1) Schedule Your Reading Time: If I were to take a guess as to why so many aspiring rock stars don’t have the time to read, it isn’t because they don’t have the time, its because they don’t schedule the time. I want you to think about what happens throughout the course of a typical business day. We allow other people the respect of a place on our calendar but we seldom give ourselves the same respect. Don’t ever get casual when it comes to your self development.
2) Have Your Journal Handy: You should never assume that there won’t be noteworthy gems in things you read. Opening up your journal tells your brain “hey dude, the journals open . . . we’re going to learn something” . The journal gives you the benefit of a central holding place for your notes instead of scattered amongst dozens of pads. The act of writing your notes also does wonders for retention.
3) Have A Dictionary Handy: I want to thank my Dad for this one. Every now and again a word will cross your path that you can only make an assumption with regard to the meaning. Assumption is always bad because as my friend Samuel L. Jackson once said “When you make an assumption, you make an ass out of u and mption”. You also miss an opportunity for growth and the opportunity to expand your vocabulary.
For My I-Phone Compadres: Merriam-Webster has a way cool (and free) Dictionary App. Download it here
Important Note: Make it easy for yourself to expand your vocabulary.
4) Take Time To Ponder: Don’t just read a book . . . take the time to ponder what you’ve just read. If it means putting the book down halfway through a sentence, so be it! Take the time to let your mind run with the thought, disagree with the thought, agree with the thought and ultimately . . . manufacture new exciting thoughts of your own.
Tip: Don’t you dare commit these thoughts to memory. Lay ‘em down in your journal dude!
5) Commit To “Shipping” Your Take Aways: All those notes, ideas and new distinctions are worthless when they are nestled in your brain or in your journal. You really need to take action within 24-48 hours of an “AHA” otherwise life has this crazy way of interrupting and inspiring you to do nothing!
6) Consider A Reread In The Future: We are all ever evolving and as a result of that, we get different take aways at different times in our life. There are a variety of reasons for that, one of them has to do with our need to mentally search for relevant applications in the things we read. The problem with that, is the mental weeding out of info that may not serve you now, but will serve you in the future. Rereading can help you attack the information from a different mindset and might give you new take aways.
So there you have it. 6 ways for you to bring your self development up a notch or three.
