I read these books since I posted last:
- Mindset: The Psychology of Success by Carol Dweck (reread)
- Choose Yourself by Dave Atulcher
- Pet Sematary by Stephen King
- Relentless By Tim Grover
And I’m halfway through The Personal MBA.
How do I do this?
I made these 3 small changes in my life.
- Read more, watch less
I didn’t cancel my Netflix subscription and I’ll jump on Instagram/Facebook once in a while. These days though, I don’t have much time to dedicate to social media or binge watching the latest show on Netflix. Instead of cutting things out, which is negative reinforcement, I simply increased my reading time. I’ve cultivated my love and need for reading this way. I thrive on learning new things, exposing myself to new ideas, and being able to get through books so quickly. The more I read, the less time I have for other stuff.
- Make it simple, make it special.
I make it easy to read. I listen to audiobooks when I’m doing chores, when I’m on the treadmill for 15-20 minutes before I lift, at the grocery store when the lines are long. I listen to audiobooks when I ride my bike. I carry my kindle or a book with my when I’m going somewhere. I get a minimum of 2 hours of reading on my workdays because my commute is so long.
I make reading special. I read with my kid. The time I read to her helps me bond with her. She’s awesome. We make jokes, do silly voices for characters, read books with pictures, books without pictures, classic books, audiobooks. It’s fun. Don’t have a kid? Read to your grandma, or fish.
I share what I learn from reading with my family and others. I highlight and write down quotes in my journal. I read reviews about books and try to understand what other people learned from that book and compare and contrast. I look up words I don’t know the meaning of. I read books from different genres and age groups. I read poetry and essays. I don’t let myself get bored with reading.
- Listen fast, read fast
Listen to audiobooks at 1.5 speed and above. Start with 1.25, then up the speed when you get used to it.
Lastly, I invested in a program that helped me read faster. Athletes pay coaches insane amounts of money to become elite. Businesses pay consultants like, hella money yo to increase their profits and efficiency. I take reading seriously; if you do too, throw some money down on a legit company to help you read faster. If you don’t have money, look for free resources on Google or Youtube.
That’s it. Promise. It sounds easy because it really is.