According to the internet, the grid above features my top 9 moments of 2019. As I pointed out in my “Best Nine” Instagram post, Instagram’s top picks [based on likes] don’t necessarily reflect how I see my own highlights for 2019. (I shared actual highlights, reflections, and some tips for looking ahead to a new year over on my Biz Blog.) In a world that often seems consumed by social media, it’s easy to get sucked into believing it. This time of year serves as a nice reality check and time to take a moment and look back at what really mattered.

This “2019 List” post is a roundup of what inspired me, inspired by Barack Obama’s own annual lists. It’s something I started last year and I think it’s a nice tradition. I like that it’s a way to keep a record of my favorite inspiration I’ve consumed, and serves as a way to celebrate the work of others. Sending my weekly newsletter where I share inspiration made coming up with this year’s list a bit easier. (As I’m posting this before the 31st, I still give myself permission to make updates—and add links!)

Without further ado, and in no particular order…

READ (& RE-READ)

• A More Beautiful Question by Warren Berger
• The Art of Noticing by Rob Walker
• Hustle & Float by Rahaf Harfoush
• Company of One by Paul Jarvis
• To Pixar & Beyond by Lawrence Levy
• Everything written by Brené Brown
• Mindset by Carol Dweck
• Surely You’re Joking Mr. Feynman? by Richard Feynman
• The Messy Middle by Scott Belsky
• Made to Stick by Chip & Dan Heath
• One Giant Leap by Charles Fishman
• Sunburst & Luminary: an Apollo Memoir by Don Eyles
• Originals by Adam Grant
• The One Thing by Gary Keller with Jay Papsan
• The Alchemist by Paulo Coehlo
• Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert
• Hack the Moon (a Draper Lab project)
• Julia Rothman and Shaina Feinberg’s NYT column
• Wendy McNaughton’s illustrated NYT column

WATCH

• Hors Normes
• Apollo 11 [documentary]
• Le Grand Bain
• Deux Moi
• Les Misérables
• Mission Impossible Fallout
• Rocketman
• Brené Brown: A Call to Courage
• Toy Story 4
• Spiderman into the Spiderverse
• Free Solo
• The Third Man
• Dance your PhD (TED)

LISTEN

• 13 Minutes to the Moon – the 13 minutes leading up to the Apollo 11 moon landing as told by the people who made it happen + scored by Hans Zimmer
• Finding Fred – journalist Carvell Wallace shares stories of how Mister Rogers touched so many lives
• American Girls Pod – two histories re-read the American Girl books based on the dolls and share a side of pop-culture in a way that’s engaging and entertaining
• Building a Story Brand with Donald Miller
• Hello Monday by LinkedIn with host Jessi Hempel
• Getting Curious with Jonathan Van Ness
• Where Should We Begin? with Esther Perel
• Going Through It by MailChimp with Ann Friedman
• Good Company with Grace Bonney
• Ice podcast with Winnie Bertrand
• Keep Calm and Cook On with Julia Turshen
• Courage & Spice with Sas Petherick
• Moonrise from The Washington Post
• Marie Forleo podcast
• Still Processing from the NYT with Wesley Morris and Jenna Wortham
• Work Life with Adam Grant
• Wireframe from Adobe/Gimlet Creative with Khoi Vinh
• The New Paris with Lindsey Tramuta
• The Earful Tower with Oliver Gee
• The Thing About France with Bénédicte de Montlaur
• Raise Your Hand Say Yes with Tiffany Han
• Letters from a Hopeful Creative with Jen Carrington and Sara Tasker
• The Dropout from ABC News
• Money Diaries from Refinery 29 with Lindsey Stanberry and Paco de Leon
• Hurry Slowly with Jocelyn Glei

PEOPLE/VOICES

• Mister Rogers (childhood hero)
• Carvell Wallace (journalist/host of Finding Fred)
• Roger Manix (teaches compassionate leadership through play)
• Esther Perel (relationship therapist)
• Megan Rapinoe (soccer superstar + advocate for humans)
• Deesha Dyer (community leader + organizer)
• Aminatou Sow (podcast host Call Your Girlfriend)
• Lizzo (singer/musician)
• Erika Hall (UX truthspeaker)
• Lisa Congdon (artist and author)
• Grace Bonney (founder of Design*Sponge)
• Sas Petherick (self-belief coach)
• Tiffany Han (life coach)
• Jonathan Van Ness (curious human and star of Queer Eye)
• Brené Brown (shame, empathy, vulnerability researcher and author)
• Debbie Millman (designer and host of Design Matters)
• Michael Collins (astronaut)
• Adam Grant (organizational psychologist and author)
• Jocelyn Glei (host of Hurry Slowly)
• Greta Thunberg

For more ideas on alternatives to New Years resolutions, check out my Biz Blog! And sign up for my weekly Connect the Dots newsletter if you haven’t already! 💌