You Must Read to Grow

We read all day long; emails, work IMs, bulletins, policies, procedures, contracts, technology guides, etc. At the end of your workday, you don't want to read anything so you listen to podcasts and audiobooks or watch Ted Talks. I get it, but here is the truth... You must do actual reading to grow.

There is no getting around actual reading - line by line and word by word - a book. To slowly think through the subject matter, take notes and think through how you will apply it to your everyday. Nothing can do that better than a book. Will every book do this? No. Some books will, at the very least, increase your vocabular and spawn new ideas for your life. The books do not have to be directly connected to your career.

Books that give you perspective on someone else's journey. Maybe how a person organizes their home. Or how about the essence of finance and money told through an unassuming story that has been around for decades. Or just when you least expect it a book marked as "religious" is, at its core, about having faith in the process and never giving up. Oh yes, the actual pages of a book can be the escape from the everyday demands of reading that you need.

I'm not saying you should abandon all other forms; audiobooks, videos or podcasts. They are helpful and can help support the changes in your life that you are working to build. Just add one physical book to your week. You won't regret it.

If you're not sure where to start, I have a list to recommend to you My Reading List. I challenge you to choose one, let me know which one and let's chat about it. I can't wait to learn from what you learned from the book you read.