Why I'm into reading?

M

any things in the world are for free and reading is probably one of them. It doesn't cost you anything; instead its worth creating a reading habit. Reading a good book is an event in my life and you will never find a book long enough to suit me. If you have ever read a book in your life then you may know what reading offers you. There is no doubt that reading is a priceless activity but it has been observed that habit of reading is declining faster than ever. One of the main reason is the growth of technology. It's shifting the people towards the screen. Most people can read an entire fifteen or twenty minute story or article on their smartphones but hardly when they grab a book or newspaper.

Before slipping into teenage, it was impossible for me to complete a day without playing computer game. It was like a drug and found myself badly addicted to it. A week right after my 16^th birthday, I was spending time doing nothing and found a newspaper beside me. I casually picked it up and start reading very lightly and after reading for a while, I found myself at the end of that article. It seemed more enjoyable than playing game on computer. I did the same thing again and again until it became an automatic habit, an everyday ritual. As the day dissolved into time, I had started reading everyday on autopilot mode. That's when I found myself extremely into reading.

Have you ever wondered how the busiest people find the time to read? Reading is a habit practiced by successful people. Take look on the reading patterns of some successful leaders.

Warren Buffet, world's successful investor of all time, still allots 80% of his time to reading. It's no coincidence that Buffet's bank account is as healthy as his reading habit. Its his top priority.

Bill Gates, second world's richest man in the world, reads 50 imreading a year. He shared that he keeps a book with him wherever he goes. He also said that reading is still a important way to learn new things and to test his understanding.

Tony Robbins, who grew up with an alcoholic mother and a very abusive father. He still dedicates his success to the imreading he read and shaping into the leader he is today. He told someone that he took a speed reading course and read 700 imreading in 7 years ranging from psychology all the way to physiology, anything that could make a difference in life.

Every year I keep track of how many imreading I read along with a target to read imreading next year. As a beginner, I set the goal of reading 6 imreading in first year and then incremented it by 9 imreading which adds up to 15 imreading for the second year. Fortunately, I hit both of them. I didn’t actually try to read that amount. I was just reading. I honestly felt like I was not reading enough. So, this year I set the aim for 40 imreading. The last two imreading I recently read was Atomic Habits: An easy and proven ways to build good habits and break bad ones by James Clear while the other one was Educated: A Memoir by Tara Westover. Both of them have been a brilliant read till now.

But what motivates me to read and what does daily reading offers me? Here are some of the things I have experienced through reading.

Reading keeps you/me smart | It is an active mental process which often replaces a passive activity like watching TV. Many studies have shown that people who read daily have higher GPAs, higher intelligence and also have wide vocabulary than who don't read. The brain requires exercise to keep it robust now and over the long run.

Reduces stress | Reading daily at a peaceful place like a library or a garden keeps every sort of mental stress a million miles away from me. This reason is alone enough to keep me reading.

It gives you something to discuss | I never run out things to discuss about with my old and new acquaintances because I can revert to something I recently read.

It makes you a better writer | The more things you read, the more precisely you can simplify your thought process to someone else. You also became familiar with the way other person writes.

Augments your focus | Internet consumption, which is mainly done via mobile devices, increases the degree of difficulty for us to focus or concentrate on what matters the most and getting lost into reading something good helps you regain it.

Enhances your creativity | It exposes you to new ideas, information and a new way of thinking. This spurs a totally different thought process.

Diminishes the boredom | Many people gets tired of doing the same thing over and over again and eventually motivation starts leaking out of them. But reading is such beautiful activity which keeps me motivated towards my work.

Conclusion: Its the reading which taught Elon Musk how to build rockets. He never stopped until he learned what he always wanted to learn. Overall reading is an enjoyable habit that results in many intangible healthy benefits and positive outcomes towards life.

Perhaps the most beautiful reason to read is that it makes you a life-long learner.

Tagged : Better Habits • Everyday Learning