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In one way, it might have been easier to post sooner to this aggregation of advice for graduates - I could have chosen several other things to have advised on. However, I'm not at all sure I could have done so better than my colleagues here. As I pondered what to write about (beyond the things you've already read), I thought of several things, but I kept coming back to something that has made a difference in my life - and I can guarantee it will for you too.
As you finish school (whether High School, College or advanced degrees) you may be thinking something like . . . "Whew! I'm done with books - I'm done with reading. Enough of this formal education, it's time to move on!"
Apparently, you aren't alone in thinking this way. According to statistics from the American Booksellers Association,
58% of American adults haven't read a book after high school, And if you are a college graduate and thinking a bit smugly about those statistics, the same study found that 42% of university graduates never read another book after high school.
Now, let's think about what you are thinking now, as a fresh, new excited graduate. You want to have success. You want to be happy. You want to see the world and reach your dreams. All of us want those things - and some people will achieve them.
Which person, holding all else equal, has a better chance of reaching their goals, earning more, seeing more and being more: The people that stop reading, or the those who don't? You know the answer. Oh, and if you are thinking about the person you know or the story you read about the person who never reads but has had amazing success, forget about them. You can find an exception to any rule. Those people are the exceptions. And if you say, I'm not a very fast reader, don't worry about that either. Remeber that the tortoise won the race.
If you want to improve your chances of reaching any of your goals, make reading a lifelong habit. Reading will give you new ideas, new knowledge, and it will keep your mind active and open to opportunities. Put another way, reading is a competitive advantage. If you want to move further faster, you do things to gain a competitive edge. Reading is one of those edges.
Here's a way to start your habit.
Talk to someone you admire - maybe it is one of your professors, a mentor, a parent, a new co-worker or your new boss. Ask them what they would recommend that you read. If they don't read, ask them what kinds of things they wish they had learned when they were at your stage of life.
Make a list of the titles they give you, or go to a good bookstore (or Amazon) and research the topics they suggest. Then pick one book.
If you can afford it, buy your own copy (even if it is used) - if you really can't find the few dollars required, use the library. Over time you will be glad you had your own copy so that you can mark it up, write in it, etc. (You'll be surprised how much more fun it is to write up and underline the book because you are interested than because it might be on the test!).
Once you have your book, read ten pages. Then read ten pages tomorrow. Of course, if you want, read far more, but make sure you read ten pages. When you do this, you can read most non-fiction books (which are mostly 300 pages or less) in a month. Before you are done reading, pick up the next book on your list, or one that is referenced in the book you are reading. When you finish one, reward yourself and read ten pages of the new one.
There is your habit: Ten pages a day.
Anyone can find time for ten pages a day. In fact in your life you will find that the busiest people are often the most active readers. Ten pages a day will be about 12 books a year. If 42% of college grads (0r 58% of H.S grads) never read another one and you read 12 a year, who has the competitive advantage?
Ten pages a day will be a habit you will soon treasure. You will look back often (and actually very soon) and smile on the wisdom of this advice.
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Mentioned on Kevin's Blog - with links to other erlevant advice and materials on developing your reading habit
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