3. Watch out for Karma (or consequences), 4. Try to get things to flow vs. forcing them, 5. Desire intensively, 6. Do your best and let go, and 7. Have a purpose in life?
Trust me. Keep it on your night stand.
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Feature header by the brilliant Jay Roeder. You can see more of his great work here. Portrait of Mr. Marolla by the scintillating Mike Caplanis. You can see more of his work here.
The Agency Review 