Read Daily to Become a Better Writer
One of the most underestimated superpowers today is to read every day.
If you asked me who my mentor is, I could name you at least 20 people that transformed my thinking with their stories, ideas, careers, and actions.
But if I was forced to choose only one mentor in life, I would choose a book.
I’m still fascinated by how much you can change by reading a single book.
People who might have been the best mentors in the world are not among us anymore, while books carry decades and centuries of knowledge and wisdom.
Thus, it’s a foolish decision not to read.
Invest in Yourself, Read Every Day
Give up blogs, social media, and TV and dedicate at least 30 minutes a day for reading.
Books tend to be more researched and better written as there are editors working on the book before publishing it.
It must be the only shortcut to learning more in less time. Authors have spent hundreds and sometimes thousands of hours thinking, researching, writing, and rewriting books and you can access them anywhere in the world in less than a minute.
Books cost money. That’s true but it will cost you more money if you don’t read.
Tomorrow morning, you will get your favorite cup of coffee like many mornings before but how will it contribute to your future?
You may feel good while drinking but that’s it.
Now, reading books – a different story.
It’s the wisest investment in yourself because it opens your mind, widens your perspective, and inspires you to take action. Instead of drinking three cups of coffee or any other drink, invest in a book.
Just a single idea in a book can change your life.
Smart Is Sexy
This is where the power of books is hidden.
You may read a book and won’t make sense of it, but you’ll eventually notice how much easier you can come up with a solution to a certain problem just because you have read it in a book.
You’ll gradually accumulate knowledge in different topics, your brain will make creative connections, and the knowledge you have acquired allow you to become a superhuman.
You can tell me smart is not sexy but talking to an attractive person who is also smart and knowledgeable, curious and willing to learn, is the sexiest thing in the world.
Knowledge breeds confidence, which is probably the most important difference between successful and unsuccessful people.
Get Obsessed
I wasn’t reading that much in school because I didn’t have a choice but because I was forced to read.
As I traveled thee world, I rediscovered reading and learning from books. I got obsessed with reading.
I failed my yearly Goodreads challenge of reading 12 books in 2015.
What a shame.
After reading Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell and The School of Greatness by Lewis Howes, I understood that reading is a lot about what you read.
If you are very much into the subject or the story you will enjoy reading and it will get you closer to transforming yourself into the person you want to become.
I don’t have any regrets in life unless it’s connected to reading. As I wrote earlier I want to read 1,000 great books before I die.
After failing to read 12 books last year I realized that with my past reading habits I won’t even read 100 books in my life.
I had to change things up and make reading my priority.
I included it in my morning routine. Things got better.
The simple thing that I changed was I made time for reading. Right after waking up, drinking water, stretching, eating and meditating, I am reading 20 pages. Not when I feel like reading but every morning just 20 pages. It takes only 25-30 minutes with my reading speed.
If you’re looking for good books to read, check my recommended reading list.
I’ve Found a Shortcut to Reading Every Day
Surprise! There are no shortcuts.
All my life I’m looking for shortcuts thinking I’m smart enough to trick the system.
I tried to learn speed-reading, I tried to listen to audiobooks, I tried to watch illustrated book animations with main points explained, I tried to read only summaries of the books.
Nothing worked.
- I felt like I was cheating myself.
- I would see reading as some hard labor that required sucking all the useful knowledge and leaving irrelevant information inside of the book.
After failing to cheat the system, I accepted the fact that I can read more by spending more time reading and enjoying it.
My habit of reading began as a strict task – read for 30 minutes.
I’d read and look at my watch to see how many minutes left. When I started to choose what I am excited to read about my reading habits as well as my feelings and perception towards reading changed.
I noticed that I have become oblivious of time when I started reading.
I’ve learned to love reading.
Mentorship
I see reading as a mentorship.
I truly believe in the environment and its effect on your behavior and outcomes.
As Jim Rohn pointed out,
“You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.”
I couldn’t agree more with it.
If you spend an hour hanging out with a person or you spend an hour reading a book, the book becomes one out of five people you hang out with. If you read successful people, people who spent years researching and writing the book, you instantly become richer, smarter, and ready to grow more.
If you don’t believe in the power of books, Elon Musk, the real-life Iron Man, literally taught himself rocket science by reading books and talking to industry heavyweights.
Have a Book with You at All Times
I used to read physical books.
It would give me a sense of achievement as I’d flip pages but that is simply not convenient when traveling. It’s not eco-friendly and difficult to get rid of.
Instead, to read every day, I switched to my iPhone.
Scribd app on iPhone.
I know, you’re surprised as much as I was, but I actually enjoy it very much. I started out with the Kindle app, read 3 books and then decided to give a try to a subscription-based service.
Scribd looked like a great option. For only $11.99/month you get unlimited eBooks and audiobooks.
If you’re interested in Scribd, give it a try, it’s totally free for 30 days and you can use it on your laptop, tablet or smartphone.
If you want to explore other options, check my review of the best eBook subscription services.
Why Would You Read in the Morning?
Not necessary in the morning.
I do it right after waking up just because it allows me to get creative into the thinking, after reading I get a sense of achievement as I go and update my Goodreads profile with my progress and I see how closer to my goal I am.
Also, it gives me a good feeling of investing in myself, I know that in the long run, I will become smarter and more knowledgeable about any topic.
Whether it’s writing, public speaking or simply talking to another person, it will make me a more interesting and valuable person to connect with.
Morning is a great time to invest in yourself, so is reading.
