How can we read more? Is reading for development an active skill, an art or simply a must do action to cultivate our desire to improve? Reading can revitalise you, sharpen your mind and expand your knowledge. But with all of life’s distractions, it can be hard to make time to read, even when the benefits of personal growth and knowledge completely outweigh the cons.
Continuous learning acts as a key foundation to any professional working in today’s world and reading is a primary vehicle to growing that knowledge. Warren Buffet estimates that 80% of his working hours are spent reading or thinking and he believes that it’s the only way to improve your knowledge base.
We all start reading for self-improvement and career advancement from different places, and the books we choose drive and shape thought. So if reading is a skill, there must be tools and techniques that everyone can use to try to read more, even if we use them differently.
Confirm your reading purpose
During a working week, how many business challenges do you face that could be solved quickly if only you had the benefit of knowledge or prior experience of the situation. The chances are that whatever you’re working on right now, has probably already been tackled and addressed in a book. Set yourself the task of outlining what skills you’re looking to improve to build your reading purpose, so that you can benefit from more than one perspective in those demanding situations.
Prioritising time… and budget
The crucial thought process towards reading is to no longer think of it as an additional pastime, but do it as a default. Setting aside not only time, but budget too, will help you change from being the occasional reader, to ensuring you read more books as a priority. There are so many little moments throughout the day where reading can be fit in; on your daily commute, whilst you eat lunch, or even switching the snooze button for that 20-page morning boost. Or setting a 30-minute window before that light switch goes off. Can you put a price on evolving your skillset? Even putting £50 aside per month to find several books to read seems a small outlay to support your knowledge expansion plans.
Find a trusted referral source
Discovering someone that you respect that provides high-quality recommendations is important so that you have a continual flow of books to read. I’ve found that the entrepreneurship communities that I am involved with always have plenty to share, whether it be for practical support, mindset change or up-skilling in social media. Goodreads is another good place to start and following business leaders in your chosen subject or blogs or LinkedIn will also help you constantly discover new books so that you can read more.
Preparing a reading list in advance
To keep your reading momentum, it’s really worthwhile to create a list of your self-development books and categorise them by themes that you don’t lose time trying to find your next read. Keep your list fresh, so that you’re always excited for the next book. Keeping a book (or two, or three) on deck can also help you up your reading intake.
Curate as you read
I’m not sure about you, but when reading a non-fiction book, I’m always making notes and comments and highlighting certain areas as I go, so that when I pick up the book again, or access my digital version (which I regularly do) I’ve already curated the most relevant areas for me. As I dive into the opening pages, the first question I’m asking is, what are the qualities or values that matter most to this author, what do I want to learn from this book and how can I use this knowledge in practice. It’s also interesting to see if my perspective has changed, or if my opinion is different to others who have read the same book. This also helps you preserve this information so it’s front of mind when you need to recall it, particularly useful when preparing for presentations, client pitches and high-level conversations.
Use new digital platforms
Sometimes, if you’re reading an eBook it’s useful to run a keyword search e.g. ‘leadership’ so that you can zoom in and see which chapters have relevancy in that moment, especially if you’re short on time. Platforms like Shulph and its Roundread system also allow you to make fitting reading into your lifestyle easy, providing you with the ability to buy a book once and get both the print books and the digital access to it, so that you can read and refer to the same title whether you are at home or on the move, perfect for when you just can’t quite remember that quote to put into that proposal.
Go multi-medium
If your objective is to read more, then make sure you read across all the different mediums available. Read on your phone, tablet or preferred ereader. Read paperback and hardback books, listen to audiobooks. Location doesn’t need to be a barrier to helping you reach your reading target.
About Shulph
At Shulph, we believe that your reading experience should fit seamlessly into your lifestyle, whether you’re on the move or curled up on the sofa at home. We’re here to ensure that you never have to choose between the print and digital copy of the book ever again. To buy your book once and receive both print and digital copies at the same time.
Our bookstore has the world’s best non-fiction titles for your personal and professional development. From leadership to psychology, innovation and politics, we’ve handpicked our favourites to help you get ahead.
Jump into any of these titles today, and elevate yourself, your colleagues and employees. Happy reading.
Emmanuel
Founder & MD of Shulph