It is almost the end of this year, a time which we can use for reflection. A lot of people might have a lot of regrets because of the things they did not do, or the things that did not do very well. One of the most common regret is reading very few books. There are people, however, that read a lot of books per year, despite having a very busy schedule filled up with obligations and responsibilities just like you and me.
The famous author, James Clear, who is occupied with a lot of responsibilities, has a really simple routine that he uses for reading a lot of books. In the book, The Habitual Hustler: Daily Habits of 50 Self-Employed Entrepreneurs, he says: “I read for 30 minutes before bed, and 20 minutes after the morning shower. That adds up to 35 books a year.” That is less than an hour a day, which results with so many books read during a single year. He is not the only example. I also have written how a person that I know read more than 20 books for only a few months only by reading while commuting between work and home.
Kevin Kelly, who is considered as one of the most interesting person in the world, in an interview “Questions and answers” session that he had was asked: What is something (a certain habit/skill/hobby) that you believe can have a life changing impact for most people?
He answered that reading 10 books per year can be one of the most impactful habits in all other areas of life.
We are not talking here about fancy speed-reading techniques, because they do not work. We are talking about reading at a normal paced speed. Moreover, we are also talking about reading books, not blog posts, because books can provide a lot more value as they are most definitely prepared after investing a considerable amount of time, effort and dedication.
What can we learn
Tiny things yield tremendous results. Small changes that are done consistently towards a beneficial end result usually produce remarkable outcomes that one might not even imagine. Knowing that having the patience and determination to read only a few pages a day can have such results, it would be really good if we could start this small habit in our daily lives too.
Here are some tips that you might find helpful.
- Set a small bottom line of number of pages that you want to read per day. Set it small, like 1 or 2 pages, if you want to see this habit stick. Of course, you can read a lot more pages, but the rule is to not go lower than the bottom line set.
- Read books that you like. Make this habit as pleasant as possible by reading things you enjoy.
- Try to carry a book with you anywhere you go. You can either carry a physical book, a Kindle, or a Kindle application for your smartphone.
Reading is one of the most productive habit that we can possess. Practicing it in a consistent basis can have an enormous impact in our lives.
