MY daily Resources
On this page you’ll find an overview of all the resources I use in my daily life as a designer and motivator. I’ve added every single thing that friends had asked me in the past.
If you’re missing anything on this page, and want to know about the books/tools/apps I use, let me know.
1. Feed your minds with this influencers:
Simon Sinek — Simon may be best known for popularizing the concept of WHY in his first TED Talk in 2009. Self-awareness. Leadership. Start with Why. It all begins with you.
Jay Shetty — The importance of self-awareness and positivity. Making wisdom viral.
Gary Vaynerchuck — “You will die.” Probably one of the influencer that swears the most. But, dope as fuck as he drops massive values. No fluff. Straight to point. If you’re into book, read this: Crushing it! He is widely on podcast too as he believes the voice is the next thing. Psst: Sneaker fans? I wished I’ve a pair too but ran of stock for my size.
Peng Joon — A constant learning, no excuses and a truly practitioner guy. Do what you said.
Joel Bauer — Mentor of the mentor. Design your destiny, not by default.
Fun fact: Peng Joon & Jordan Belfort (a.k.a The Wolf of Wall Street) were one of the mentees under Joel Bauer!
2. Books
A list of books that will help you grow & boost your confidence.
When it comes to reading, you don’t have to finish a book in a day, nor a week.
You don’t have to rush your own timeline to compete with others. Take your time.
Here’s my recommended book lists / must read if you’re:
• Struggling to look for a direction and your purpose
• Tired of pleasing every single one
• Wondering why your social engagement does not convert into hot leads
• Starting to lead a team or stepping into a managerial role
• In the position of resolving conflicts (be it team or project)
• Having trouble to estimate or manage a project
3. Design Business
Chris Do – I believed he ain’t something new to most designers nowadays. It’s a must to follow in your social media!
Tom Ross — He constantly drops great tips to help creatives become better marketers. He’s currently the CEO @designcuts and a Host for The Honest Entrepreneur Show.
4. Writing
Grammarly — I use this tool probably the most out of all the resources on this page. If you’re writing anything that’s more than an email, use this app. I highly recommend getting the premium edition.
5. Journaling
Anatomy – Handcrafted and letterpress with love. They aim to help people in productivity and yet never sacrifice on quality. Plus, customization!
Mossery – In a glance, it works very similar as Anatomy - handcrafted with love, quality, focus and customization etc. Check both out to see which suits you best!
Pens – It might sound unimportant, but pens are probably the most important thing in note-taking. And I’ve tested a lot of pens. I like gel pens best. And this uni-ball gel pen is the best pen I’ve used—I don’t use any other pen these days. Make sure you get the 0.7mm line size (it’s the one from the link). Good news: It’s not expensive at $1 per pen.
6. Organizing/Planning
Clickup – Clickup is a versatile project management tool that can be used in many ways. There’re alot of similar tools but here’s how clickup wins my heart. Bottom line — Choose what works for you. You may not need or work the same as I do.
Calendar – My standard iOS calendar app is one of my favorite productivity tool. More on a high level to see what appointment dates I have in both personal or work. It’s simple: What gets scheduled, gets done.
Notepad — I’ve tried Agenda, Notion, to-do and they are all great in what they do with ton of features. Just personal preference, I’m contented with notepad. :)
That’s it for now. Will update this list as I go along or when I come across new books or try some new awesome tools!
If you would like to know any of the list more in-depth or share your resources list, leave a comment below or send me a tweet! I’d love to hear more.