Increasing my reading return on investment
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Have you ever finished a great novel and, a week later, can't remember much about it? Or got inspired by a personal development book and its key ideas dissipated shortly after reading? It happened to me recurrently, but I've found the formula to increase my return on investment (ROI) from every book. I want to share it with you.
🧐 THE STRUGGLE: FORGETTING WHAT I READ
I love reading. I am convinced that anything and everything has already been written in one way, shape, or form. There is so much to learn, wisdom to acquire, and ideas to evoke all contained in books. But I had a problem: I'd read a book, get excited about something in it, and then... poof! In a couple of weeks, it was like I never read it. Sound familiar? I thought taking pages and pages of notes would help. I could still hardly recall much of what I had read and written. Furthermore, I felt frustrated that I was not experiencing the life changes that a lot of the books promised. What could I be doing wrong?
💡 THE LIGHT BULB MOMENT
I started to reflect on what was I doing or better yet, what was I not doing. I was reading about new productivity tools, habit-creating strategies, time management techniques, and so on. But that's all it was - reading. I wasn't applying any of it. It was like going to a store, buying the best tools, and then leaving them in the garage, unopened and unused. Sure, I owned these fantastic tools, but what good were they if they were just gathering dust?
That's when I realized acquiring knowledge without applying it is as good as not acquiring it at all. It's like having a library of the world's best books, but never opening them. Or buying a high-performance car and never driving it. You have the potential at your fingertips, but it remains just that – potential, untapped and unexploited.
🚀 TURNING KNOWLEDGE INTO ACTION
So, I shifted my approach. Each time I finish a book, I choose one key idea – the one that resonates with me the most – and commit to turning it into action. I write it down, set a deadline, and make it a part of my life. This simple act of taking action has transformed my reading from a passive intake of information to an active process of life enhancement.
In essence, I have stopped collecting tools and have started using them to build something meaningful. Every book has become a brick in the foundation of my personal growth. The knowledge gained is no longer dormant; it is alive and working, driving me towards better habits, improved productivity, and a better me.
As easy as it sounds, it wasn’t. That is why I am going to distill the process.
👆🏼 THE ONE THING: CHOOSING A SINGLE ACTION
You might be thinking, "Why just one?" I learned that when I try to do too many things, I end up doing none. I got easily overwhelmed by the many possibilities. My brain went into “fight or flight mode”. Flight was preferred in most cases. Yet, I wanted to do it all. After reading this book on the principles of Kaizen, it all flipped upside down. I understood I did not have to take intimidating actions to change my life for the better. The concept of small, consistent, and continuous improvements had clicked.
Choosing only one thing makes it easy to focus on and feels much more doable. It's like when you clean the house; if you try to do everything at once, it's overwhelming. But if you start with one corner, it's much easier and way less intimidating. It is the “what-is-the-next-small-step-I-can-take” way of thinking that started to make a difference.
As I read, I keep an eye out for that one golden nugget – an idea that makes me think, "Hey, that's cool!" or "I should try that!". I write them down as I came across them, otherwise I would likely forget by the end of the book. When I finish the book, I go back to my golden-nugget list, review them and think one by one: “is this actionable yes or no?” Of those that are actionable, I choose that is most aligned with my current goals and/or needs. This step is crucial because it helps me connect what I'm reading with my life. It's is about finding something interesting that can make a tangible difference for me right now.
✅ JUST DO IT: A PROMISE TO MYSELF
Once I decided on the action, I write it down and set a completion date. It's like making a promise to myself. I commit to it. I set a realistic timeline and create a plan to integrate this new action into my daily life. It's not about grand, sweeping changes; it's about incremental, consistent steps that build over time. Like cleaning that one corner of the house leads to the whole room eventually being tidy, each small action I take builds on the last, creating a compound effect of positive change in my life. For example, as of this blog post, I have recently finished reading Getting Things Done (GTD) by David Allen. The action that I have derived is:
“Integrate the different steps of GTD into my work flow and Second Brain. Schedule a weekly review check-in and have the inbox processing framework visible. Follow it. Do this for the next 30 days.”
It is concrete, tangible, and has a date behind it. In 30 days, I will review the integration and evaluate what will I keep doing and what will I stop doing from the GTD processing workflow.
Sometimes, it's hard. Life gets busy, or the action is tougher than I thought. When that happens, I remind myself why I started. It's okay if I miss a day or if it's not perfect. The important part is trying and learning from it.
🧱 BUILDING A HABIT: ONE BOOK, ONE ACTION
After doing this for a while, it has become a habit. Every book now is an opportunity to grow a little. And the best part? I remember more of what I read, because I'm actually acting upon it and living through it. This process turns each book into a personal development tool, tailored to my journey. It's like having a conversation with the author where I'm listening and actively participating by choosing what I'll take away and apply. The action I choose might be a small habit change, a new approach to a problem, or even a mindset shift. But no matter how small, it's a step forward, a brick in my pursue to create my best self. That is return on investment.
💫 GET YOUR ROI BACK
I encourage you to try this. Think of the last book you read – what's one thing from it that you can turn into action? Write it down, set a deadline, and go for it. You'll be amazed at how much this simple change can do.
Here are a few tips from my journey:
Keep It Fun: Choose actions that excite you. If it feels like a chore, it's hard to stick with it.
Be Realistic: Don't set yourself up for failure. If your action is too big, break it down into smaller steps.
Celebrate Your Successes: Every time you complete your action, give yourself a pat on the back. Celebrating makes it more rewarding.
Reflect and Adjust: Sometimes, an action might not work out. That's okay. Reflect on what went wrong, adjust, and try again.
Share Your Journey: Talk about what you're doing with friends or family. Sharing can be super motivating and hold you accountable.
Remember the saying, "A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step"? My journey of personal growth got ignited with a single action from a single book. Now, each book I read adds another step, another piece to the puzzle of who I am becoming. Every book has something special to offer, and by choosing one thing to act on, I make sure I'm not just reading; I'm transforming. And now, by sharing this journey, I hope to inspire you to turn your reading into action. Don't let your acquired wisdom be like unopened gifts. Use it, apply it, and watch how it creates a new you. Let's not just be collectors of knowledge; let's be its architects, building a stronger, wiser, and more capable version of ourselves with every page we turn.
