Useful habit from successful people
Today a reader, tomorrow a leader – Margaret Fuller.
It is difficult to overestimate the power of reading today. This capability expands the horizons and opportunities of anyone. Books equip us with knowledge, which allows us to reach heights in any sphere of life.
In the book “Me We Do Be: The Four Cornerstones of Success,” socio-economist Randall Bell says, “Those who read seven or more books per year are more than 122 percent more likely to be millionaires as opposed to those who never read or only read one to three books.”
To become a truly successful person, you just need to adopt one great habit – reading. Warren Buffett once said that the secret of his success is quite simple: “Read 500 pages like this every day. That’s how knowledge works. It builds up, like compound interest. All of you can do it, but I guarantee not many of you will.” This simple habit has become not only his priority.
Bill Gates said that he reads about 50 books a year. Elon Musk taught himself physics and rocket science simply by reading many books. Mark Cuban spends up to about 3 hours of his day reading. Oprah Winfrey remarked that reading is a “path to personal freedom.” And these are only a small number of examples.
However, the critical factor is which books you read. According to Thomas Corley, rich people (annual income of $160,000 or more and a liquid net worth of $3.2 million-plus) read for self-improvement, education, and success. Whereas less well-off people (annual income of $35,000 or less and a liquid net worth of $5,000 or less) read primarily to be entertained. If you want to grow the mind, develop some of your skills, and improve and change a life, here is a list of the most popular genres among successful people around the world:
- Autobiographies and self-improvement books:
- “A Thousand Brains: A New Theory of Intelligence” Jeff Hawkins,
- “The Code Breaker: Jennifer Doudna, Gene Editing, and the Future of the Human Race” Walter Isaacson,
- “Andrew Carnegie” Joseph Frazier Wall.
- Business books:
- “The Up Side of Down: Why Failing Well Is the Key to Success” Megan McArdle,
- “Body of Work: Finding the Thread That Ties Your Story Together” Pamela Slim,
- “Springboard: Launching Your Personal Search for Success” G. Richard Shell.
- Book in area of their competence:
- “Living within limits: Ecology, Economics, and Population Taboos” Garrett Hardin,
- “The Warren Buffett Portfolio: Mastering the Power of the Focus Investment Strategy” Robert G. Hagstrom,
- “Only the Paranoid Survive: How to Exploit the Crisis Points That Challenge Every Company” Andrew S Grove.
Whatever you want to achieve in life, there is an endless supply of books that will help you do that. For being financially independent, read books like “The Richest Man in Babylon” by George Clason or “I Will Teach You To Be Rich” by Ramit Sethi. For having a happy and healthy romantic relationship, read books like “Attached” by Amir Levine and Rachel Heller or “The 5 Love Languages” by Gary Chapman. For learning how to be happy and fulfilled, read books like “The Happiness Equation” by Neil Pasricha or “The Happiness Hypothesis” by Jonathan Haidt.
Reading is essential for improving creativity, better memory, reducing stress, and increasing happiness levels. So if you want to live the life of your dreams, then take the example of the world’s most successful people, pick up a book, and start reading!
