Why I stopped reading books (and I think you should too)

I enjoy reading. In past years, I have read hundreds and hundreds of books and listened to over four hundred audiobooks.  I really, really enjoy reading.  I have, however, decided to stop reading and listening to audiobooks….. at least, temporarily.  Why would I do such a thing?

Reading is learning. I mostly read and listen to books that can help me personally and professionally.  I want to be a better person and I believe books are the best way to help me on my journey.  But no matter how many books I read, no matter how many audiobooks I listen to, it doesn’t matter if I don’t apply the knowledge I learn from those books.  So, how should you apply the knowledge you are learning?

Things I read tend to get jumbled together. I may recognize the name of a book that I have read over a year ago or I may not.  Chances are good that if I recognize the name, I may not be able to tell you much about that book.  To make matters worse, most of the books I read are borrowed from the library so I have them for a very short time.  What can you do?  How can you retain the information?  The secret lies in having a system.

Systems are valuable in many aspects of life. A system guides how you view and interact with the world.  Whether you think you use systems or no, you most likely do, and for a wide range of tasks and procedures (think cooking, grocery shopping, etc).  I discussed my system for reading and taking notes in this post.  To date (beginning of November 2011) I have compiled notes for over forty books.  Do you know how many times I have looked back on those notes?  Rarely if ever.  What is the point of taking notes and reading books if I can’t apply the stuff I am learning?

I have realized that my most valuable resource is attention. Some people will tell you it is time and I agree to a point but for me, it is attention.  I can only concentrate on a precious few things at a time and expect to do them with any skill or expertise.  Sure, I can multitask, but contrary to what you may think, multitasking is not efficient.  You may think you can multitask, but it is PROVEN that your brain can not (something to think about while you are having a cell phone conversation in traffic with your family in the car, traveling at 70+ miles per hour….).  I want to devote myself to the task at hand so I can do the best job I can possibly do and get as much enjoyment that I can, whether that is playing Wii with my son, talking to my wife, doing stuff at work, or learning through reading.

To get the most out of any material, you really need to put time into studying, practice, and application. If I go from one book to another, reading blogs and listening to podcasts and audiobooks one after another, my attention is spread too thin.  By the time the material I have read starts to sink in and have a positive effect on my life, I am already on the next thing.  I can’t focus my efforts on the great information I have gathered.  I am shortchanging myself.  I am wasting my time and attention.  I am hurting my journey to be a better man.  What can I do?

I can stop reading and start studying. With everything, there is a balance.  If I study too much and read too little, my information will become stale and I won’t be able to benefit from the great content being created.  If I read too much and study too little, I am only providing attention-grabbing content to my eyes and not letting the knowledge enter my brain.  But…. if the balance is right….. if I can study and apply what I am learning and add content and information at a rate where I can keep up, imagine what could be accomplished.  Just think, if you applied all your attention to the task at hand, how remarkable you could be.  Imagine what you could accomplish if you could apply what you have learned, with your full attention, to your work, your relationships, your life journey.  What could you accomplish?  What couldn’t you accomplish?

Do you have a system for reading and taking notes?

Are you applying what you are learning?

Are you willing to focus your attention and be remarkable?  Being remarkable is hard, but worth the effort