Len's News, Notes, and Stuff

If You’re Gonna Read, Read Something Productive

One of the best advice I ever got was something my aunt told me back when I was still a university student. I have always been an avid reader, but at that point I had gotten to reading a lot of fiction and not much else. I was on a trip to visit a number of aunts and cousins down in California that summer, and I brought a small stack of books with me. My aunt, who has always been forthright with me, sat down at one point and said to me, “If you’re going to spend time reading, read books that will actually help you. I suggest reading biographies so that you can learn from the experiences of others.”

She said more than that, but those were her two key points.

Surprisingly, that has made a tremendous difference in my life. I took her advice to heart. Now, for the most part, I read business books, biographies, selected history books and books pertinent to my work or business activities and aspirations. My one big diversion are cookbooks and books about food. But, part of that diversion still includes books about the politics, ethics, and health of what we eat. I try to read things that will teach me new concepts, reinforce concepts I already believe to be important, introduce me to new areas of knowledge, or teach me new skills. I don’t touch works of fiction any more, except in very exceptional cases – and each time I’ve made such an exception, I find that the works have been totally unable to hold my attention because my mind tells me what I’m reading is ultimately pointless.

There is nothing intrinsically wrong with reading fiction or reading magazines for entertainment. However, the time that we each spend reading – whether that’s just 15 minutes a day or even hours on end – is time that could be used to increase our knowledge, skills, or understanding.

Just recently in my work with the government, I have benefited greatly from the skills I learned from 3 or 4 books on visual communication and interface design. Those were books that I read on my own time during my daily commutes and over my lunch breaks. The end result was having developed new skills and understanding to be able to develop dashboard systems and structured sitreps that have garnered our Branch much positive feedback from throughout the Ministry. It has, of course, also given me a fair bit of positive exposure as an individual.

I acknowledge that there are some things that cannot be learned from a book. I know that full well from my continued business efforts that have garnered me less-than-spectacular returns. However, I truly feel that I have benefited both on a personal basis in terms of broadening my horizons and understanding, and on a professional basis with improved skills that I bring to my work.  I enjoy the time that I spend reading and learning, and my aunt’s advice to me to use that time productively has had great impact on the paths that I have taken since that discussion years ago.

So, I pass along to you this advice: If you’re going to spend time reading, read productive material that will broaden your horizons, deepen your understanding, or develop your skills.