As someone who works in the fast-paced online industry, I make it a point to sit down and lose myself in a good book. Yes, there are numerous resources from which I may obtain information quickly.
These tidbits of information, on the other hand, filter through and are lost in the abyss of the subconscious. It makes me feel hollow because, despite the constant flow of knowledge, it’s difficult to keep a strong grip on anything.
Between entertainment, media, and social media, there is a lot to keep us distracted. Our focus is continuously being snatched away from us. We often prefer these small crumbs of fast delight to the actual gratification of delving into a great work of literature.
But when I read, I immerse myself in the storey. Whether it’s a storey, autobiography, or educational piece, I let it take me somewhere else.
But when I read, I immerse myself in the storey. Whether it’s a storey, autobiography, or educational piece, I let it take me somewhere else. I put myself in a state of mind where I am actively involved in the processes being discussed, allowing me to understand the material more clearly.
The information will be forgotten if your brain does not have to process the information supplied. As a result, reading that brief excerpt will be a waste of time. However, if you pay attention and are interested in the facts or scenarios at hand, such as when reading a book, you are unlikely to forget them.
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Reading is the only way you can travel without leaving
My best friend is a search engine. I use Google on a daily basis, and I’m guessing you do as well. However, these tools are intended to assist you in resolving the most common or minor concerns. When it comes to concerns like life decisions or interpersonal challenges, a search engine will not be able to present you with a firm and practical solution.
It can point you to some archives from individuals who have had similar problems, but even those responses are usually brief and simply state that someone else has had the same problem.
You may work through the challenges with the main character in a book, almost as if you were going through it yourself in real life. That is, you are, in a sense.
You will know exactly how to tackle this situation if it happens again in the future since you have already been in that mindset.
Reading is the only way to travel without having to leave your house. It’s the only way to live someone else’s life while still keeping true to yourself.
It allows you to “mentally travel” as you imagine the places and people being discussed. You will be able to experience the sufferings of individuals from a different culture and gain knowledge of how they perceive and deal with life. Because you are a part of the trip, experience it as your own agony and delight.
Movies can also provide a sense of transcendence. Yes, in a way. It is achievable if you immerse yourself in the plot and see yourself as a character in the storey. But there’s a lot of it.
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Reading is an investment that will leave your mind rich.
Committing to a book is a true test of willpower. Depending on your reading speed and interest in the topic, the average book will take you between 5 and 10 hours to finish. 10 hours is a significant amount of time; make the most of it.
You will absorb and internalise the information without you recognising it if you are sincerely invested in the content. Many of us don’t have 10 hours to read, and our eyes and minds aren’t capable of staying concentrated for that long. As long as you keep consistent, dividing it up into 1 or 2-hour sessions is OK.
Keep in mind that if you take too many interruptions between reading sessions, you will forget what you read previously and will have to go back to the beginning. Consider how often you recall something you read a month ago.
When you are not reading constantly, not only will you lose focus and interest, you will have to pay much effort to reconnect the bits and pieces in your mind. It’s better for you to adjust your reading time so you will be committed to reading every day.
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Ready to take the mental adventure again? Here are some mental notes to find the right book
There are loads of books covering the same topic, so you have lots of options to find one that really appeals to you. You just need to find the genre and writing styles that you prefer, and it is a bit of a snowball effect from there!
I have grouped books into 3 categories that you can choose from based on the benefits that can be attained from reading them:
1. Pick something that can strengthen your skills
These are packed with knowledge that has been consolidated over the years as you read on about this topic or trade. There is scientific evidence that reading for 1 hour per day about a particular field will make you an expert on the subject within 7 years.
Related: Online Learning: 10 In-Demand Skills
2. Go through success stories and learn about the struggles and failures
These will walk you through the challenges and struggles faced by some of your most successful idols. It will help you to humanize the process and realize that the head honchos are really people, and they falter too. And now you can get an insider’s perspective on how they turned their obstacles into opportunity.
3. Allow yourself to experience lives that are completely different from yours
The best thing about reading is that you can vicariously live lives that aren’t your own. This will give you insight into others’ life experiences, and help you to be more understanding of people. Reading about the process of other people’s struggles and experiences will help you to pare yourself in the event that something similar happens to you in the future.
Not only will you lose attention and interest if you don’t read often, but you’ll also have to put in a lot of effort to connect the dots in your mind. It is preferable for you to alter your reading time so that you are able to read every day.