There’s some great conversation happening today in my private Reading Community. We’re talking about how to set up a personal reading strategy and the question was, “Should we stick to specific genres or should we skip around?” I think it starts with knowing what you want to accomplish. For me, if I’m reading about aContinue reading Designing a Reading Strategy
If you spend 30 minutes reading today, depending on the material, you’ll read about 15 to 30 pages of a book. Let’s assume 15 because I teach the importance of reading slowly. At the end of the month, you’ll have read 450 pages. That’s a lot. And that’s the trick to reading many books. AllContinue reading 30 Minutes of Reading Adds Up
We create unnecessary suffering for ourselves. In this passage from Seneca’s Letters from a Stoic, notice the philosopher’s specific use of the word torment. “Accordingly, some things torment us more than they ought; some torment us before they ought; and some torment us when they ought not to torment us at all. We are inContinue reading A Stoic Way of Thinking
I live four-and-a-half hours away from Moab, Utah. It’s a place known for incredible hikes, Jeep trails, and whitewater rafting. If you go on a hike there, you’re bound to see stacks of rocks called cairns. Hikers (who have gone before you) balanced rocks as trailside markers to keep you on the path – otherwiseContinue reading Stacks of Books
I’ve read James Clear’s book, Atomic Habits, a few times now. It’s one of those texts that I never dared make extensive notes on because there are too many valuable ideas — it would take ages to get done. Well, I’ve recently rebuilt my PKM (Personal Knowledge Management) System, and in doing so, realized itContinue reading Get the Best Ideas From Atomic Habits
If you’re struggling to build a reading habit, it’s because you’re ignoring the Goldilocks Rule. “The Goldilocks Rule states that humans experience peak motivation when working on tasks that are right on the edge of their current abilities. Not too hard. Not too easy. Just right” (Clear 231). Applied to our reading goals, this meansContinue reading The Goldilocks Rule (of Reading)
Join a book club if you want to become a better reader. It doesn’t have to be mine, but it should focus on books you find interesting, and it should support open and equal conversation. It must be easy to access, meetings should be recorded for later viewing, and the group should have good ratings.Continue reading The #1 Best Way to Become a Better Reader (In My Opinion)
I often wonder why Sunday lends itself so well to reading books. Sure, I’m not at work and they day is softer, less frenetic, and simple. But there’s something else about Sundays. I think it has to do with questions. Monday to Friday, I ask work related questions in my head. What’s on the to-doContinue reading Sunday Reading
We have a “no shoes” rule in our house. We also have four kids who think this rule is ridiculous. My oldest, who’s living at home while going to college, tip-toed up the stairs on his way to work a few days ago, and yes he had his shoes on. When we caught him, aContinue reading We Caught Him in the Act
Over the last month, I’ve rebuilt my note-taking system into a digital garden. I love notes because, with each new entry, the whole system gets more valuable. They’re connected to each other, making a web of thought that I can rely on for my work. But my system has always lacked a particular feature, theContinue reading Make Notes in a Digital Garden