I Read 30+ Pages For 365 Days

Here are 3 things it gave me + 1 bonus thing

Have you ever thought that you are dumb? I did.

I had this feeling 365 days ago. It was an unpleasant and scary feeling. At some point, I understood that my mind became flat and bland. Even thinking about that was complex for me.

I didn’t know the reason for it, but it scared me. So I decided to change something.

My choice fell on reading. What can boost the brain better than reading?

A lot of things as I know now… But reading, luckily, was a good choice for the beginning.

In my teens, I was an avid reader. Spending whole nights reading fiction books. Science fiction and fantasy were my favorites. But later the adult life has begun…

I didn’t have enough time to read something entertaining. And I didn’t have enough will and desire to start reading something useful for my career.

As a result, it led to the emptiness in my mind.

So, I decided to give daily reading a try. My initial deal was the following — reading 10 pages per day. Read in parallel one fiction book and one educational. It was a burden that I could bear. I hoped so…

Soon, I increased the number of pages to 30 per day because I noticed positive changes in my life. It became really interesting to read. Honestly, it was hard to start but easy to continue.

Here are 3 things that become better after that 12-month reading challenge.

Keen mind

It’s hard to believe, but my thinking became better.

Complex to explain… Comparing before and after, it’s like you were under the blanket that prevented you from breathing and then threw it away.

Maybe, it’s a too powerful metaphor, but the feeling is pretty similar.

You start to generate new and inspiring thoughts throughout the day. Finding elegant and effective solutions to your daily issues.

Explaining this behavior of the brain, I compare it to the tree. Same way as a tree, the mind can grow and develop. But as the tree needs water and sun to grow, your mind needs new ideas to think them over and develop.

Ideas are the fuel of your mind. Book is the best source of ideas.

The mind, once stretched by a new idea, never returns to its original dimensions. Ralph Waldo Emerson

Vocabulary

You know that we have the passive and active vocabulary. In everyday life, we mostly use only the most popular words — the active vocabulary, and it isn’t a huge one.

Median citizen actively uses 1–2 thousand words. A more advanced one uses up to 5,000. People whose work involves language may have a vast vocabulary ranging from 5,000 to 10,000 words. The last ones could be writers and are indeed rare.

In my experience, reading is the best way to expand your vocabulary, both active and passive. Of course, vocabulary isn’t so crucial in everyday life. But it feels good to express your idea sharp and clear. Instead of using tons of “this”, “that”, “kinda” and “you know”.

Memory

All brain functions are interconnected, it was completely unexpected for me. So improving thinking also improves the overall state of the brain. Which leads to improving memory functions.

I noticed it not so long time ago. It became easier to remember numbers and other small things until writing them down. I suppose it’s the sequence of boosted short-time memory.

Also, the long-time memory improved as well. I remember a lot of ideas from the read books. More than that, I can use them in the dialog.

Learning new technologies and skills at work sped up, too. Great memory allows you to read something once and remember it for a long time. It feels awesome.

Bonus Thing — Discipline

Similar to my 365 day walking challenge, I’ve improved my discipline.

Try to perform any action for 365 days, and you gonna improve your discipline, too.

There were hundreds of reasons not to read. Too tired, too sleepy, no time, etc. Luckily I missed only 1 day for the whole year, the reason was moving out.

I had to create a routine that allowed me to read. Get up earlier to read complex stuff in the morning. Then finish mandatory pages in the evening with a fiction book. Otherwise, it was too difficult to find enough time in the schedule.

It wasn’t easy. But I had to do it to build my character and willpower.

If you must do something, then you can do it. It became my new motto.

Debes Ergo Potes in Latin.

This inscription is the first thing I see in the morning to motivate myself.

Final Thoughts

This one-year-long challenge improved my mind and life overall. It proved to me that I Can. It gave me faith in myself.

What a life-changing experience. I strongly recommend giving daily reading a try.

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