We take notes because some ideas matter more than others. And what matters to you may be entirely different from what matters to me. That’s the beauty of it. Note-taking is personal. There’s no perfect system because how you do it has to match who you are—otherwise, you won’t stick with it. Some people sketchContinue reading Why We Take Notes
Sometimes I don’t feel good about myself as a reader. Little thoughts slither into my brain and destroy my motivation. I want to talk about these thoughts today because they’re normal and many of you feel them as well. Last week, I got an email from a community member in a reading slump. This person’sContinue reading When Reading Feels Like a Chore
Readers ask this question every day: How will I invest my mental energy? I recognize how fortunate I am to be alive and to have the ability to choose how I spend my mental energy. I understand that it is a finite resource, and if I am not mindful, I can easily waste it onContinue reading The Reader’s Question
I worry that we’re missing the point of reading books. I’ll reel back my hyperbole a bit, but let’s consider what books are and WHY we read them. The why is critical here. A book is input. It either entertains you or educates you. Either way, it’s more stuff that you’re packing into your brain.Continue reading You’re Missing The Point of a Book
I just finished three hours of philosophy class and now my brain is mush. Why? Because I have one to three hours of “deep thinking” in me a day. I’m not talking about sitting at a computer or getting through work meetings. I’m talking about the kind of focus that’s exhausting but exhilarating. We putContinue reading You Can’t Focus ALL Day
Before we learn how to read more books, let’s chat about the rediculousness of today’s image. I had ChatGPT create a picture based on my article below. The genius robots drew a woman in a chair. Notice how she and the sidetable are blocking the front door. Perhaps the best way to read more booksContinue reading How to Read More Books
I need to lose 10 pounds (mostly around the belly) and the process of dieting has taught me something interesting about reading deeply. I know what you’re thinking…that I pull these reading thoughts from strange places, but I promise this will help improve your deep reading sessions. Keep reading. Ok, back to the diet. IContinue reading Stop Binging on Junk Media: Feed Your Brain
It’s Sunday. The world is quiet, the coffee is hot, and my book is waiting. I wonder where I’ll go today as I tip-toe over each word, stepping carefully past each period or exclamation mark. It’s only ink on a page, small shapes forming letters. But, for some reason, those pages filled with sentences pourContinue reading The Bliss of Reading Books
Stoic philosophy has gained a lot of steam due to writers like Ryan Holiday (Love that guy). It’s always been a “popular” philosophy because it, along with other Hellenistic philosophies (Greek 323 BCE – 31 BCE) like Epicureanism and Skepticism, tries to answer a useful question: How do I live well? It’s a thing theContinue reading You’ve Heard of Stoicism, But Have You Achieved Ataraxia Yet?
Deep Work by Cal Newport is a book that means a lot to me. The main concept is that we often get stuck doing shallow work in life, and if we want to get something meaningful done, we have to be purposeful on how we approach and do our most important work. So, I usedContinue reading I Applied Cal Newport’s Book “Deep Work” to Learn French