Happy World Book Day
I hope for a day when every person can have access to books, when every person picks up a a book instead of a device or start a show to watch. I believe time is not to be killed but to be a resource to nourish your mind and soul. In this world of easy access to entertainment, it is easy to “escape” from boredom and get lost to mindless activities. I wish more people picked up a book everyday even if it is for 10 mins.
Not everybody can read or is interested in “reading” but maybe you can listen to a podcast or a book or find other avenues to explore a world that you might not be familiar with through knowledge resources.
Access to Learning
Books are not the only source of learning. For those who might not like sitting down with a book to read, there are ample other resources that you can learn from. These resources can be more inclusive for people for whom books or reading might be a limitation. In some ways, these resources are much more up to date as you get access to constantly updated fresh content.
Podcasts. There are thousands of podcasts on any topic of your choice and most of the content is free on your favorite app.
Blogs. Knowledge no longer is limited to expert authors. We can now access insights from millions of subject matter experts. Anybody who has an insight can share their perspectives to the world. Find blogs or bloggers you like for free.
Platforms like Twitter, Youtube, etc., democratize content for everybody. Even people in the most remote parts of the world are now able to access information in formats that are inclusive for people with limited access to internet, data or devices.
Following incredible thought leaders on your favorite platform is another great way to keep up with the richness of knowledge
Tools like Blinkist and 12min give you access to books in a quick short read or listen.
Some tips to “read” when you are busy
Pre plan the list of books and podcasts that I want to read/listen. This helps me avoid any time in browsing and getting lost in social media. Instead I always have the next thing to read/listen to ready to go
Listen on the go. Anytime I need to drive is learning time! Bonus listening time when I walk our puppy, cooking, waiting at the doctor’s office, in lines or anything in between
Bursts of reading: I get a Wellness day every 6 weeks. This is an additional day to rest, get the house in order, spend quality time with family and READ! I also sometimes take time off to simply read. I set my out of office to “Learning Days”, share it with my team and take the day to focus on simply reading or learning. It replenishes my mind. It is sometimes just a day or a week. Holidays are especially great as it helps me read a minimum of five books sometimes more.
Reading multiple books at the same time: I typically have an audible and a physical book going at the same time.
Surrounding myself with books: My work space is surrounded by books. This helps me just pick up any book even if I have just 5 mins and read a page. It also keeps the pressure of all the unread books. I also leave a couple of books next to my bed and in go bag for the car.
No rules: We often get trapped into silly rules like having to finish every book page to page but it doesn’t matter. If a book is not speaking to you, let it go. Move to the next one. If you are loving it then don’t worry about finishing it fast. Spend as much time as you want to really learn and implement learnings. Re-read if you want to.
Learn your own way: Whether you like speed reading or taking months for a book, it is up to you. Whether you love filling your book with notes and highlights or leaving it seemingly untouched is up to you. Find a way that works for you and learn your way.
Access to books
Books can get expensive but it doesn’t have to be. Here are some tips to keep up with the cost of books if you need to spend less on books
Libraries! For book lovers, libraries are home. Nothing can beat the fun of a library visit to rent books of all kinds or take a peak at books that you might not consider buying. Don’t forget to check out library sale where you can get books for cheap
An extension called Library Extension added to your browser will let you know any book in your amazon shopping cart is available in your local library
For US libraries, you can download the app Libby that connects to your library account and let’s you borrow audible/kindle books from the app and listen/read and return. Hoopla is another alternative
Used books: You can find them in local used book stores, libraries or online. Look for good deals. I recently got to visit The Last Bookstore and it was simply spectacular!
Reading in book stores in some countries like the US is also great. You can check out books by reading a few pages to see if you might like them.
Signing up for BookBub service gets you access to books that go on sale on kindle. I have been able to move dozens of books for less that $1 by keeping track of these.
Amazon Kindle unlimited gets you access to thousands of books for a small monthly price.
After all that learning don’t forget to give yourself some quiet time of reflection so that you are able to connect dots and unlock solutions to whatever problems you are thinking about. Quiet reflection is key to leveraging learning from all that content.
Hope you have a wonderful year of learning ahead. Whatever you do, don’t stop learning. All it takes is a few minutes a day.
What are your tips or hacks? How do you keep up with knowledge?