Tag: Read more

The best way for you to read more is to think smaller.

Reading is great for you. It is like exercise for your brain. At the beginning of the year, people often make a commitment to read more. The percentage of people who want to read more is even higher among people who are inclined to read a blog post about reading more. And while I am no mind reader, I’m guessing you are among them.

We are now in the first week of April. And a check of my book log (which resembles a book a lot more than a log) reveals that I have completed 11 new books in 2023. At this pace, I will complete 40 new books this year. (Which means I am at least moderately proficient in both reading and math.)

At the beginning of the year, I set out to read 24 books. My literary diet is made up of 12 physical books and 12 audiobooks in 12 months. Or one of each every month. And I have done a good job of keeping pace.

But Wait. There’s More!

I have discovered a fun new way to pack at least one extra book into each month. In addition to my full-sized book each month of between 200 and 350 pages I am also adding a great shorter book. These short books range between 80 and 150 pages. While I use the term ‘short book’, the books are usually of average height. So I should probably call them thin books. But I won’t.

I have found there are a lot of great shorter books. They are quick reads packed with a lot of wisdom. And because of their length, they offer more enjoyment than work. I think of them as my monthly dessert books. Yet without the calories. Or chocolate sauce.

If you want to start reading, or read more and faster, look into adding great short books to your bookshelf, or audio queue.

Here are a few short books in my collection:

Key Takeaway

Short books are enjoyable to read. They make you feel productive. Fill a shelf at home with them and you will find yourself revisiting them frequently.

*If you know someone who could benefit from this message, please share it with them.

+For more of the best life lessons I have learned check out my 290-page book, What Does Your Fortune Cookie Say? from Ripples Media.

The first and most important lesson of the new year.

Happy 2023! The beginning of a new year is an exciting time. It’s full of hope, opportunity, and college football.

The exciting news is that today has the potential to be an inflection point in your life. Today could be the day when you stop doing something that was holding you back. Like smoking, overeating, or cheering for the Houston Texans. Or it could be the day you start doing something that will change you forever. Like exercising, working on a major life goal, or making better friends. (Or maybe you write a blog post that amazing people read, which makes them want to subscribe to that blog, and share it with other people…)

But there is a simple truth that you must understand about the promise of a new year:

The year doesn’t make you different. You make the year different.

A new year is not a change agent. It is simply a new blank sheet of paper on which you write your life story, morning glory. Yes, your story can and should get better, starting today. But you have to make that happen.

Here are 6 things you can do to make this year different.

  1. Adopt Your New identity. Decide that deep down in your innards you are the person you really want to be. It is the first and most effective step to becoming your ideal self. Don’t say that you want to be, or will someday be like your ideal. You are now! You are an exerciser, a reader, an entrepreneur, or a Liberace impersonator. And then prove it to yourself every day by living into that identity. #SweetCandleabra

2. Surround Yourself With Better People. The people you spend your time with have a powerful impact on you. They are either tow trucks that pull you forward or anchors that keep you in the same old spot. Find people who are already doing what you want to do. Spend as much time with them as you can. And soon you will take on their best traits, habits and actions. Like in Single White Female.

3. Create Better Habits Habits are everything. You are a product of your habits. If you are struggling with a habit there is something in your process that needs to be adjusted. Keep adjusting your process, cues, and timing until you find something that works for you. To become a master of creating your own great habits check out James Clear’s book Atomic Habits. The book is phenomenal. And it has nothing to do with tiny nuns.

4. Read More. Reading provides tools, ideas, tips, and tricks. Books are full of motivation, inspiration, and any kind of ation you are looking for. Through reading and learning, you’ll discover better ways to do everything. Reading enables us to suck the knowledge and experience out of the brains of rockstars who have already done what we want to do, only without being arrested.

5. Get Scared One of the greatest gifts we have is the scarcity of time. When you recognize how little time you have to accomplish all that you want to, it should scare the fecal matter out of you. Then 2 important things happen. First, you pick up the pace. You realize that you need to take action now, or soon it will be too late. Second, the scarcity of time inspires you to take care of your health. You recognize the value of exercise, weight control and healthy eating to maximize your time.

6. Set SMART Goals. Goals provide direction, inspiration and a scoreboard. Give yourself goals to help improve your life and happiness. Give yourself habit goals to improve your daily life. And declare achievement goals to help you accomplish those big things you always dreamed of doing. Make sure your goals are SMART:

  • Specific
  • Measurable
  • Achievable
  • Relevant
  • Time-Based

Key Takeaway

You have 365 days to make this an amazing year. As JFK said, things do not happen. They are made to happen. Declare your ideal identity. Surround yourself with people who are doing what you want to do. Constantly work on your habit creation and maintenance. Read great books and articles to acquire more tools and inspiration. Realize you are running out of time. And that this year is a gift. Act now to prevent regret later. Create clear goals related to your most important habits and achievements. Then work at them every day. And never stop. That’s how you make this year different.

*If you know someone who could benefit from this message, please share it with them.

+For more of the best life lessons I have learned check out my book, What Does Your Fortune Cookie Say? from Ripples Media.

I don’t recommend getting signatures on the digital version.