Introduction
Welcome to The One-Person Renaissance, a year-long curriculum designed to transform you into one of the most educated, empowered and well-rounded women in your field.
This blog series is my experiment for 2026 and I will take you along and guide you month by month, covering essential topics from economics and technology to entrepreneurship, philosophy, and beyond. Each month, we’ll dive deep into a new subject, complete with book recommendations, actionable insights, and practical exercises.
This is not just about reading, it’s about becoming. By the end of the year, we’ll have the knowledge, skills and confidence to excel as a professional, innovator, and leader.
This post contains affiliate links, meaning by clicking on them you support me through a small commission to no extra cost to you. Links are marked as “*”. I only recommend what I use and read myself and am convinced of.
Monthly Curriculum
Prequel to the curriculum: Critical Thinking and Logic
Shortly before the new year and my curriculum could arrive, I prepared by changing my thinking patterns and the way I am reading and progressing the information I am and will be consuming during the following 12 months.
Why it matters: Every book, every episode, every media post contains a pattern of thinking, logic and biased-opinions by the author. Recommendations and conclusions are based on them and are thus not entirely neutral, even if the author is trying to accomplish that. Using logic and critical thinking enables us to sort through the information, discover biases and form our own opinions.
Book recommendations:
- Critical Thinking, Logic and Problem Solving by Andrew Reese
- The Art Of Logical Thinking by William Atkinson
- Thinking, Fast and Slow* by Daniel Kahneman
- The Art of Thinking Clearly by Rolf Dobelli
Podcast recommendations:
- Within Reason: #118 Joe Folley – Everything You Need To Know About Logic
January: Economics & Finance
Why it matters: Understanding economics and finance is the foundation of personal and professional freedom. This month, the goal is to learn how money works, how to build wealth and how to make informed financial decisions.
Financial literacy is to me one of the most important topics and that is why I am starting with it in January. While everyone else is trying to follow their new years resolutions, the dark month of January is perfect to cosy up at home and learn finance.
It will be an ongoing progress, because my plan to wealth is to continue learning finance throughout the whole year through podcasts, books, magazine articles and courses.
Book Recommendations:
- Rich Dad Poor Dad* by Robert Kiyosaki
- Rich AF* by Vivian Tu
- Principles by Ray Dalio
- Economics in One Lesson by Henry Hazlitt
- The Psychology of Money by Morgan Housel
Podcast Recommendations:
- Diary of a CEO: Money Making Experts: This 3-step offer formula makes $ 20K per Month! Alex Hormozi, Codie Sanchez, Daniel Priestly
- BigDeal: #83: I Asked 6 Billionaires How To Get Rich
- Business & with Natalie Dawson: S1/E123 3 Ways To Fix Your Finances In 13 Minutes
- Business & with Natalie Dawson: S1/E122 Redifining Financial Freedom with John Lee Dumas
- Aspire with Emma Grede: Aspire Insights: How Not Talking About Money Is Stopping You From Making It
Magazines:
- Finance
- Venture Capital Magazine
- Financial Times
Want a deep dive into why this is so high up on my agenda? Here’s what nobody told me about money.
February: Technology, AI & Digital Fluency
Why it matters: Technology is reshaping every industry. This month, we’ll explore the future of AI, digital transformation and how to leverage technology to stay ahead. At the same time we’re applying critical thinking to AI, super AI and the costs for economy and environment.
Book Recommendations:
- The Singularity Is Nearer *by Ray Kurzweil
- Life 3.0* by Max Tegmark
- The Shallows by Nicholas Carr
- Superintelligence by Nick Bostrom
Podcast recommendations:
- Diary of a CEO: Roman Yampolskiy: These are the only 5 Jobs that will remain in 2030 & Proof we’re living in a simulation!
- Diary of a CEO: Ex-Google Exec (Mo Gawdat) on AI: The Next 15 Years Will Be Hell Before We Get To Heaven… And Only These 5 Jobs Remain
- BigDeal: #85 AI CEO: How to Make A $10 M Business with AI Employees
- Bots & Bosses (An AI Podcast) /German
Want a deep dive into my opinion? I wrote it down here.
March: Entrepreneurship & Innovation
Why it matters: Entrepreneurship is about turning ideas into impact. This month, we’ll learn how to start, scale, and innovate in any field. I also revised some general lessons in economics I had at university.
Book Recommendations:
- $ 100 Million Offer* by Alex Hormozi
- Zero to One by Peter Thiel
- Economics by Herbert Edling
- Public Economy by Thomas Barthel
Podcast recommendations:
- Aspire with Emma Grede: Aspire with Jay Shetty:How to Succeed in Business without losing your Soul
- Aspire with Emma Grede: Find your Why. Start your Business
- Working Hard with Grace Beverly: The Four things I Wish I Knew Before I Started My Business
- Diary of a CEO: The Woman Who Makes Millionaires: Only 1% of People Do This
- Build with Leila Hormozi: Throwback: 5 Goal-Setting Mistakes that Will Tank Your Business
April: Marketing & Consumer Psychology
Why it matters: Being able to understand marketing helps to think critically about ads and influencer posts, while at the same time helping us negotiate and promote ourselves as well as any sidehustles.
Book recommendations:
- Adweek Copywriting Handbook by Joseph Sugarman
- Influence* by Robert B. Cialdini
- Start with Why* by Simon Sinek
- Building a Storybrand* by Donald Miller
Podcasts:
- Creator Unplugged by Jun Yuh
- OMR Education (German)
- Be Your Brand by Verena Bender (German)
May: Health, Energy, Longevity and Fashion
Why it matters: Your body is your most valuable asset. This month, we’ll learn how to optimize health, energy, and longevity for a longterm healthy life, high energy levels for succeeding in life and how to look good.
Book recommendations:
- TCM diet* by Dr Ildris Halen (so many alusions to trending diets)
- Food for Life* by Tim Spector
- Why we sleep* by Matthew Walker PhD (the most important one on this list, because wow)
- ROAR* by Stacy Sims (Matching Food and Fitness to Female Physique)
- The Beauty Myth* by Naomi Wolf (How Fashion and Beauty is used against women)
Podcast recommendations:
- FoundMyFitness by Rhonda Patrick, PhD (so many studies)
- The Biohacker Blondie Podcast
- Huberman Lab hosted by Andrew Huberman
June: Psychology, Neuroscience & Human Behavior
Why it matters: Understanding psychology helps master communication, leadership and self-improvement. We’ll learn how the brain works and become able to discover patterns that advance us in life
Book recommendations:
- Dopamine Nation* by Dr Anna Lembke
- How to win friends and influence people* by Dale Carnegie (the GOAT)
- How to avoid Dark Psychology by reading others by Sasha Zeven
- Thinking Fast & Slow* by Daniel Kahneman
- How to make people do what you want by James Williams
- Surrounded by Idiots* by Thomas Erikson
- The Laws of Human Nature* by Robert Greene
Podcast recommendations:
- Stanford Psychology podcast
- Huberman Lab hosted by Andrew Huberman
- Neuroscience and Beyond
- Do you F*cking Mind by Alexis Fernandez-Preiksa
- HBR on Leadership
July: Wealth, Power, Strategy
Why it matters: We’ll learn how to set up for longterm and generational success, employ strategies in career and private life and learn how the world operates.
Book recommendations:
- 48 Laws of Power* by Robert Greene
- The Art of War* by Sun Tzu (Absolute classic)
- How to Hack the Patriachy by Neeki Motabar
August: Sociology, Anthropology, Philosophy
Why it matters: Philosophy teaches you how to think, not what to think. This month, we’ll sharpen our reasoning, ethics and decision-making skills.
September: Rhetoric, Communication, Diplomacy, Etiquette
Why it matters: Leadership is about inspiring others to act. This month, we’ll learn how to lead with impact by employing rhetorical and communication skills, as well as learning how to show respect and resolve conflicts diplomatically.
October: History & Geopolitics
Why it matters: The future belongs to those who understand the past and how the world’s links tie together.
November: Biology & Physics
Why it matters: Want to understand the world? Then we’ll have to understand science.
December: Mathematics & Systems Thinking
Why it matters: Mathematics and systems is something the universe employs too often to ignore. Learn how to apply logical thinking and mathematics to everything learned in the past year and how to use it to advance on a systematic level.
Conclusion
This is our year. Each month, we’ll build on the last, transforming into a woman who is not just educated, but empowered, ready to lead, innovate and inspire. Stay tuned for deep dives into each topic, actionable insights and a community of like-minded learners.
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