Img source: gatesnotes.com
A very famous quote says, “Leaders are readers”, which might sound as a cliché, but represents a very valid statement. Most of us know Bill Gates as a really successful person who has been able to build one of the largest technological company in the world. He is also one the richest person on Earth. One really important factor that distinguishes him among other things is his commitment to reading.
In a LinkedIn article that he posted about some of his favorite books that he read during 2016 was:
“Still, reading books is my favorite way to learn about a new topic. I’ve been reading about a book a week on average since I was a kid. Even when my schedule is out of control, I carve out a lot of time for reading.”
When he was asked, “If you could have any one superpower, what would it be and why?” he answered
“Being able to read superfast.” Among many other things that he could choose from, such as flying, reading other people’s mind, teleporting, being the strongest, he surprisingly choose reading as his preferred superpower.
He also reads an hour before bed, no matter at what time he goes to bed. He considers reading as part of falling asleep.
He is not alone in this habit. A lot of successful people who are top performers of their respective fields set aside a lot time reading and learning as much as they can:
- Mark Cubanreads more than 3 hours every day
- Elon Muskis an avid reader and when asked how he learned to build rockets, he said “I read books.”
- Mark Zuckerbergresolved to read a book every 2 weeks throughout 2015
- Oprah Winfreyselects one of her favorite books every month for her Book Club members to read and discuss
If we want to be successful, then we should follow the patterns and clues that other successful people have left before us. A really good starting point to become more productive and successful is by making reading as part of our habits. It might look like something really difficult, knowing that we might not be used to read on a regular basis, but we should at least try to read a few pages per day. No matter if we are busy, or think that things are out of control and that everything is falling apart. You and I are probably not that busy as Bill Gates. We can start the habit, by initially making the intention, starting small and being consistent. It is better to start reading a few pages a day and try to stick to it. Here is an article, about ways that you can use to read more than 30 books a year by reading less than an hour a day.
