To People Who Want to Read But Cannot Actually Get Started, It’s Not Your Fault
Auto Biography: A Classic Car, an Outlaw Motorhead, and 57 Years of the American Dream
It's not a secret that the most successful people read books. Journalists write about the reading habits of Bill Gates, Warren Buffett, Charlie Munger, Oprah Winfrey and so on, all the time. Although one would suspect it's a given for these accomplished professionals, and others like them, they actually read with the intent to learn. And to understand the world around them.
To people who want to read but cannot actually get started, this article is for you. And I'm not going to make you feel badly about finding it difficult to get started on your reading. There are enough things happening in the world to make you cringe and feel stressed.
From the work that I do, and the people that I’ve talked to, I’ve observed a problem. And it’s the way that you as a professional read non-fiction books. It’s your definition of what it means to read a book. If you learned the correct way to read, then if you really wanted to read a book, you’ll get the process started with the proper instructions.
People Who Want to Read: My Promise to You
If you’re a professional who wants to read and learn how you can get around the barrier of actually starting the process, I’m going to teach you the basics of what you need to know and do.
Some Good But Difficult Books That Teach Effective Reading and Learning Strategies
How to Read a Book by Mortimer Adler and Charles Van Doren
I must admit that there are some very good books such as How to Read a Book
by Mortimer Adler and Charles Van Doren that have effective reading strategies. However, if you can’t actually get started reading, How to Read a Book, would definitely be a showstopper for you. I’m serious. It took over three or four attempts to complete this book and I’m an avid reader.
And I know several voracious readers who gave up on this book because it’s so difficult to read. This is one of those classic books you know you should read, but instead keep it on your bookshelf as a showpiece.
The Thinker’s Guide for Students on How to Study & Learn a Discipline
Another great book that would definitely grow your career if read and digested is The Thinker’s Guide for Students on How to Study & Learn a Discipline
. Anyone who fully digests this book will get the most from any nonfiction book she ever reads. The problem is how the book is written. It took me three attempts to read through this book.
And the first time I read through this book, I did it quickly, so that I wouldn’t abandon it again. After I finished reading it, I saw the merit in spending time to devour it. I saw how I would get a return on my reading time investment if I took the time to slowly work my way through it. With that nugget in my I slowly read The Thinker’s Guide for Students on How to Study & Learn a Discipline.
People Who Want to Read: Your Promise to Me
After you’ve learned how to get started on reading any non-fiction book, and are enjoying the activity, I’d like you to invest the time to read both How to Read a Book and The Thinker’s Guide for Students on How to Study & Learn a Discipline. You’ll get real value from reading them. This is important because you’ll learn strategies and techniques to use when reading any book. I’d like you to make that promise to me.
Auto Biography: A Classic Car, an Outlaw Motorhead, and 57 Years of the American DreamHow to Read a Book: The Classic Guide to Intelligent ReadingThe Thinker's Guide for Students on How to Study & Learn a Discipline: Using Critical Thinking Concepts & Tools
To People Who Want to Read But Cannot Actually Get Started: How to Read a Book
The best place to get started reading a book is with baby steps. Set aside 25 to 30 minutes. Any person can find 30 minutes of uninterrupted time. Start thinking of reading a nonfiction book as the ability to find the essential information in it. According to the authors of How to Read a Book, there are three reasons for reading any book – Entertainment, Information, and to further your Knowledge on any topic of interest. Here are the steps to getting started on your reading journey.
- Select a non-fiction book that you’d really like to read.
- Decide on your purpose for reading it.
- Set a kitchen timer for 25 to 30 minutes. If you don’t have a kitchen timer, download a Pomodoro app. Get one that makes a clicking sound because you want to hear that time is passing and you’re making progress.
- Read the table of contents of the book. If anything grabs your attention, place a check mark beside it.
- Flip through the book to look at the images – illustrations, photos, diagrams, charts, tables.
- Based on what you saw in the table of contents, focus on the sections that caught your attention — the essential bits of information. In addition, read the following sections:
- Introduction
- Foreword
- Preface
- First chapter
- Conclusion
- Index
- Think about the topic of the book, what do you already know about it? You may be surprised by how much you already know.
- Read the essential bits of information.
If the kitchen timer or the Pomodoro app goes off before you’re finished previewing the book, you can always set the timer again. If you’ve got what you needed in the 30 minutes, you’ve read the book. You don’t have to read a book cover-to-cover. Books are filled with a lot of extraneous information. Why waste time reading those non-essential bits of information if you don’t have to.
Have you read?
These Two Essential Books Will Skyrocket Your Career Success
To the Professional Who is a Reluctant Reader Or Who Hates Reading
Above I’ve given you instructions to get started reading if you’re a professional who wants to read, but needs some help. However, there are professionals who are either reluctant readers or simply hate reading.
My Definition of a Reluctant Reader
A reluctant reader could be someone who does not enjoy reading, or it could be someone who thinks she does not have time to read, or it could be someone who is reluctant to diversify her reading. 
Do you fall into any of these groups? If you’re that person, this section is for you.
If you are a reluctant reader, who does not show an interest in reading books, then I have some advice for you. Reading is an essential part of life and work. It’s difficult to excel in your career without reading books. There must be a topic that you’re interested in. It could even be a hobby. For instance, if you are interested in cars, you could read about the history of cars, looking at its evolution and how that one invention changed the world.
You could research a certain type of car, look at toy cars, models you have to build, and so on, wherever your interest lies. Start off with a graphic novel, comic book series about cars, or children’s picture book. This may sound surprising to you, however, I don’t want you to discount any of these kinds of books. The well-written ones can teach you a lot. There are many graphic novels and comic books that authors use when they’re writing about a difficult topic.
Or you could find a book on the topic that’s a bit unusual. One that comes to mind is Auto Biography: A Classic Car, an Outlaw Motorhead, and 57 Years of the American Dream
by Earl Swift. Don’t you think a car enthusiast would want to read this book?
Mentoring Moment
Don’t lose the chance to read books to help you to become more marketable and valuable. Take the time to hunt for the right book, and find more than one book on the topic, to make sure that you capture different perspectives. You can turn reading into a game to make it fun.
To the Reluctant Reader: After You’ve Read Books About Topics that Interest You
Once you develop a love of reading by reading books on topics that interest you, graduate to other topics. You could think about issues at work that need addressing, then find books to read that can help you to resolve them. The point is to get started – start somewhere then move on from there.
How to Diversify Your Reading
If you are a reluctant reader who loves to read the same kind of books, it is time to step up your game. I read a few years ago that it takes reading 40 books to move to a higher level of reading. Although the stats referred to students, why not apply it to adults, who could elevate their level of reading?
To People Who Want to Read But Cannot Actually Get Started: Final Thoughts
When you’re reading books make sure that you take notes. Even if you have the greatest memory, take notes. This allows you to look back and connect the dots, so you’ll see what others don’t. Whether you want to read and not sure how to start or you hate reading, try the strategies outlined above. You might be surprised by what you discover.
I created and host the Learning How to Learn Again program that’s designed for professionals to learn effective reading, learning, and memory strategies. If you are ready to step to the edges of your comfort zone, this program could be for you.
Note: Some of the links are affiliate links which means that if you click on them and make a purchase I'll get a small commission.
