The Best Thing You Can Do to Improve Your Life: Read Books!

There are myriad business influencers out there that preach the importance of getting up at 5 am, working out, reading, and meditating all before 7 am and basically creating an almost unsustainable approach to life. I am a firm believer in creating habits that support you and your goals specifically, not just blindly following the advice of others. For some, their best work is accomplished in the morning. For others, particularly creatives, the late evening hours are when they are most productive. Some find better results working out at the end of the day, others need to do it first thing. Create habits and a ritual that works best for you!

That said, a non-negotiable in my mind is creating time to read. It is often said that, “not all readers are leaders, but all leaders are readers.” I have found this mostly to be true but I have also observed some people turn reading into a weird sort of competition. Almost like checking something off of their to-do list.

Once I was talking with a young man that reported to me at my previous company. He was trying to get in better shape and create better health habits. He recognized, rightly, that a healthy body equals a healthy mind. I gave him some pointers and advice. He was taking notes and sharing with me how excited he was to implement these ideas. I then recommended a book by Aubrey Marcus called Own Your Day, Own Your Life. I was shocked when he told me he just read that book. That book was literally where I got all of the action items I had just shared with him.

The point is not to read just to read. It is not a contest. We hear stories of Bill Gates reading hundreds of books a year and I think that we have to somehow do the same. The better approach is having a plan with each book. Read for understanding and simply plan to make one or two key changes based on what you learned in the book. That is the way. By taking this approach, you will gradually create an arsenal of powerful approaches and ideas that will truly transform your life. Don’t read for bragging rights. Read to be the best version of yourself.