Yes, leaders are readers! Yes, successful people tend to read many books over the course of a year! However, in my opinion, it's not the metric that creates success! It's how they digest the learning to make sense out of the content.
It's this time of the year that people set their goals. And of course, all book enthusiasts as well! Yet, I am astonished by the amount of books some people declare to read in a year - 52 and more. Completely unrealistic, at least for myself. That's over a book per week, accounting for 1 or 2 weeks without reading due to unforeseeable issues.
Reading should be fun, not competive!
I have the feeling that reading turns more and more into a competition. Instead of discussing content and how to apply lessons learned, people tend to post their current book score. Don't get me wrong! A bit of a competition is like salt in the soup. But too much of it and you will end up with a heavy bill to pay and a huge amount of time spent on books with little to no outcome. (Although, I must admit that I suffer from the condition of ordering more books than I am able to read. Shame on me!) From my experience, implementation is often the hardest part. It takes also time to implement new habits, thinking or approaches. This must be considered as well! And after all, reading should still be fun!
Setting an embarrassing small goal of 12+ books per year!
My personal goal is 12 books minimum. Certainly far from ambitious but most definitly sustainable over time and reachable, even when I get behind for a month or two. Given the time at hand with a 60+ hour job and the amount it takes to read, summaries key messages and implement potential takeaways, my book turnover will certainly not grow beyond 24. Quality over quantity! I consider myself an ordinary reader with no more than an hour a day and on some days not even a minute to read. Yes, reading is an important habit but it's not about live and death. On some days, I need to prioritize against reading when an important meeting must be prepared or a critical deadline approaches. Plus, there are so many other hobbies: sports, weekend trips, meeting friends and family, or just watching some TV.
Here's my 5 tips for the ordinary reader:
- Make reading a daily habit, no matter if it is 10 minutes or an hour. This is your life and your decision.
- Don't worry when there are days or even weeks in which you have no time to read. It's a hobby!
- Don't get demotivated by ambitious book goals and achievements of others! It just means that they have other priorities.
- Focus on the content and what you can take away for yourself (for the non-fiction readers). Instead of grabbing the next book, it's sometimes also helpful to learn more about the author and their backgrounds. This can also lead you to your next read.
- Avoid setting a goal and focus on cultivating your daily habit, if a book goal creates more stress than good. Reading must be fun! There are enough serious things in life.
Of course, there are different types of readers! Sure, there is those that read much faster than myself or dedicate much more time. They can quite sustainably finish 52+ books a year enjoying all the benefits. Also, there are readers that do not finish every book or only read selected chapters. However, I am talking about the average reader who reads cover to cover, at a decent speed for about half an hour per day.
What is your opinion? Is it possible even for an ordinary reader to reach 52 book a year? Share your thoughts in the comment section below.
Write a comment