How Reading Can Benefit Your Life
"The best investment you can make is in yourself" - Warren Buffett
Reading is one of the best ways to embrace solitude and have time alone for yourself. Reading has been a huge part of my life from a young age until now. Since 2020, I have read over 100 books and have no plans to stop yet. By reading regularly it is the best investment a person can make for both their personal and professional development.
Most people read for pleasure. I read a lot for self-development, to gain new knowledge and learn new skills. With reading if you have not done it in a while or not a reader at all and looking to start, I have a few tips that might help. This could help you to add reading to your schedule and more importantly to enjoy reading without feeling you need to or force yourself.
Reading is like going the gym. You go to the gym to look after your body by doing exercise and lifting weights. When you read it is like going to the gym except you are looking after your mind. It is all about building a habit and this can take a few weeks to develop for some people. To get started with reading regularly, choose a book you are interested in to make the process easier. Pick a day you will start and decide how long you will read for. This can be 10-15 minutes a day and longer if you want. Choose a time that suits you if it is morning, noon, evening or at night. Try and be consistent with it and if you need to be flexible allow room for adjustments to be made for your schedule. You can even read 5-10 pages a day or more if you prefer that approach. The key is consistency and to implement this positive habit into your life. Try and set a target for 3-4 weeks and monitor your progress. Studies show it can take 21 days to develop a habit. It could take longer for some people. When reading does come part of your routine, you can increase the amount of time you spend reading a day or the number of pages you read. It is fine to miss a day or couple of days. It is about getting back into the habit when you can and don’t let procrastination or other distractions hold you back from learning, embracing solitude and personal growth.
“A person who won’t read has no advantage over one who can’t read” – Mark Twain
The reality is if you don’t take the time to educate yourself or work on your personal development you will never grow as a person. A lot of people think their opinion are facts and when they get challenged by someone who doesn’t agree with their view as a result might get annoyed, angry or cause conflict. Their ego allows them to believe they are always right. I encourage to read personal development and emotional intelligence books. Reading can help challenge our own views and allowing us to change our outlook on the world. How we see and experience the world is through the lenses of our own glasses.
With reading you can be open to new ideas and creativity from a fresh approach. It is worth the investment in yourself. You deserve it, your potential deserves it, it actions that do forge reality!
