How do you spend your free time? Do you watch a lot of TV, or read a lot of magazines? If so, you should consider the impact that they have on your life. Most likely you will see that it is not a positive one.
According to data from Nielsen, the average American watches more than 5 hours of television every single day. How much do you watch? Have you ever actually kept track of it?
While you may not watch that much TV, I bet you are closer to that number than you think you are. It is easy to sit down and watch TV and not realize how much time has passed.
Compare that with the amount of time that you spend reading. The average American only reads one book per year. Depending on the length of the book, it may take you a total of 5 to 10 hours to read one book.
That means that the average american spends 1,825 hours per year watching TV, and only 5 to 10 hours per year reading. Which equates to TV having 260 times the effect on your life that books have.
Contrast that with the fact that the average CEO reads 50 to 60 books per year. Which means that they are reading 4 to 5 books per month. Between dedicating that much time to reading, and spending additional time running a company, it is safe to say that CEOs watch significantly much less TV than the average American. Some even report not watching TV at all.
So why do they read so much? Do they read that many books because they are a CEO, or are they the CEO because they read that many books? I would suggest that they are the CEO because they read that many books, not the other way around.
They understand that there are so many things that can be learned from the experiences of others through reading books that will help them in their life and career. Knowledge is power, and when you provide your mind with the right things it will reward you.
Every year I set my goal to read 50 books. Some years I have hit or exceed my goal, and others I have come up short. But even in the years that I have come up short I have read over 35 books.
I don’t believe that just because I read that many books something will magically happen to make me into a high powered CEO, but I do believe that I am setting myself up for the greatest success I can currently achieve by having all the knowledge I can have.
If the average CEO reads 50 books per year, over the course of their life and career they will gain great amounts of knowledge. If you want to have the same success they have, you need to have that same level of knowledge that they have. If you wait to start reading until you have the same job title you will never be able to catch up.
CEOs aren’t the only ones that place an emphesis on gaining knowledge. Whether you are a Christian or not, the Bible is yet another source that shows the importance of learning. The Bible is very clear about the importance of gaining wisdom and knowledge.
Bible Verses About Wisom and Knowledge
- Commit yourself to instruction; listen carefully to words of knowledge. (Proverbs 23:12 NLT)
- Choose my instruction rather than silver, and knowledge rather than pure gold. (Proverbs 8:9 NLT)
- Wise people treasure knowledge, but the babbling of a fool invites disaster. (Proverbs 10:14 NLT)
- A wise person is hungry for knowledge, while the fool feeds on trash. (Proverbs 15:14 NLT)
- These are just a few of the many verses in the bible about wisdom and knowledge…
Do you want to have more success in your business? Read more books on success, finance, marketing, and leadership.
Do you want more success in your personal life? Read more books on self improvement, relationships, and faith.
No matter what you want to achieve in life, there are great books available to help you get there. But you have to pick them up and read them.
Stop spending so much time filling your mind with junk. Turn off the TV and pick up a book. Read something that will make you better today then you were yesterday.
Don’t be like the rest of Americans who will read one book, or less, this year. Take a lesson from the successful and make it a goal to read more. You don’t have to jump all the way to 50 this year, but set a goal to read more than you have in the past. Try to read a book a month. Then work your way to the 50 or 60 per year.
Focus on the first book. Take action and pick one up today!
Don’t know where to start? Check out my resource page for a list of books I recommend.
Question: How many books have you read so far this year? Join in on the conversation on Facebook or Twitter!
