Why Read?
It's been said that there are three kinds of knowledge:
? What you know ? What you know that you don't know, and ? What you don't know that you don't know.
What you know is an asset.
What you know that you don't know isn't too difficult to handle. You can go out and find out!
But what you don't know that you don't know could be dangerous -- to your life/health/career/business etc. It's information that you don't know exists. It could cost you your job, promotion, business, or something worse.
What you don't know can, and often does, harm you. In fact, unknown to you it could be holding you back this very minute.
However, if you develop the habit of reading for self improvement, you set yourself up to be "found" by such knowledge. It comes to you each time you open a book, even though you never knew it was there.
Imagine this: you're walking along innocently, "in the line of fire" of some great information, and all of a sudden you are "hit" by a new discovery! If you will just stay in the line of fire (by reading, reading and reading some more), you will keep on getting "hit". And there's something about this habit that causes you to attract just the information you need!
I am an avid, voracious reader. I read anything that's written in English, online or offline! A while ago, I needed some info about marketing one's services. I set a weekly goal to read up on the subject, though I had no idea where I would find the material, or the time to read it either! Lo and behold! Being a habitual reader, all week long I was "found out and followed" by books, articles, pop-up boxes and spam mail on marketing your services. Every where I turned, it was there!
If you develop the habit of reading, you will never be at a loss for information. You will either know what you need to know, know where to find it, know some one who knows it, or it will come looking for you!
Over time you will become a resource person and a magnet for information. Now how beneficial could that be to your career or business?
I once worked with colleagues who often came to me when they were looking for information. If a problem defied solution they made sure to ask me. I didn't always have the answers, but if I didn't, I knew where to find them! My boss wrote in my appraisal that I was "an asset to this establishment." To get ahead in today's world you must develop a reading habit; stay in the line of fire of good, wholesome information, and get "hit" each time there's an update!
Is time a problem for you? Here are
10 tips for finding the time to read:
1. Take a book with you wherever you go, make use of time in the traffic, waiting in receptions, even time in the loo!
2. Cut back on TV viewing. What does it profit a man (or woman) to watch TV all day and suffer from a dearth of information?
3. To find time for new things you must throw out some old ones. What pastimes are no longer profitable? Or less profitable than reading? Ditch them!
4. Make friends with people who read. Their good reading habits will rub off on you.
5. Join a reading group. You'll be kept busy with reading assignments, and will somehow have to make the time. No reading groups near you? Create one!
6. Delegate as much work as you possibly can, whether it's office work or house work. Use the free time to "get in the line of fire" of some good information! 7. Set goals for self-improvement. Make reading part of your strategy. Then you will read to reach your goals.
8. Set up a corner of your home to be the perfect reading corner ? rocking chair/reading desk and chair, good lighting, peaceful and quiet, soft colours, gentle on the eyes, out-of-bounds to kids ? you know what I mean! Just looking at the place will draw you to sit there and read!
9. Block out 30 minutes to one hour of your day (or whatever suits you) for reading. Tell everyone you cannot be disturbed. Switch off all phones. Go where no one can find you. Do whatever it takes to have that time uninterrupted and just read.
10. Get organized; be a better time manager. It's amazing how much time we throw away chatting on the phone, hanging out with friends, lingering after a meeting or waiting around for one thing or the other. You could kill two birds with one stone by reading while you're at the hairdresser's or the mechanic's. Examine the way you spend your time. You'll find plenty of it not properly utilized.
I hope you are inspired to begin reading, whether for pleasure or self-improvement. There is no such thing as spare time. If you need time you've got to create it. And now you have no excuse! So go on out and get some books, and get "hit" with some new information!
Copyright 2005 Oma Edoja
Oma Edoja is a writer, motivational speaker and infopreneur. She writes on a variety of topics, but mainly motivational/inspirational/self-help. She is looking to work with editors and publishers who need writers. Oma may be contacted via her motivational ezine at http://up-mobile.blogspot.com
apartment cleaning near Highland Park ..How do you know what's the best use of your... Read More
If you can regularly ask yourself "Am I regularly and... Read More
How often have you tried to manage your time in... Read More
We live in a world where more is expected of... Read More
Are you drowning in a sea of unread papers? Do... Read More
Microsoft wanted to know how individuals around the world were... Read More
One question a lot of people ask me recently is:... Read More
Why Read?It's been said that there are three kinds of... Read More
Where does your time go? We all know we are... Read More
Vilfredo Pareto's Principle, or The "Pareto Principle," is more commonly... Read More
Most of us have a to-do list ? some of... Read More
Do you feel guilty about all the publications you purchase... Read More
Recently I've experienced a barrage of time wasters. Everything you... Read More
How much time do you spend on Mastering Your Time?... Read More
A common remedy for improving your time management is to... Read More
"Time is what we need the most and what we... Read More
There are two types of time killers in everyone's life.... Read More
It's 6:00 a.m. I'm awake. I'm pumped! I'm ready to... Read More
This is one more article on "Organizing and Enjoying Your... Read More
And when you finally sat down to eat breakfast, was... Read More
I've divided my tips into two sections - 5 ways... Read More
How do you manage your time? Or is the more... Read More
A year and a half ago I was introduced to... Read More
Time is inelastic. Despite what some of us persist in... Read More
Number Yourself: Count yourself as an important individual. You are... Read More
cleaning lady near Arlington Heights ..One of the most common complaints that small business owners... Read More
Of all the Attraction Principles, the most popular class I... Read More
An appointment is simply a mutual agreement to meet with... Read More
What are the most important things you should accomplish today?... Read More
I give presentations on organizational skill building as it relates... Read More
Does it ever feel like there is never enough time... Read More
The Internet is increasingly becoming a major time killer for... Read More
How many times have you remarked to someone that there... Read More
We are all born equal! We all have the same... Read More
We don't realize many things we do until we draw... Read More
Years ago clients would tell me they could not identify... Read More
There are two ways to start your day. The first... Read More
Balancing a family's varying schedules can be near impossible. Soccer,... Read More
A working manager needs more than time management.That old saying,... Read More
Many of you have expressed the challenge of not having... Read More
Are you too busy to put yourself first? If a... Read More
?busy, busy, busy, busy, busy?busy, busy, bus? OK, slap me... Read More
It's always a challenge finding time to clean my house.... Read More
Are you working a "day job" while building your home-based... Read More
Show me, O Lord, my life's end and the number... Read More
Many of the world's most driven and successful people sleep... Read More
Nowhere is the line drawn more clearly between 'Industrial brains'... Read More
Time management is absolute crucial nowadays where business decisions have... Read More
Recently I've experienced a barrage of time wasters. Everything you... Read More
It is common knowledge that creating and living according to... Read More
Time Management |