Summary

Sanjeev, the author, reflects on the transformative power of daily reading over a year, detailing personal growth, habit formation, and the impact of investing in reading, particularly on Medium.

Abstract

The article recounts the author's journey of incorporating daily reading into his routine, which began as a 30-day challenge in May 2019. Sanjeev shares how this habit evolved from a self-imposed obligation to a passionate endeavor, leading to significant personal development in areas such as productivity, relationships, and creativity. He emphasizes the value of reading on Medium, initially subscribing for a month and eventually committing to a yearly plan, finding the investment in knowledge and diverse perspectives to be worthwhile. The author also highlights the importance of self-reflection and feedback, acknowledging the positive responses to his writing and the influence of other writers like Sean Kernan. The reading habit has become second nature to him, exemplified by his commitment to publishing a blog daily since the lockdown began.

Opinions

Sanjeev believes in the power of deliberate learning and self-improvement, viewing reading as a catalyst for self-evolution.
He values the role of time management and sacrifice in developing new habits, such as reading for 5 hours daily.
The author perceives Medium as a valuable resource for knowledge and unique perspectives, justifying the cost of subscription with the benefits reaped.
Sanjeev appreciates the impact of personal feedback, seeing it as a motivator to refine his craft and an indicator that his work resonates with others.
He is adaptable, having shifted from monthly to yearly subscription plans and from travel to writing when circumstances changed due to the lockdown.
The author's commitment to daily blogging since March 25, 2020, demonstrates his dedication to continuous progress and sharing his insights with the community.

How Daily Reading for a Year Can Transform Your Imagination

One of the best investments of reading in alone time is the realisation of self-evolution.

I have heard a lot about the benefits of reading and how it can give wings to your imagination. But before dedicating substantial time to reading daily, I wanted a driving force.

I wanted a pressure which would feel like an imaginary sword was hanging on my neck. I wanted a reason that feels practically convincing enough to invest time in reading every day.

Deliberate learning is a proven way to learn new things which are tedious and challenging, but deep down, you already know the value of the new habit you want to incorporate. Some of us are obsessed with self-improvement, and I am no exception. “Reading” activity was just the tip of the iceberg.

No challenge, no excitement.

I set a goal during the last days of college because I had all the time in the world before starting my first job. The goal was to complete 30 days of reading in May 2019. But see the chances, May has 31 days! I tricked my mind by perceiving it as a bonus day.

Now one year has passed, here are some lessons I learned that involves sacrifice, time management, journey appreciation, and feedback acknowledgement.

If you see it objectively, they also apply when reaching the autopilot mode of learning any new habit: this is the mode when finding time for the developed behaviour feels effortless.

Time or money, one resource saves another.

Nowadays, more than 90% of my reading is on Medium. But it did not start this way.

Before developing the habit of spending 5 hours in reading daily, I wanted to invest some resources that will reap sound benefits in the long run. That’s when I tried one-month subscription on Medium for $5. It was an experiment.

Realisation of self-evolution

During the initial days of membership, I was reading like crazy because I was down INR 350 ( exchange rate of 70 from USD to INR ).

With time, I started to enjoy the process and subscribed for two more months. By the end of the third month, I changed to their yearly subscription plan.

The amount of knowledge and unique perspectives you get here are worth your money. Words may not be convincing, but my experience very well is. I have evolved significantly in the last 365 days.

The journey is all about progress.

By the end of three months of Medium membership, I analysed the self-growth. I realised how many lessons I have applied to improve my life and my friends’ too! I am still doing it.

I have improved in almost every aspect. These are on top of my head: productivity, relationships, education, technology, science, lifestyle, philosophy, and creativity. I can go on and on. The list is non-exhaustive.

I received a lot of positive reviews about my second Medium blog of 2019 (my first blog which got curated), even some personal feedback from my college folks and the Medium community too.

Personal feedback means someone valued your work enough to give you a heads up. You have touched someone’s heart, and this has a lasting effect. If you are grateful enough, you will take it as a sign to hone your craft.

That’s what I did. I published the next blog on March 1, 2020, after getting inspiration from an article on the father’s tough love by Sean Kernan. This time I planned to publish one blog on the first of every month. But things changed after lockdown imposition on March 25, 2020. After my first solo trip, I had to cancel all travel plans.

So I started another challenge to publish one blog daily since March 25. If you do the calendar math, today is day 85, and I’ll be back again tomorrow.

Thanks for reading!

This blog belongs to a series of posts I am publishing in this 100-days streak. Today is day 85. Navigate to the end of article 22, for the references from day 23 onwards. If you would like to read the ones before day 22, here is the first one that documents them in the end.

~ Sanjeev