Read Time: 7 Minutes

Welcome to the last issue of 2023 of The Sunday Summary, a weekly newsletter where I share a quick book summary with actionable lessons, Book recommendations, Reading tips, and one life-changing Quote to help you build a healthy, wealthy life.

👋🏻 Hey Everyone,

Here are a few popular posts you may have missed

• Must watch Life changing TED-TALKS

• Spiritual lessons that can change your life 

• 10 Stoic lessons that will change you mind

📕 Book Summary

This week's book is “Shoe Dog” by Phil Knight

“Shoe Dog" is an amazing book written by Phil Knight. It's like a real adventure story about how Nike, a super famous brand, started. I loved this book a lot because it made me feel like I was part of an exciting journey.

The story goes back to a time long ago, in the 1960s, when things were different. Phil Knight, the author, tells us about how he and his friends began Nike. They really liked making and selling shoes. It was not easy at all. They faced many problems and had to work very, very hard.

Phil Knight talks about his friends and the people who helped him. There's Bill Bowerman, who was his coach and also helped make the first shoes. The book talks about how they had to go to faraway places to make the shoes and how they had to be brave and clever to make everything work.

What I really liked about "Shoe Dog" is that Phil Knight is very honest. He tells us about the times when he was worried and when things didn't go well. This is not like other stories where everything is easy. It feels real.

The book is easy to read because it goes at a good speed. It tells us about all the different things that happened when Nike was growing. It's exciting because there are parts where you don't know what will happen next.

"Shoe Dog" is not just about making shoes or business. It's about being strong and not giving up. Phil Knight and his friends had a dream, and they worked really hard to make it come true. This book shows that even when things are tough, you can still do great things if you believe in yourself.

To finish, I think "Shoe Dog" is an awesome book. It made me feel happy, and it taught me that no matter how hard things get, we can do amazing stuff if we never stop trying. If you want a book that's exciting, true, and inspiring, you should definitely read "Shoe Dog."

Here are 7 valuable lessons from the book

1. No. of possibilities: In the beginner’s mind there are many possibilities, but in the expert’s mind there are few.

2. Whatever comes just don’t stop: Let everyone else call your ideas crazy….Just keep going. Don’t even think about stopping until you get there. and Don’t give much thought to where “there” is. Whatever comes just don’t stop.

3. Without victory, there is no survival: You ask, what is our aim? I can answer in one word. It is victory. victory at all costs, victory in spite of all terror, victory……Without victory, there is no survival.

4. Life is a game: Like it or not, life is a game. whoever denies that truth, whoever simply refuses to play, gets left on the sidelines.

5. Fail Fast: If I failed, I would fail quickly, so I’d have enough time, and enough years to implement all the hard-won lessons.

6. Forget your limits:  You must forget your limits. You must forget your doubts, your pain, and your past. You must forget that internal voice screaming, begging, “Not one more step” and when it’s not possible to forget it, you must negotiate with it.

7. Don’t tell people how to do things: Don’t tell people how to do things, tell them what to do and let them surprise you with their results.

Actionable Advice

Here are 3 Actions you can start taking from these insights:

1. Embrace Failure: In "Shoe Dog," Phil Knight shares how he faced numerous obstacles and failures while building Nike. These challenges aren't roadblocks, but opportunities to learn and improve. When you encounter failures, take them as lessons. Analyze what went wrong, adjust your approach, and keep moving forward. Remember that even successful ventures experience setbacks; the key is to use them to your advantage and grow from them.

2. Persistence Pays Off: Phil Knight's journey to success was marked by years of hard work and dedication. He encountered financial struggles, manufacturing issues, and competitive pressures, but his unwavering commitment to his dream allowed Nike to flourish. When faced with difficulties, remind yourself why you started in the first place. Keep pushing forward, stay focused on your goals, and be patient. Success often requires consistent effort over time.

3. Build Strong Relationships: Throughout the book, Phil Knight emphasizes the importance of relationships. His partnership with his former track coach, Bill Bowerman, and his interactions with athletes and employees played a pivotal role in Nike's growth. Similarly, fostering connections in your professional and personal life is essential. Collaborate with others, communicate openly, and support each other. Networking and building a strong community can provide valuable insights, resources, and opportunities for success.

📚 Recommendations

Here are Five books to become a better decision-maker

• Blink

• Thinking in bets

• Predictably irrational

• Thinking fast and slow

• The art of thinking clearly

⚡️ Reading Tip

Want to read every day but don’t know how

USE THE READING STREAK METHOD

Just Like we build a streak with our friends on Snapchat. Try to build a reading streak.

Our mind loves to play games, so when you start building a streak your mind will signal you to read so that the streak won't break.

👨🏻‍🏫 Book I’m reading this week

Still Reading:

1. I’m also reading Attention Span by Gloria Mark. This book shows the study around the decreasing attention span of humans and how we can restore it to make the most of our time and energy.

🎉 New Concept To learn

I have just started this new section in our newsletter where I’ll share a new concept every week to learn something new and make our lives better.

This Week’s concept is Goldilocks’s Rule

The Goldilocks Rule states that humans experience peak motivation when working on tasks that are right on the edge of their current abilities. Not too hard. Not too easy.

The human brain loves a challenge, but only if it is within an optimal zone of difficulty. If you love football and try to play a serious match against a four-year-old, you will quickly become bored. It’s too easy. You’ll win every match. In contrast, if you play against a professional Football player like Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo, you will quickly lose motivation because the match is too difficult.

Now consider playing Football against someone who is your equal. As the game progresses, you score a few goals and you lose a few. You have a good chance of winning, but only if you really try. Your focus narrows, distractions fade away, and you find yourself fully invested in the task at hand. This is a challenge of just manageable difficulty and it is a good example of the Goldilocks Rule.

Students can effectively apply the Goldilocks Rule by finding balanced approaches: allocating appropriate study time for each subject, setting challenging yet attainable goals, engaging in a manageable number of social activities, seeking constructive feedback, maintaining a balanced routine for health and well-being, exploring diverse learning techniques, and dedicating time to both self-reflection and self-care.

This principle guides students to avoid extremes, promoting optimal performance, growth, and overall success.

🎉 New Beginning

I’m active on this new crazy and fun platform, Threads.

Follow me there

🔥 Quote

I hope you find these tips and insights helpful in your reading journey.

If you want to share your feedback, Just reply to this email. Your Feedback means a lot to me.

Thank you for your love and support everyone. I'll see you next week.

Stay Awesome & happy reading!

Kamalpreet Singh