The Importance of Reading
Wake up at 5. Drive to work. Work 6 till 3. Maybe hit the gym. Go home, sit on my phone, eat dinner, sleep. Repeat.
That was my life when I worked in construction. On weekends I’d go out drinking, then spend all of Sunday recovering. Then Monday came and it started again.
The problem wasn’t the job. The problem was that I wasn’t learning anything new. I wasn’t growing, and I wasn’t getting any better. Every day felt exactly the same because every day was exactly the same.
What started to change that was a set of old notes I found on my phone, written to myself, about wanting to be successful, to better myself and to improve. The first book I picked up was Atomic Habits by James Clear. I started reading and never looked back.
Learning Is Growing
You can’t become a different person while feeding yourself the same inputs. Reading puts new ideas, new perspectives, and new ways of thinking into your head every single day. A book can hand you years of someone else’s trial and error in a few hours. Growth starts with learning, and reading is one of the cheapest, most accessible ways to do it.
It Builds Discipline
Reading is harder than scrolling. Sitting with one thing for 20 minutes when your phone is right there is a workout for your attention. At first it felt like a challenge to get through. After a while it became automatic, and now I look forward to that time. That same discipline carries into the gym, your work, and your goals.
It Helps You Discover Passions
You can’t be passionate about something you’ve never been exposed to. Reading widens what you know exists. For me, it helped rediscover my passion for self-improvement, which led to the creation of Ascendance.
How to Start
Start small. Ten pages a day is enough. Twenty minutes beats a heroic hour you never do.
Pick what interests you. Don’t start with a book you think you should read. If you hate it, you’ll quit.
Replace, don’t add. Swap the first 20 minutes of phone time before bed for reading instead.
Keep the book visible. Put it on your pillow or desk where the phone usually sits.
This week’s challenge: pick one book and read 10 pages a day for seven days. That’s it. Don’t worry about finishing it, just prove to yourself you can build the habit.
The version of me stuck in that loop didn’t need a better job or more motivation. He needed new input. Start feeding yours.
— Nate