How and Why I Read 3 Books Every Month
And so can you!
I was once reading through a list of top countries where the average hours spent reading a book was computed. I was sad. My country was nowhere to be found in the top 22 countries with the most weekly hours spent reading. Now I wasn't surprised but it was still saddening enough. I was sad because most people still do not know the very essence of reading (Learning). The average will read about just a book a year. The majority never read a book after they leave formal education.
My Journey To Finding this Life transforming Habit
In the year 2014, I got hold of a book titled “Rich Dad Poor Dad” by Robert Kiyosaki. I would later get to know Robert is a personal finance guru who has created a business out of his ideas. The important thing is, it was my first book. And it did a good job of showing me the power of a good book. I read it in 2 or 3 days.
I left for school as I was still in Senior High School. But the experience left me wanting more. So when I returned for my vacation, I went ahead to buy another book, Think and Grow Rich. At this point, I had started reading the softcopy version of the book but I wanted a more hands-on reading experience.
It showed me the sheer power I had in my mind. I started doing a series of activities such as writing quotes which would later lead me to start Wordinspired, personal development and self-improvement media brand helping young Africans to find and to utilise their inbuilt resources to grow and to achieve their dreams.
I have read close to 100 books since then. But it isn't just about the number of books I read. But rather the knowledge gained, the improvement I have been able to achieve and the kind of person the habit of reading has made me. I have been able to learn from industry expert, thought leader, virtual mentors and a host of really knowledgable people.
This is why I advocate for reading. Imagine everyone could replicate this habit and see the same or even better results? Crazy right?
How to Read 3 Books a Month
You may be curious why I chose 3. There isn't any special reason beyond the fact that on a good month, I read 3 books.
Sometimes I do more but I stick with 3 as my goal for each month. Note that the number of books you read doesn't matter as much as how much you learn and the person you become after implementing the ideas in the books you read.
So focus on getting value out of the books, not volume.
1. Have a Personal Reason for Wanting
The general reason for reading is to learn, grow and become a better person.
But you can have an even personalised reason, such as improve your relationships, achieve financial independence, rise in your workplace, etc. These kind of reasons are more personalised.
Most people won't read for the sake of reading and neither will people read simply because they like reading. Of course, there are people who just love to learn. So, find a deeper reason for yourself. This will help you determine what to read and how to determine if you are really benefitting from the habit.
2. Have a Reason for Reading Each Book
Beyond the Personalised reason for engaging in the habit of reading, have a reason for reading any book you pick up.
For fiction, you can read for fun or pleasure. But for nonfiction, you need a more fundamental reason. Truth, reading a nonfiction book isn't fun. It isn't easy to finish a 250 paged book with no pictures. Ha, I used to hate books without pictures as I considered boring.
I remember my dad reading huge books and asking him how he managed to enjoy those books without pictures. Having a reason for reading the book makes it personal to you. It doesn't become a dry reading exercise but a quest for solutions, answers and ideas to better a specific area of your life.
— Research the books, know what they are about and decide whether it is in your best interest to read, You can read summaries of the book to see the major ideas from the book if you want to get really granular with this exercise.
3. Don’t focus on finishing, Focus on Ideas
I advise sticking to reading a certain volume so you can keep yourself in check. But do not sacrifice understanding the book for speed and finishing the book within a stipulated time.
You can benchmark your reading speed and determine how long it takes you to finish say, a 200 paged book. This will help you plan your reading and to know when you be wrapping up.
— Stick to What Works for you
4. Type of forms to consume books
Not everyone is a “book person” meaning not everyone likes to read. But we all are curious to some level and we all want to improve ourselves. We are made to become better. So how does a non-book person cultivate the habit of reading?
— You can start small. Read a book a month. Once you realise the full benefits of reading, your internal priority system will put reading somewhere higher than before and give you more power to read more.
— Consume books in other ways such as in audio format, summaries or watching video summaries of books. There are apps and websites that do summaries of books that you can read within a few minutes.
5. Write, Teach and Share
Teaching is a great way to clear your thoughts and to determine if you really understand what you read. By teaching others to their understanding, you know that you have got the concepts right.
6. Implement the ideas in Books
The ultimate goal of pursuing knowledge is to take action This is the only way to see the real benefits of the habit of reading. You can read in the morning, pick an idea or concept and implement it over the day.
If it is a communication hack, use it in your conversations with others. If it is about finances, make provision and start implementing it. It helps to know that some books will provide more conceptual knowledge while others will give you practical, so look out for them.
For practical books, you will find lots of ideas to implement. Books that teach concepts and idea will broaden your paradigms of life and give you a resident and strong mindset.
How I read 3 Books Monthly
- Read Daily
- Read In the bus, when doing nothing.
- Cutout some time off your day, preferably in the morning to read.
- Stick to what works for you
