Before getting into the habit of reading, I didn’t know if it would be worth it. The only books I had read were the textbooks from my schools and colleges.
Then, people on the internet said many nice things about reading books. So, I wanted to build this new habit. I bought my first self-help book (Think and Grow Rich) at 23. I fell in love with reading, and there was no stopping after that.
I used to think that reading the next book would change my life. Every time I finished one, I searched for another, convinced that reading more would somehow make me smarter, more successful, or magically solve all my problems.
But after years of consuming book after book, I realized something: I wasn’t actually applying what I was learning.
Reading is powerful. Books contain wisdom, strategies, and insights that can shape our thinking. But here’s the problem — reading alone doesn’t create change. Action does.
The Illusion of Progress
It’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking that reading more means we’re improving. It feels productive. You highlight passages, nod along to brilliant ideas, and feel excited about all the possibilities. But if you’re not implementing what you read, are you really growing?
I remember reading book after book on self-improvement and creativity, hoping to find the “perfect” strategy before I started publishing my own work. The truth? I didn’t need another book. I needed to sit down and write.
We often trick ourselves into believing that consuming more knowledge is the answer. But without action, knowledge is just potential — unused, wasted, and forgotten over time.
Starting a blog and writing online helped me improve my writing skills more than reading a book about writing.
Information Without Action Is Useless
Think about the last book you read. How much of it did you actually implement? If you’re like most people, the answer is “not much” or maybe “not at all.”
Books are meant to be a starting point, not a substitute for action. If you read a book on fitness but never go to the gym, does it really help? Do your finances improve if you study personal finance but never apply the lessons? No.
However, things are different if you are into fiction, biographies, or other genres. Some books have different purposes to serve — entertainment, humor, or inspiration.
Books can still be incredibly valuable. They can inspire us, provide frameworks for thinking, and introduce us to new ideas. But without execution, even the best ideas remain just words on a page.
I Found The Correct Way to Read Books
After reading over a hundred books and experimenting with different genres, I have understood how actually to read a book.
The main lesson I learned from all these years of reading is that books won’t solve your problems or magically make you a genius. It takes time. However, if you can adequately implement the lessons from a single book, your life can actually improve.
So, instead of endlessly jumping from one book to another, try this approach:
- Read with intention: Instead of passively consuming, ask yourself: What problem am I trying to solve? What do I want to improve?
- Take notes and reflect: Don’t just highlight—summarize key ideas in your own words and consider how they apply to your life. I always read with a pen in my hand so that I can underline, take notes, or point out the sentences.
- Implement before moving on: Commit to applying at least one lesson from a book before picking up another one. This one is crucial and helped me make serious improvements.
It’s not about how many books you read. It’s about how many ideas you apply.
Final Thoughts
If you find yourself constantly looking for another book, stop. Go back to the last book you read. Ask yourself: What’s one thing I can implement today? Then do it.
Reading is valuable, but only if it leads to action. Don’t let the pursuit of more knowledge distract from actually doing the work. The next book won’t change your life — but applying what you’ve already learned might.
So before you buy another book, ask yourself: Have I taken action on what I already know? If the answer is no, maybe it’s time to stop reading and start doing.
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