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I’m always on the lookout for book recommendations. My social media feeds contain many posts related to books. I noticed that a particular book frequently appeared on my Instagram’s “explore” page and Twitter.

The book was The Almanack of Naval Ravikant. The posts said that this book is a must-read for those who want to become wealthy and happy. Usually, books are centered on a specific niche. For instance, finance books teach you how to earn, save, and invest money. Similarly, spiritual books teach you how to become happy.

Naval’s book was a combination of both, as they said on the post. Upon reading several reviews, I decided to get the book. I’m glad I did it because this book is filled with insightful ideas for a healthy, happy, and prosperous life.

It is not a book that goes in-depth about creating wealth or becoming happy. Instead, it gets straight to the point. That is what I like about it. Most books try to go too deep—repeating the same idea over and over again. They provide stories after stories trying to make the readers get the point.

If you genuinely know about something, you should be able to explain it in a sentence or two.

Interestingly, this book is not a “book” book. Instead, it is a collection of Naval’s tweets, ideas, and interviews. Eric Jorgenson, the author of this book, has collected them and presented them here. However, you will hear most of Naval’s words in the book. So, it is not like Jorgenson has paraphrased and re-written them.

As I said, the ideas in this book are to-the-point. It is more like a manual for living a happy and prosperous life. You learn about creating wealth, being happy, learning to take care of your health, being productive, and more.

It is a book that you read repeatedly. You can open any random page from the book and find insightful ideas. So, you don’t need to read it page after page.

The book’s first chapter starts with a tweetstorm entitled How to Get Rich (without getting lucky). It sums up the basic idea of how to create wealth. It is truly fascinating. If you work long enough on the things mentioned in the tweetstorm, you will get rich without getting lucky. You can find the tweetstorm pinned on Naval’s Twitter.

I highly recommend reading the book. As I said, it is a manual that you keep beside your table. You can go back to any part of the book to find inspiration and ideas that will be helpful to you.

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Reading Rich Dad Poor Dad changed my relationship with money. It allowed me to quit my job and pursue financial freedom. I still use the lessons from the book in my life.

Recently, I was introduced to another book on wealth creation. I thought it would be just like the traditional self-help books. Also, the title of the book sounded like clickbait. So, I passed.

But after reading several reviews of the book, I decided to give it a shot. I just finished reading it, and I must say; it’s one of the best books I have ever read on wealth creation. It has a deeper insight into making money than any other financial-intelligence book like Rich Dad Poor Dad.

The Millionaire Fastlane

MJ DeMarco wrote The Millionaire Fastlane because he wanted to teach the things he learned during his journey to wealth creation. When he was young, he worked as a limousine driver. He had a dream to drive a Lamborgini someday. Once during his job, he saw a young guy (around 25) with a Lamborgini. “How can someone so young afford such an expensive car?” he thought. So he confronted the guy and asked him how he could afford that car. The guy said, “I’m an inventor.”

Since that moment, MJ’s pursuit of wealth creation began. He wanted to be rich while he was young, not in his 50s or 60s. So, he searched for young millionaires and billionaires and how they got there. MJ discovered the path to riches in his journey. He calls this path the Fastlane. With the Fastlane strategy, MJ retired at 33 as a multi-millionaire.

What is different in MJ’s book is that he does not sell the same idea of working, saving, and investing. Neither does he asks the readers to start a typical business.

“Money doesn’t grow on trees.” I’m sure you have heard this statement before. But, MJ says that money does grow on trees if you plant a money-growing tree. His idea of wealth creation is to build a system that makes you money. Yes, you can become wealthy by investing your money. However, that strategy will not allow you to enjoy your wealth while you are young. So, if you want to become rich young, you have to use the Fastlane strategy.

One of the most significant points in his book is that it is impossible to create wealth if your income depends on your time. We all know that time is limited. So if your income depends on your time, you will have a limited income. However, the Fastlane strategy is not a get-rich-quick sell-out. You must put the effort and work towards wealth creation in this strategy. The effort you put in should build the system that makes money, not directly towards making money.

As the young millionaire said to MJ, you must become an inventor or a producer instead of a consumer. When you look at problems like an inventor, you will find many opportunities for wealth creation.

“Instead of buying products on TV, sell products. Instead of digging for gold, sell shovels. Instead of taking a class, offer a class. Instead of borrowing money, lend it. Instead of taking a job, hire for jobs. Instead of taking a mortgage, hold a mortgage. Break free from consumption, switch sides, and reorient to the world as a producer.”

I highly recommend you read The Millionaire Fastlane because it will change your life. It was a game-changer for me.

Read this book if you want to:

• be in control of your life (including your work and time),
• understand the process to become wealthy,
• retire young,
• have financial freedom,
• make millions and enjoy your life.

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For example, you know that exercise is good. If you exercise every day, you will become healthy and avoid diseases like obesity, diabetes, and high blood pressure. Yet you have a hard time sticking to the habit of exercising. Similarly, smokers know that smoking is bad for their health. But still, they cannot seem to quit it, even when they try hard.

Starting a new habit takes time, especially if it requires a lot of change. Some habits seem so big that you know beforehand that you will not be able to stick to them. In his book Atomic Habits, James Clear explains a simple rule called ‘The Two-Minute Rule,’ which allows you to start a new habit by making a minor change at first. With this rule, even the big habits become easier to start.

The Two-Minute Rule

James says, “Habits are automatic choices that influence the conscious decisions that follow.” It means that a slight change in a habit can change the actions that you take for minutes or hours afterward.

In simple terms, the two-minute rule says that it only takes two minutes to start a new habit. How? Suppose you want to start reading more books, but you struggle to read every day. Further, you cannot read more than a few pages. According to the two-minute rule, you should not aim to read more pages. Instead, start by reading a single page every day. In other words, read for two minutes every day.

You can do anything in two minutes. It is a short time, and you will not struggle to stick to your new action. For example, you can meditate for two minutes if you want to build a meditation habit. You don’t have to do it for 15-20 minutes from the beginning.

When you try to do too much too soon, you are likely to fail. So begin by doing things for a short time at first. Scale your habit to a two-minute version:

• “Read before bed each night” becomes “Read one page.”
• “Do thirty minutes of yoga” becomes “Take out my yoga mat.”
• “Study for class” becomes “Open my notes.”
• “Fold the laundry” becomes “Fold one pair of socks.”
• “Run three miles” becomes “Tie my running shoes.”

Why It Works

When it is a big habit, it seems impossible to start. If it’s something you have never done before, you will more likely fail at it if you go too big too soon. The reason why the two-minute rule works is that once you’ve started doing the right thing, it is much easier to continue doing it. It will not feel like a big challenge.

For example, if you read one page of a book, you are more likely to read five more pages. If you continue doing it every day, you will start reading 10-15-30-50 pages. Eventually, you will start reading more books.

“The point is not to do one thing. The point is to master the habit of showing up. The truth is, a habit must be established before it can be improved.”

Do the easy thing first and do it consistently. It will lead you to stick to your new habit.

Don’t Force It

James says that the two-minute rule can seem like a trick because you know that what you are doing is not your real goal. Instead, it is much bigger. So, you might think that you are trying to fool yourself. For example, you know that reading one page is not going to improve your reading habit.

If you feel like you are trying to force the habit on yourself, you should stop after two minutes. Set a timer if you have to. Do your thing for two minutes and stop when the timer goes off.

It works because when you do something and stop, it becomes your habit, even if you are doing it for a short time. Your goal is to alter your identity. It is to become this type of person. So, even if you only meditate for two minutes every day, you are still a person who meditates.

Psychologically, you will begin to see yourself as a person with this new habit. Then, you will start putting more time and effort into your habit. You do not have to force it. You do not have to do it for more than two minutes. But, eventually, you will start to build it further even if you are not doing it consciously.

In Conclusion

People struggle a lot with starting new habits. It feels like it is too big of a change. So they try to do too much, and they fail. In addition, they start to believe that they cannot stick to the habit. The two-minute rule is a solution to this problem.

When I started reading books, meditating, and writing, I used this rule (unconsciously), and now they have become my daily habits. I wasn’t aware of the rule when I started these habits. But, after reading Atomic Habits, it resonated with me. So I know it works because I have experienced it too. For example, I used to read only five pages of a book before. Now I read at least twenty pages every day. Similarly, I meditate and write every day.

Changing an old habit and starting a new habit can be difficult as they require you to take action. You have to make a conscious decision to make a change. It might seem too much. But, making a small change will not be difficult. Small things eventually lead to big changes.

Try out the two-minute rule and see if it works for you. It does not exactly have to be two minutes. The idea is to do a smaller (or shorter) version of whatever you want to do. But, remember, you have to do it consistently. Don’t skip it. The goal is to become the person you want to be.

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I know many creative people who are not achieving the success and appreciation they deserve. After reading this book, I know exactly what the problem is. It is because these people are not showing their work. Most of them are perfectionists and they think that their work is not good enough or incomplete.

Austin talks about documenting your work, teaching what you know, and including other like-minded people to join the process along with you. He says that you don’t have to find an audience if you show your work. Instead, they will find you.

This book is about sharing what you love and sharing the process of your work. People love to know what goes on behind the scenes. So tell stories and provide value to people’s lives. Take feedback from your audience. Listen to what they have to say about your work.

You don’t have to be an expert. Instead, be an amateur. It is easier to be an amateur and share your work than to do so as an expert. Amateurs know that contributing something is better than contributing nothing.

Creative work is about the process, not the product. Like in any other field, there is a lot to learn in the creative field before you become an expert at something. But the best part is that in creative work, you can share your journey. You can find something you want to learn and do it in front of others. So, you can share your success and failures. Your work can be an inspiration to others in the same community.

“The best way to get started on the path to sharing your work is to think about what you want to learn, and make a commitment to learning it in front of others.”

“Share what you love, and the people who love the same thing will find you.”

Sharing your work has become easier than ever. Social media has given us the platform to share whatever we want and even connect with many people. It is also good to have your personal space where you can share whatever you want. Austin suggests that you get a domain with your name and start a website/blog. Even though social media allows you to connect with many people, you cannot rely on them and consider them as your audience. Having your own space allows you to connect with your audience directly—with an email list, for example.

“In this day and age, if your work isn’t online, it doesn’t exist.”

“We don’t always know what’s good and what sucks. That’s why it’s important to get things in front of others and see how they react.”

Start documenting your work and recording your process. As you do so, you’ll start to understand and see your work more clearly. In addition, you will feel like you are making progress. Sharing becomes easier if you document the process. However, you don’t have to share every part of the process. Don’t share everything you have documented. Instead, share a little something every day. But most importantly, share.

Don’t know what to share? Here are a few things Austin suggests:

• Share your influences and what’s inspiring you.
• Write about your methods or share works in progress.
• Show the final product, share scraps from the cutting-room floor, or write about what you learned.
• Report how your projects are doing.
• Tell stories about how people are interacting with your work.

Learn to take criticism. You cannot satisfy everyone. Austin says, “When you put your work out into the world, you have to be ready for the good, the bad, and the ugly.” So, you should not let the haters stop you from doing the work you love and sharing it.

“The more criticism you take, the more you realize it can’t hurt you.”

“You can’t control what sort of criticism you receive, but you can control how you react to it.”

You can share other people’s work too. But, remember always to give credit when you are sharing other people’s work. If you don’t know the creditor, don’t share. Further, learn to appreciate other’s work too. Don’t be jealous of their success. Instead, celebrate together. Help, support, and inspire each other.

Try new things. Be curious. Do more. Share more. When you complete something, start something new. Always keep the ball of creativity rolling.

I highly recommend you to read Austin Kleon’s Show Your Work. His work has inspired not just me but many best-selling authors and creators like Ali Abdaal, Ryan Holiday, and more. So grab your copy of the book and start showing your work.

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Physical books have been around for a long time. But now we have ebooks, audiobooks, podcasts, and blogs. With many such platforms, reading books have been popularized to a great extent. People who read a lot of books are considered as smart and intelligent. They seem to have gained a tremendous amount of wisdom.

But is that so?

Just because someone has read many books doesn’t make them smart, intelligent, or wise. It is not about how many books you have read. It is about what you have learned from them.

Suppose you have read 50 books till now, but you haven’t implemented any of the lessons from the books in your life. And, you are still the same person as you were before. So then, what’s the point of reading all those books?

Suppose another person has read only 10 books. But she is much smarter and wiser than she was before. So, in this case, the person who has read 10 books is better than you, who has read 50 books.

The Purpose of Reading Books

Why do you read books? Is it because you want to learn? Is it because you seek entertainment? Or is it just because everyone says that reading is good for you?

Defining your purpose for reading books can be crucial. First, you must be clear about why you want to read books because it will help you identify your end goal. Further, you will also know what kind of books you should read and what kind of books you should avoid.

Don’t buy a book just because you want to read it. First, understand why you want to read it. Then, ask yourself what outcome you expect from reading it. Is that outcome going to help you make your life better?

You cannot know for sure what the outcome is going to be like. You can only predict it based on internet reviews or friendly recommendations. Once you decide your purpose and predict the outcome, read the book.

The Outcome

What did you learn from reading the book? Was it good? Did it help you in any way? Think for a while. Take notes.

After you finish reading a book, reflect on it for a while. Go through your notes. For instance, when I read a book, I usually take notes at the end of each chapter. I write them down on the final page of every chapter. Then, when I complete the entire book, I go back and read the notes. That way, I review my overall learning from the book.

You do not have to follow my way. Instead, create your own method of reflecting on the outcome of reading the book.

Stop Reading More Books and Start Taking Action

Reading more books will not make you smarter if you don’t take action. For example, what is the purpose of reading the book, How to Win Friends and Influence People if, after reading it, you are still lonely and uninfluential? Does that mean the author was wrong and his principles don’t work? Most likely, no.

What you need to do is learn from a book and implement the lessons into your life. You should follow the author’s advice. Usually, book writers do a lot of research before writing their books. So their advice is genuine most of the time.

Don’t pick up another book as soon as you finish reading one. Instead, as I said, take notes and reflect on the book you just finished reading. You can also write a summary of the book.

Here are some ways you can take action after reading a book.

• • Take notes
  • Change habits
  • Be practical
  • Read the book multiple times
  • Writ a summary
  • Reflect from time to time

After you do these things, see if anything has changed in your life. Depending on the book you read, observe if anything has changed in your habits, financial status, productivity, communication skills, or whatever.

Bonus Tip: Review the Books Before Buying

It is something that I always do. Before you buy the book, review it. Search online for reviews. Read the reviews or watch them on YouTube. Doing this will help you understand whether the book is good or not. You will also know what outcome you can expect after reading the book.

In addition, reviewing the book will also save you time and money. For example, if you buy a book and read it only to find out that it is not very good. You just wasted your time and money.

Here’s another tip to save your time: Don’t read books you don’t like. If, sometimes, halfway through reading a book, you realize that it is either boring, difficult to understand, or not helpful, just stop reading it. You don’t have to finish every book you read.

Takeaway

Reading books should help you make your life better. It is not about how many books you have read. It is about what you have learned and what impact they have made on your life.

Stop reading more books. It doesn’t mean you should read less. It means that reading more books is only useful if they make a better impact on your life. It doesn’t matter how many books you have read if nothing has changed in your life.

Don’t read to read. Read to learn. Read to change. Read to grow.

Read more articles on books:

• 3 Simple Tips To Help You Read More Books
• #1 Technique To Get The Most Out Of The Books You Read

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Back then, reading books did not seem like fun to me. I had more important things to do in life—working at the office, studying for college tests, hanging out with my friends, and playing the guitar.

When I read Think and Grow Rich for the first time, I did not understand much of it. I read the book just for the sake of reading it.

After that, I bought a few more books, and the same thing happened. I only understood about 10-20 per cent of the books I read. But I would soon forget that as well.

My reading improved with time. I was consistent with my reading habit. I understood that consistency was necessary.

If you are consistent at doing something, you will excel at it.

As I was consistent with my reading habit, I learned more techniques to improve my reading.

• 5 Ways You Can Start Reading More Books
• 3 Simple Tips To Help You Read More Books

Besides that, the one thing that helped me learn better from a book was: reading it multiple times.

Why Read It More Than Once?

I have read Think and Grow Rich five times now. Every time I read it, I understand more of it. The things that I did not understand previously became clearer to me.

I have read almost every book that I like more than once. For some books, I go back and re-read a few chapters that are worth reading more than once.

Reading a book more than once has a lot of benefits. The obvious one is that you understand it better. Suppose you understand 20 per cent of a book in your first read. If you read it again, you will understand maybe 40 per cent of it. In the third time, you might understand 100 per cent of it.

You have a chance to grasp the things you might have missed previously. It means that you will have a fresh perspective if you re-read a book. It might be a little unrealistic to understand 100 per cent of a book in the first read. But it is not impossible.

Every time I re-read a book, I find something new in the book. In the first read, I understand the general idea of the book. But there are always important little details that I will have missed.

It’s Not The Same. There’s More.

I have found that with every read, there is something different in a book. In a few books, I have even found that some things were the opposite of how I had interpreted them the first time.

Think and Grow Rich is a book about getting rich. The author talks about the thirteen principles which lead to riches. These include desire, persistence, faith, auto-suggestion, planning, imagination, subconscious mind, and more. These principles allow any person to accumulate the desired wealth.

For me, this book is not just about getting rich. It is about getting anything you want in life, whether it is money, good health, better relationships, or a better career. The thirteen principles described in this book apply to all these aspects of life. I had to read the book three times to understand this.

Leave It For Later

Ever since I have understood the importance of reading a book multiple times, I have developed this new reading habit:

The first time I read a book, I go through it quickly. I do not try to understand everything in the first read. Why? Firstly, I want to understand what the book is about. So I go through it thoroughly and try to understand the basic idea of the book.

Secondly, I will know whether this book is worth reading again. In the first read, I understand at least 50 per cent of the book. It means that I will be able to interpret the basic idea of the book. This allows me to decide whether I should re-read it later. If the book is good, I re-read it in a few weeks. If it is not, I try to remember the few important things and then not go back to it ever again.

Finally, I can re-read the book for the second time. This time, I try to understand every detail in the book. I go deeper into it and take notes if necessary. This way, I will be able to understand better. I use a highlighter pen to mark the important things I find. I make little notes on the side of the book. If the book is excellent, I will read it again for the third, fourth, and fifth time.

Takeaway

With my new technique, I am not only able to understand books better but also able to read many books. It is a plus point in terms of quality and quantity. I read every new book at least twice with this technique. But if the book is horrible, I don’t even finish it the first time. Remember, you do not have to finish all the books you read.

To get full insight from a book, you have to read it multiple times. Every good book is worth going back to. The more you read it, the more you will understand it. Repetition is the way to perfection.

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In that article, I had discussed some easy and effective ways that I use to read more books. This is a “part 2” version of that article.

I read books every day. Most days, I read multiple books. My morning begins with reading a book for at least 30-60 minutes every day. I also read ebooks or listen to audiobooks throughout the day.

Reading is my daily habit. It has transformed my life. I have learned a lot about personal development, psychology, business, health, and finance. In fact, I have learned more from reading books than from school.

Over the years, I have become a better reader. When I first started reading books 5 years ago, I used to struggle to finish a book. It would take me about a month to finish a single book. Now, I read 3-4 books every month.

What brought this change?

There are several things I did that made me a better reader over the years. As I have discussed in my previous article (linked above), I had a clear intention (desire) to read books. I considered reading as a habit, not a hobby. It means that I read every day just like I brush my teeth every day. I research books before reading them. I check reviews, ratings, summaries, etc. This allows me to prepare myself before buying the book. I read multiple books. Whenever I am bored with a single book, I stop reading it. I pick up another one and start reading that one. You don’t have to finish every book you read. Lastly, I enjoy the process of reading.

3 Tips To Help You Read More Books

I have started using more techniques to read books. These techniques have allowed me to become a better reader over the years. Reading a book is in itself a learning process. When you do something every day, you become good at it. You learn from it.

I will be discussing some more tips for reading books that will help you become a better reader. I discovered most of these tips through trial and error. Some of them are advice from other readers/writers/creators online.

Here are 3 tips to help you read more books.

1. Carry A Book With You All The Time

Whenever you are leaving the house, make sure you carry a book with you. It doesn’t matter where you are going, you should have a book with you if you want to read more.

You can read the book wherever and whenever you want. Suppose you have to wait for a friend somewhere. Instead of using your phone to scroll social media feed or text a friend, read a book. Whenever you have some free time at work, read a book. You can go to a cafe to grab a drink, eat, sit, relax, and read.

You do not have to carry a physical book with you. Everybody has a smartphone these days. Download ebooks on your phone. You can read the ebook whenever you want from your phone.

You can also download audiobooks to your phone and listen to them.

I usually carry ebooks on my phone. It is a quick and easy way to read books. I complete about 5-10 pages while waiting for a friend or waiting in a line.

2. Set Reading Goals and Track Them

Setting goals, in general, is a great exercise for personal development. You must set long-term and short-term goals.

You should also set goals for your reading habit as well. How many books per month do you want to read? The answer varies depending on your reading skill and the size of the books you are reading.

You must decide on how many books you want to read each month. My goal is to read at least 4 books a month. Since I read multiple books during the day, I can easily achieve my goal.

It is good to write down your reading goals. Research shows that you are 42 percent more likely to achieve your goals if you write them down. I have prepared a spreadsheet to set and track my reading goals. You can write down your reading goals on a piece of paper or use any online tool you want.

Setting reading goals will push you to read more books. You can also set goals together with a friend so that it will be a fun challenge for both of you.

3. Practice Speed Reading Techniques (Without Losing Comprehension)

I have been experimenting with speed reading techniques for a while now. They work. For me, the most effective one is using my finger to read. I run my finger through the line I am reading. Sometimes, I use a pen or highlighter to do it.

Using my finger keeps the focus on what I am reading. I have noticed that my reading speed has increased.

You can experiment with different speed reading techniques and see what works best for you. Skimming and scanning are other popular techniques.

I have also experimented with a new speed-reading technique. I pick a book and listen to its audiobook at 1.75x speed while I am reading the physical book as well. This simultaneous practice of reading and listening has helped me increase my reading speed.

But remember that you should not lose comprehension trying these speed reading techniques. If you feel like you are losing it, do not try speed reading. The goal is to understand what you read, not to finish the book fast.

Bonus Tip

A bonus tip for reading more books is consistency. Consistency is key for achieving your goals, developing new habits, and learning new skills. You cannot read more books if you are not consistent with your reading habit. Start small, read slow, but be consistent. If you are a complete beginner, start with an easy book. Develop your reading habit first. Keep reading more books.

In Conclusion

Reading is a habit you must develop. It will change your life. Ever since I have developed the habit of reading, my life has not been the same.

Reading will make you skillful. You can find a book on any topic you like. But you have to be willing to pick it up and start reading.

Reading books is about experimenting and developing your habits. The techniques that I use might not be helpful to you. You should experiment with different techniques. If you are consistent with reading, you will discover the techniques that are best for you.

But the most important thing is that you must have the desire to read. Otherwise, no technique will work for you. I have a lot of friends who ask me for reading tips. I share a few tips with them but they still struggle to finish a book. It is not because that the tip did not work, it is because they did not have the desire or the interest to read books.

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