I get a lot of comments from readers across my blog, YouTube channel, podcast, Facebook, and Instagram. One of the most common remarks has always been, “I can’t focus.” If you feel the same, let’s do a quick mental exercise. First, consider the fact that your focus is a skill you need to develop. FocusContinue reading Create a Focus Routine
In 2002, Steven Pressfield published The War of Art, a book that explores the very real problem of Resistance in our lives. He approached the topic as a writer, but I’d like to apply his ideas to reading books. Let’s start with a great quote from the introductory pages. “There’s a secret that real writersContinue reading How to Slay the Reading Resistance Monster
I got my first film camera in 1998 for $400. It was chunky, gray, and too heavy in my hands. I bought a roll of Kodak film, asked the store owner to load it into the back panel, and then rolled the dial forward to the first frame. “You have 24 frames,” the clerk said.Continue reading Read Like a Film Photographer
I just got back from a work trip to Chicago, and now I’m staring down the barrel of a week’s worth of emails, to-do list items, and chaos. I had a small panic attack this morning until I remembered my thinking ritual. It’s a morning routine that keeps me out of anxiety land. If youContinue reading Create a Thinking Routine
Today is a special day. I’ll be interviewing Maryanne Wolf, author of the incredible book Reader, Come Home. Her book is a call to action for anyone frustrated with how the digital landscape has decimated their reading brains. Here’s some even better news! This is a live event and members of my book club canContinue reading Reclaim Your Reading Brain
My morning started off less than stellar. I had to read a 30-page business contract (stressful), redline it for changes (boring), and then send it back to attorneys for an update. My brain is fried and it’s only 9:30 in the morning (shocker). Reading deeply was not in the cards. Normally I would start myContinue reading Do This Before Reading Deeply
I’m not a virtuoso reader, but I hope to be one day. I was reading Flow by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi this morning, and on page 25, he explains how virtuosos are made. He says: “Like all virtuosi, he must spend many years learning, and he must keep constantly in training. Being a specialist, he cannot affordContinue reading Become a Virtuoso Reader
We do a lot of things on autopilot from driving cars to eating dinner, scrolling social media, and surviving those weekly team meetings at work. Life is pretty much on coast for a lot of us, and that’s why when we pick up a book, it can be hard to focus. Out of habit, weContinue reading The Decision to Pay Attention
We think about practicing the piano, a foreign language, and our golf swing. We obsess over practicing yoga, public speaking, and the game of chess. But what about focus itself? How do you practice that? It’s the one thing most people in this community want to improve. My answer is reading. Think about it. IfContinue reading Practice The Art of Focus
I have a short but necessary message for readers today: Every book has a speed limit. Some books can be read at 70 MPH while others start to rumble and shake if you go faster than 10 MPH. To read Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics is very different than to read Dennis Lehane’s Mystic River. So, whenContinue reading This Book Has a Speed Limit