From September 2018 to 2019 I read just over 250 books.

If you do the math that’s a book completed every 1.46 days.

How did I do it?

Simple: I read at least 4 hours-a-day (2 in the AM and 2 in PM), every day — often times more on the weekends.

For me, there is no better way to start and finish my day.

You may not have that amount of time to read as much as I do — or you do and just don’t know it.

I get up early, typically 5:30am, make coffee and start reading. Making coffee is my reading habit cue. Habit cues are critical to reshaping our behavior. James Clear advises: “The key to choosing a successful cue is to pick a trigger that is very specific and immediately actionable.” At night my reading habit cue is doing the dishes.

Humans are hardwired for habits. This is why routines and schedules work. It is a series of habit cues. There is no need tonight this. Use this understanding to your advantage.

Here’s a list of the books I read in the last week:

Range by David Epstein
The Performance Cortex by Zach Schonburn
Stillpower by Garret Karmer
Running to the Top of the Mountain by Joe Newton

More than anything, good reading habits are about good time management. I focus on reading one book at a time. My mantra is: “one book at a time, one day at a time.” I’m in no rush. It is not a race.

What matters is exposure to new ideas, which can be a catalyst for personal growth.

Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr. explains: “One's mind, once stretched by a new idea, never regains its original dimensions.”

I get more out of reading a physical book than digital. Only 1 out of every 15 books is on Kindle.

I am an active reader, meaning I take detailed notes in my physical books with a pen. I learned this habit from the book How to Read a Book: The Classic Guide to Intelligent Reading by Mortimer J. Adler (a must read for anyone seeking to improve their reading skills).

I don’t listen to books on Audible or tape.

Why? As famed investor Naval said: "Reading is faster than listening, doing is faster than watching.”

He’s right. Listening and watching are easier, but far less impactful than reading and doing.

I don’t watch TV or Nexflix. I don’t use facebook or instagram (twitter is the lone social media outlet I use). This all but deletes the temptation to watch the world rather than read about the world.

I’m no speed reader, in fact I read slow.

I’m not reading to say I read a lot. The volume of books means nothing — quality is what counts.

I read with a purpose. I’m searching, hunting, exploring. There are things in this world I am curious about and books are the best way to get an introduction and foundation of understanding in the basics on a subject. Should you want a richer understanding on a topic you’ll have to seek out mentors, teachers and experiences to further progress your learning.

Reading a book is crossing the starting line, not the finish line.

Thanks for reading. I'm glad you're here. | @jmarpdx

Thoughts On Reading 250 Books in a Year