Heyo, Nik here!
I still remember the moment I learned to read.
I was sitting in my room, playing around with big, red, plastic letters on the floor. Suddenly, like lightning, everything clicked.
"Apple."
"Apple!"
"APPLE!!"
"MOOOOOOOM!!! I CAN READDDDD!!"
I ran around the house for a solid 15 minutes before calming down. I was six years old.
From that moment on, I read everything I could get my hands on. I devoured cereal box descriptions, the newspaper, and grocery store leaflets. I read The Very Hungry Caterpillar, Pippi Longstocking, and later Harry Potter.
My reading spree lasted until my teenage years. Then - and maybe you can relate to this - I started being interested in other things. Girls. Video games. Hanging out with friends.
By the time I graduated high school, I barely read anything.
To this day, I wish I could go back to that time. Those first, unburdened years of reading. Life was easy, and I had all the time in the world.
College showed me a new perspective on reading: People read non-fiction. They read to learn, to advance their careers, and to build a better life.
The new purpose of reading was exciting, but now, I felt doubly bad for not doing it: Not only did I lack the time to read for leisure, I also wasn't doing my future self any favors. Ugh.
While I was studying abroad in the US, I finally managed to carve out some time. I built a regular reading habit again, and, for a while, I read one non-fiction book every week. I was so proud, but then...
One day, I picked up the next book, and I realized: I don't want to read this. Do you know why? It wasn't because the book wasn't interesting.
It was because I had neither processed nor implemented what I had read the week before. I felt overwhelmed with information and unsatisfied with action.
That week, I finally stopped envying Warren Buffett, who famously claims his only job is to read 8 hours a day, because I had learned two valuable lessons:
- Reading for leisure is a wonderful habit to cultivate. It is also a privilege. There may be times when you do it and times when you don't - and that's okay.
- When you read to improve, reading alone won't change anything. You must practice what you have learned. If you don't take action on the insights you gain, reading 50, 100, even 200 books a year won't matter.
I still wanted to make reading a regular part of my life, but now, I could finally approach the habit with a long-term mindset, rather than out of nostalgia or because "we're supposed to."
The #1 way to learn more in less time is to try every new idea you pick up.
Don't read to boast. Don't read to distract yourself.
Understand there's a difference between reading for fun and reading to learn - and then ruthlessly, immediately implement what you discover.
Keep what works for you, abandon what doesn't. Adjust as you go, and only learn the next thing when you feel ready.
That's how you'll truly learn more than ever, faster than ever.
Remember that PDF you downloaded? Did you read it? Did you take action on one of the lessons? If not, now would be a great time.
Tomorrow, I'll be back with another useful idea - which happens to follow directly from today's lesson.
Happy reading,
-Nik from Four Minute Books
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