The Reading Habits Of High-Achievers
When it comes to success, there isn’t a guaranteed recipe. The conditions vary widely and people approach their goals differently. Even the definition of success can be different for everyone. Yet, for all the variation, most of us would agree that successful individuals are high achievers, setting goals and smashing them time and time again. And the one thing high achievers have in common? They read. A lot.
Reading is considered one of the best habits you can cultivate for the overall fitness of your brain. Writing, and therefore reading, are skills that we’ve created and developed as part of our evolution. They aren’t hardwired into our brain, as automatic responses. They’re things we have to learn. Which means multiple parts of our brain are activated, linked, and exercised every time we read.
More than that, reading has been shown to increase the amount of white matter in the brain and create new neural connections. Studies have linked reading with increased empathy, increased focus, improved spatial navigability, lengthened attention span, and improved vocabulary. It’s no wonder that highly successful people like Warren Buffet, Elon Musk, Oprah Winfrey, and Bill Gates make time to read every day.
What you read is more important than simply reading. Scrolling through social media feeds involves reading, but reading short, punchy captions doesn’t produce the same effects that focused reading does. Like any healthy habit, reading needs to be cultivated carefully and practiced mindfully to achieve the maximum benefits.
We’ve compiled four insights from the reading habits of successful people around the world; which you can incorporate in your daily routine.
Schedule Dedicated Reading Time
Warren Buffet famously devotes 80% of his day to reading. Bill Gates commits reading at least 50 books every year. To them, reading is not a hobby. It’s part of their recipe for success. They consider it necessary for business and personal development, as essential as brushing their teeth or taking a bath…
Scheduling reading time helps signal to our brain that this is a priority. It also helps us develop reading as a habit. Try to schedule it for the same time every day, such as during our morning commute or before bed. Turn off distractions and focus on your reading exclusively for the entire scheduled time.
Read At Least 1 Hour A Day
Health experts recommend that daily physical exercise routine should at least be an hour. And since reading is exercise for the brain, we should take it as seriously. Daily reading sharpens focus,
While Buffet’s example may not be doable for many, an hour of devoted reading every day sharpens focus and increases comprehension. The length of time is important as extended reading is necessary to increase working memory along with other skills like event processing and improved concentration. And just like any exercise, the prolonged time ensures maximum mental stimulation, which helps slow natural brain aging and lowers the risk of brain-related illnesses.
Read Nonfiction
While reading fiction and poetry help exercise the brain by developing visualization and pattern recognition, nonfiction offers readers the ability to learn and absorb specific knowledge and applied skill sets. Books written by experts allow us to take decades of experience and download that knowledge in a matter of days. It’s a valuable resource that high achievers refuse to waste.
Nonfiction also activates our brain differently than fiction. Nonfiction is pure information, activating our analytical, problem-solving skills. We digest the data into manageable chunks, breaking down complex ideas into step-by-step applications. Our brain strives to apply this knowledge in useful ways, creating new neural pathways and strengthening already developed pathways. In addition to gaining new perspectives, this type of reading keeps us at the forefront of technology and career fields, which is why high achieving individuals make time for reading.
Even more exciting, when we read, our brain actually interprets what we’re reading as experience. Studies have been done showing different areas of our brain activating as we read, demonstrating that to the brain, reading is doing. So reading topics of self-improvement, developing a hobby, or learning a new skill is extremely beneficial.
Take Notes
When we’re learning, it’s important to interact with the material. Write down your thoughts, opinions, comments, associations, questions, reactions, and anything else that comes to mind while reading. Taking notes has been shown to improve memory and increase our learning capabilities. Bill Gates has a reputation for taking notes in the margin while he reads, but a notebook or reading log works the same.
Another important aspect of note-taking is it allows us to continue reading through difficult or cumbersome passages without stopping. Momentum is key, and stopping to look up words, reference terminology, or to research concepts disrupts our learning process. If we make a note and continue reading, we will actually retain more information while reviewing as it forces our brain to practice recall, and strengthens the neural pathway.
Conclusion
Making reading a habit has numerous benefits for the brain, with the added side effect of providing us with enjoyment. Reading helps us learn, exercises the brain, and allows us to gain experience like never before. No matter what field we work in or what subject we study, reading can give us the tools and resources we need to be successful.
