\u201cWhat is going on with me? I am about to become an analphabet\u201d I came to such a conclusion two years ago whilst staring at a bookshelf in my home library. It was packed with books I had bought five years earlier and had never even opened.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Back in school I used to read all the time. It took me only three days to read \u201cLord of the rings\u201d while I was still in the primary school. In high school I found a list of the most important books of the XX century and read each of them one by one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Books have helped me understand myself and others. They enriched my vocabulary, which significantly improved my communication skills. A love of literature, that I inherited from my parents and then further developed thanks to my high school teacher, Mr Waszak, encouraged me to get a Bachelor\u2019s degree in linguistics!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When I jumped into a full time job right after high school, my reading habit got replaced with learning from everyday challenges and mimicking other peoples\u2019 successful behavior.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I got stuck with that mindset for a while, reading less and less. And then finally\/eventually the day came when I took that glimpse at the bookshelf and realized that I had read less than 10 books in a year!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What a shame! All I felt was uncomfortable emptiness, guilt\u2026 a simmering itch to rebuild my habit. I knew I wanted to put books back on a pedestal, but had no clue how to bring that idea to life. It took me a few months of experimentation to come up with a reading system that I have used since then. It works as follows.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I. Choose a book<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n If you have not read much in a while you may realize that your former genre of choice does not apply to your new self. So feel free to experiment. Today I enjoy biographies, which used to bore me, while I read much less fiction, which used to be my favorite.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The book selection process that I use:<\/p>\n\n\n\n I note down titles mentioned in other books, recommended by friends or quoted by mentors. II. Choose your form<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Don\u2019t start with a book that feels heavy. I am serious! It is easier to start small. I recommend selecting one that is no longer than 250 pages. You will maintain focus and complete it with ease. This little accomplishment will give you the strength to make another step on your way to establishing a reading habit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Test different formats. I read mostly paperback copies \u2014 they are easy to carry and affordable. I often listen to Audible audiobooks while commuting. I never got used to e-books. The screen beam irritates me and\u2026 I miss turning pages. Also I cannot share them easily with a friend (unless she or he uses a Kindle).<\/p>\n\n\n\n III. Define your time<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n You may say – I want to read books, but I just don\u2019t have time to actually do that. This is exactly what I kept telling to myself before I got back into the habit of regular reading. Start with finding short slots of time that you can fill in with writing without changing your established schedule.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In the car or Uber – this is where I listen to fiction \u2014 it is the right time for me to enjoy literature and unwind. It is a great mental break on the way to a meeting. Sometimes I even stay in the car for a while after arrival to finish a chapter that really intrigued me. A book I recently finished and enjoyed is \u201cDune\u201d by Frank Herbert.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I read biographies and essays right before falling asleep. You can always put aside 15 minutes for reading before turning the lights off. It serves as a great replacement to staring at a smartphone, scrolling useless content or thinking about things to do. I highly recommend starting with \u201cYou must be joking, Mr Feynman!\u201d an autobiography of a Nobel Prize winner in physics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n While on holiday I take my time to digest inspiring reads. This is a great time to rethink both personal and professional goals . I get so excited that I sometimes read even during breakfast, which can sometimes drive my companions crazy. Recent holiday inspirations include: \u201cShoe Dog\u201d by Phil Knight, \u201cDeep Work\u201d by Cal Newport and \u201cMan\u2019s search for meaning\u201d by Viktor Frankl.<\/p>\n\n\n\n IV. Don\u2019t let perfectionism thwart your habit<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n If you are reading this you probably are a self-growth driven perfectionist who needs to achieve goals and enjoys ticking off tasks on to-do lists. I know perfectionism and it doesn\u2019t necessarily help in establishing new habits. Just a few notes that will make your life easier:<\/p>\n\n\n\n To NOT finish a book is OK. If you don\u2019t feel engaged after 50-100 pages put it aside and start something else. Feeling obliged to finish what you have started can build negative mental associations with reading that should become fun. Return this book or give it away \u2014 maybe you will find someone else fascinating.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Feed your pragmatic monster. I always read with a pencil ready to underline and annotate. I write down on the front page whatever I find interesting by pointing to a certain page and adding a short comment. If I feel that a book was certainly valuable to me I compose a one page document with major take-aways, that I can share with my team. V. Find more reasons to do it<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n If you need more encouragement on the way to build a reading habit<\/a> \u2014 remember that books are a great small talk topic. Especially when talking to strangers doesn\u2019t come naturally to you or you love to share your findings with others. Talking about books indirectly delivers a message that you are a person that wants to keep up-to-date and cares about personal growth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I also find literature is the cheapest way to learn from others. For 10-20 bucks you can mimic someone\u2019s way of thinking and learn their insights. Anytime and anywhere you want.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Moreover – books are a beautiful gift and a way to bring value to another person\u2019s life. I love lending my books\u2026 even though they tend not to come back.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you happen to be recruiting people \u2014 ask your candidate about the last three books she or he read. It can help you establish a conversation on a different level and also help both of you understand other viewpoints and values.<\/p>\n\n\n\n What business-related reads may I recommend? Those three titles I read recently can be useful to every leader:<\/p>\n\n\n\n 1. \u201cHard Thing about Hard Things\u201d<\/a> \u2014 an amazing story about building business, dealing with people and overcoming challenges by one of the world\u2019s leading venture capitalists – Ben Horowitz. Honest, entertaining and free of sugar coating.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I verify this list by scanning through reviews written by other readers on goodreads.com (an online book community). I hardly ever read books with an average grade below 4.0.
I add selected titles to my \u201cWant to read\u201d list. This is where I look each time I am about to order books.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Give yourself a choice and treat the thing lightly. I usually buy books in bundles. I order a few titles at once, look at them when they arrive and start from the one that intuition draws me to. That gives me the notion of spontaneity and lightness of choice. Moreover I tend to be reading a few books at a time. This is how I fill every moment of reading yet still feel the diversity.<\/p>\n\n\n\nBusiness reads<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n