Guest Post: Mike Dariano, Finding Good Things

This is a guest post by Mike Dariano who runs the 27 Good Things blog. Three times a week, Mike asks three different people to list 3 good things to read, watch, and use. Thus, the “27” good things. It’s a great blog and I urge you to check it out and follow @27GoodThings on Twitter. And now, here’s Mike:

I’ve always been someone looking for good things to read.  I used to wander bookstores and libraries, perusing the shelves for books that sat adjacent to other books I read.  I know that the Dewey Decimal 150 books are good for a scan and that the staff picks might have a few gems. My browsing habits changed once I got a smartphone and I could add books to my Amazon Wishlist.  My list went from a paper in my pocket to a list on the internet.  As this changed so did my browsing habits.  I would find a blog that shared a good book and added the text to my list.  My Amazon Wishlist of things to read, watch, and use grew to include hundreds of items.  While I didn’t get around to many of them, the ones I did find were great.  To feed my growing curiosity, I started looking for a site that featured good stuff all in one place.  Not finding one, I decided to make one.

I had never made anything other than a personal blog before and what a joy the experience has been.  Not only the process and the people – which have both been great, but the good things they’ve shared.  Here are some personal favorites from running the site.

I always watch at least part of the TED Talks that are shared.  The ideas shared in the talks – even if they don’t interest me or align with my views – are well conceived and make me question things.

Breaking Bad is the the most popular show on the site but I’ve only watched part of season one.  What strikes me is that people from all walks of life have common ground they tread upon. It reminds me that we are more similar than different.

Evernote is the most frequently shared thing to use and something I regularly gain insight about.  I’m always excited to see what people say about Evernote because I view this digital tool like a real one.  When I get a tangible tool it takes time to figure out how best to use it and what to use it for. It’s the same with my digital tools, one of which is Evernote.

Besides these online things I was surprised at the frequency of offline things that were shared.  People like to watch people, watch clouds, and be outside using their bodies. They like using their cast-iron skillet and this roll up waterbottle.  I like these things too, but I thought the site would focus on things with pages or plugs..  I’m glad it’s not.

The site has been a special treat for me and I feel incredibly lucky that people like it.  I better wrap this post up, I need to get back to my reading list.  As a result of running the site, it’s gotten rather long.

Mike Dariano (@mikedariano) blogs at MikeDariano.net, features good people at 27GoodThings.com, and takes notes at BusinessPodClass.com.