The Joy of Reading

“When I get a little money, I buy books. If I have any left over, I buy food and clothing.”

That was Erasmus, the Dutch philosopher who obviously shared my love of reading. Considered one of the greatest scholars of the Renaissance period, he continued reading, writing and lecturing until the day he died at age 69. Like him, I encourage you to Replace Retirement with the joy of reading!  

Reading Earns Compound Interest

I’m known as a vociferous reader. On any given day, I’m usually working through several carefully selected books. People I meet often ask me, “You’re a busy guy. How — and why — do you make time to read all those books?”

I reply, “Reading is like investing your money with compound interest.”

They usually give me a quizzical look. I go on to explain that reading is like compound interest because the sooner you do it, and the longer you stay with it, the better the return on investment. Growing up, I was a C-student. I didn’t enjoy reading and quite honestly, did as little of it as possible. It wasn’t until I went back to college to finish my BBA that I applied myself to school with the same rigor I did to my work. By reading and studying, I was investing in myself. 

I quickly found myself on the dean’s list.  

Listening to and Reading More Books

Truthfully, I was surprised to find that with a little bit of application, I was actually a very good student. After graduation, I was transferred from technical work at IBM to sales. In our branch office, we had an extensive library of books on cassette (remember those?) for our staff to check out and listen to. I took full advantage of this relatively new technology (it was the 80s, dude!) and I found immense enjoyment listening to a wide range of audiobooks while driving.  

If I listened to a book and really enjoyed it, I’d often listen to it a second or third time. Sometimes, I’d buy the print version and reread it to fully embrace the content. I was on a roll. Here’s a cool thing I discovered that’s still true: The more books I listened to, the more books I found myself reading.  

Starting Every Day with Reading

My next significant plateau was building the habit of reading every morning before starting my workday. To firmly establish the habit, I began by reading every single morning — seven days a week, no exceptions. Once my reading habit was locked in, I was able to relax the rhythm to mostly workday mornings, averaging 5 days per week (taking vacations and holidays off).  

By reading approximately 30 minutes on most mornings — in addition to devouring stacks of audiobooks in the car — I have accumulated what I modestly describe as a vast library of knowledge.   

What to read?

What do I read? Most of my reading is nonfiction business and personal development books. On vacations or during my longer drives (like to snowmobile areas on weekends), I will often listen to a biography or historical novel. I find that these less-demanding genres allow my mind to drift and take in the scenery without stressing over each and every little nugget of information.  

As you may know, I take off the entire months of August and February each year. When I do, I purposely read fiction or subjects not directly related to my work. This intentional switch is to give my mind a break and simply enjoy the planned rejuvenation time. In the evenings, I tend to watch TV instead of reading in bed. At the end of my day, I’m winding down, not gearing up. I know folks who swear by it, but I don’t want to get into the habit of falling asleep with a book in my hand.  

One positive note about falling asleep with a book is that your subconscious is more likely to use what you last read during your REM dream state. Depending on what you’re reading, this could be helpful. The bottom line for me is that I intentionally design my day with concentrated work and focus in the morning, then transition to a lack of focus and pure entertainment in the evenings.

Lifelong Reading Allows You to Draw from a Library of Knowledge

In his most recent book, Wisdom at Work, Chip Conley says one of the benefits of being an Elder is the seasoned ability to pull together disparate knowledge and experiences into a cohesive pattern with discernment. As humans, we tend to look for patterns in the world and pull together random input into something useable and valuable. Chip suggests that as we age and gain experience, our skills get more honed and more adept, as long as we’re committed to lifelong learning. This is where investing in years of reading pays a dividend. I’m able to draw on a “field of diamonds” within my mind to help solve a problem, add value to a discussion, or propose a potential solution — all by drawing on my library of knowledge.  

If you’ve made it this far, you’re likely a reader. I’m grateful to you for choosing my Blog and for being committed to lifelong learning. I’ve found the joy of reading is its own reward, but it comes with a long-term payback, too!