“Reading, after a certain age, diverts the mind too much from its creative pursuits. Any man who reads too much and uses his own brain too little falls into lazy habits of thinking.”
- Albert Einstein
I started my first bona fide business as a sophomore in college. I’d never held a real job, had very little experience interacting with customers and literally no experience making sales. Unsurprisingly, I was taken advantage of on a regular basis by unscrupulous individuals, eager to exploit the work of a driven, but clearly naive college student like me.
This led to the realization that I needed to accelerate my base of knowledge, and quickly. I started listening to audiobooks in the car, as I was falling asleep, while I was working— everywhere. I would read books and highlight like crazy, take notes and jot out “lessons” that I hadn’t yet learned but read in a book, hoping it would stave off some of the early business follies I knew were to come. I felt so productive.
Fast forward to three or four years later, and I suddenly stopped reading altogether. I’d hit a point where all the ideas were slowing my ability to focus on and execute the strategies we needed to grow as a company, and it was stunting our progress.
Over time, I started to reengage with books but on a more measured, deliberate basis. If I found an idea that was compelling and actionable, that was my cue to pause the audiobook or put down the book— and to reflect on how, or even if the idea would translate to my business and my world. If it did, then I would prioritize it and put it into my personal or business growth plan.
I now treat articles the same way, allowing two times each day to run wild on Flipboard. For me that’s 3am as I’m waking up, and 9pm as I’m winding down from the day. During that time I’ll save anything that seems interesting, send articles to others and get the knowledge bug out of the way. If something’s actionable, I set aside a time to pursue it.
Rather than reading for volume, allow yourself enough time for good ideas and conclusions to marinate. Next, take action on the ones that are worth pursuing.
-Jeff
