If you read one book all year…

As I said in yesterday’s email, it is easy to choke on ideas.

And my job is to help my students with their business. But, it can be frustrating as hell. Because the amount of distractions is off the charts.

And you know what doesn’t help? Crap like this…

There’s a common idea that part of success means being an avid reader of business books. You see a lot of entrepreneurs who talk about books they’ve read. Or they use their bookshelf full of books as a video backdrop to imply how smart they are.

Do you need to read any of this stuff?

My bookshelf isn’t chocked full of every business book. And… I can’t say I read many of them.

Mainly because I find most business books to be 95% filler. The whole book could be boiled down to about 5-10 pages – TOPS! But, because the author can’t call that a book, they find ways to inflate the thing.

But, there’s also the choking on ideas thing…

If you’re already not implementing the stuff you know, why the hell are you spending your time reading a business book? You need MORE ideas?

It’s easy to think you have to. I’ve seen so many stats which talk about how many books successful people read. Some say 4-5 books per month. PER MONTH!

But, do you think those successful people got that way because of those books? No. The books can help with ideas or ways of thinking, but ultimately what determines success is ACTION.

Now, if you’re taking a lot of action and getting things done, then by all means – read. 🙂 But, if you’re not, then your priorities are outta whack if you’re spending much time reading business books.

Most business books get purchased with the best of intentions. Maybe they get read, but most of the time not. Or they’re skimmed. Then, they go onto the bookshelf to make you look smarter. 🙂

Instead of doing that, you’ve got a couple options.

Option #1: Don’t Read Business Books

Yep. Just don’t bother.

Some alternatives might be:

• Subscribe to a summary service that will read it for you and just highlight the bullet points. I actually subscribe to ReadItFor.me that does this.
• Use audio books instead so you can turn it into a podcast. Maybe use Audible. Then, you can “read” books in your downtime.

Option #2: Read one, then commit to action

Actually, this advice should go for any of it. But, it is simply that you choose and read ONE book that you think is most relevant to you right now.

Then, you take notes from it on the most ACTIONABLE items.

Then, when the book is done, go implement. And don’t read another one until you’ve done it.

…

Books are great. It is a major avenue for knowledge and ideas to spread.

But, books don’t pay the bills. Having a big shelf full of of books doesn’t make you any money. And the “secret” you need to grow your business isn’t going to be found in that next book on your reading list.

Reading is great, but don’t make the mistake of thinking it’s the same thing as business. You’re not more entrepreneurial when you read business books.

You gotta get up off your ass and do something.

That’s where businesses get built.

It is how the money gets made.

Less reading, more doing.

Or…

You can stay on the hunt for people’s reading lists, book clubs and “book of the month” posts, add more crap to your Amazon Kindle wish list, and check out more book lists that are little more than a big list of Amazon affiliate links.

The choice is your’s.

– David