“A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies. The man who never reads only lives once” — George RR Martin
I’ve always wanted to get into the habit of reading but as I got older, I found it more and more difficult to find the time. As an engineering student, the majority of my time was spent in lectures or in the library working on assignments.
I wanted to change that. I wanted to focus more on bettering myself as a person instead of just preparing myself for a job after school. I always heard about how the most successful people in the world read daily but never truly understood to what extent it benefited them — I wanted to test the theory out for myself.
In January of 2018, I decided to set the goal of reading for an hour everyday for a whole year (with a few exceptions). I made reading my number one priority (even over school) to ensure I always made the time for it — and it worked!
1. Productivity & Focus
The first immediate impact was on my productivity. I became much more productive. But it wasn’t because the books I was reading were on productivity, it was simply the act of reading that switched my brain into “learning” mode.
When we read, we think about the information laid out in front of us and make connections on how it fits in with the rest of the chapter or the book. According to the neuroscientist Susan Greenfield, this process of continuous thinking has the ability to increase our attention span significantly.
By slowly improving my attention span, I was able to study with greater focus and intensity without getting distracted. Reading built a momentum for learning that carried over to my school work. Although I was “wasting” an hour of my study time reading, I was able to accomplish more in the remaining 3 – 4 hours than I ever did before.
This result in itself made the habit of reading more than worth the time.
So if you think you don’t have time to read. Think again.
2. Perspective Shift
After reading for the first few months, I noticed how differently I started to view the world around me. My perspective was slowly shifting. Small problems that used to overwhelm me before had little impact on me now. With every obstacle I faced, I was better equipped with techniques and strategies to overcome them.
Reading gives us the ability to step into the shoes of different fictional characters, public figures and authors. Everyone approaches and overcomes challenges in their own way. By reading, we gain insight on different methods of solving problems that we may never have considered before. With every book we read, we obtain another lens to view the world with.
Dr. Josie Billington, a deputy director for Research into Reading at the University of Liverpool stated it best:
“Reading can offer richer, broader, and more complex models of experience, which enable people to view their own lives from a refreshed perspective and with renewed understanding”
With a more elevated perspective, I was able to feel more grateful, appreciative and thankful for what I had rather than unhappy about what I didn’t have.
3. Self-Esteem Boost
This one was extremely unexpected. I never thought reading in any way would impact my self-esteem as much as it did. I noticed an increase in my self-confidence that carried over to multiple aspects of my life. I pushed myself harder to get out of my comfort zone and pursue more challenging projects for school and outside school.
In conversations, I had an easier time trying to say what I wanted to say rather than stumbling to get an idea across. Whether it was talking to a friend or meeting someone new, I found myself constantly alluding to stories and referencing information I had read about in my books.
According to Sue Wilkinson, the former CEO of The Reading Agency, people who read regularly are on average happier and more satisfied with life. From a recent study with 1,500 adult readers, 76% of them stated that reading improved their lives and helped make them feel good. Wilkinson also stated that reading has been proven to reduce stress and help prevent depression.
Overall, I felt happier. Much happier. Reading became therapeutic. If I felt upset or angry, I would read for an hour and feel a lot better. It was great to have something to revert to when I was having a terrible day.
Reflection
It felt extremely satisfying to look back on the journey four years later and see how much I had learned along the way. Numerous aspects of my life had drastically improved even in couple months of reading daily.
To this day, I try my best to read daily.
You Should Try it
Try it for yourself. Seriously. Reading is such a simple way to improve so many aspects of our lives, yet we see it as a boring and mundane task.
We all have time to read, we just refuse to do it.
Read on the bus to work or 30 minutes before going to bed; there are countless time slots during the day where you can squeeze in a quick reading session.
Once you have found a time where you can read on a consistent basis, next is to set an achievable goal that will help build the habit of reading.
Example Goal: Read for 30 minutes everyday for 30 days straight.
Remember, reading should be fun, so enjoy it. If you notice you aren’t enjoying it, then you need to find a different book or a different genre to read.
Keep in mind that many of us pick books that we think we should read rather than what we want to read. In the beginning phase of your reading journey, always pick books you want to read to ensure you can stick to the habit and aren’t turned off by the challenge.
Once you have built the habit of reading, start exploring different genres and topics — the challenge will keep the journey more exciting!
Good luck on your reading journey!
- Sal