LESSON
If You Don’t Act, It Doesn’t Matter How Many Books You Read
Be aware of it.
“People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.” — Teodoro Roosevelt.
Two weeks ago, I had a meeting with friends; we didn't see each other for a long time. They realized I am writing posts regularly and asked me:
Hey Chamarro(my nickname), are you reading books to have ideas to write lately, right?
I replied: Yes I did, read is a must if you want to have some ideas in mind.
But that question leads me to another one — Am I applying what I am learning in my daily life? Or just reading to have ideas to write, with the purpose to get popularity, or make some money.
If your purpose is only to have ideas, it is fine to read a lot. When I am reading, I want to have ideas to implement in my life and write about it.
If your purpose is to learn, it doesn't matter how many hours or books you read. Studies show that you retain only 10 percent of what you read. The truth is that 90 percent despair from your mind.
Things don’t change, you change. If you really want to.
The only one who decides if you really want to learn is you.
You can read a single book or hundreds. It doesn't matter.
“In the case of good books, the point is not to see how many of them you can get through, but rather how many can get through to you.” — Mortimer J. Adler
It doesn’t last long. I did this all the time. I used to feel bad for circumstances in my past, and reading was my therapy. I was reading and consuming information for the sake to feel better.
But unware that it is just a matter of time. After days or, if I was lucky, weeks, the same thoughts arose. I wonder what's going on.
Certainly, I wasn't ready to pay the price for a big change in life.
- It doesn't matter how many self-improvement books you read.
- It doesn't matter how many Ted’s talk videos you watch.
- It doesn't matter how many self-help articles you read.
If you are not able to pay the price to change. No matter how much information you consume. You will not change.
If you read something to boost your energy and feel good per hour, that’s fine. But be aware it is just going to be for a period of time.
Align Your Actions With Your Desires
“When values, thoughts, feelings, and actions are in alignment, a person becomes focused, and character is strengthened.” — John C. Maxwell
I was consuming information and fulfill myself with positivism and good energy, but not doing anything else about it. That's why it was useless.
It is basically the same as the instant gratification you feel when you are craving for some dessert. You see in that bakery through the window, and desperate want to get it.
Certainly, books or Ted’s talk videos gave you a boost of energy and positivist, but it doesn't last long.
If you want to improve in life, it will not work unless you commit to doing something.
I wanted to be a writer before. I started journaling to test myself. But to be honest, I was doing nothing else about it. Just dreaming, no plans.
We love dreams. Mostly all the time, we confuse dreams with goals. That was my problem. I thought that is enough to have a dream without doing anything about it. Until I asked myself:
Is it a dream or an actual goal?
The problem is, most people like me confuse their dreams with actual goals. They think dreaming is enough.
If you want real results, you must align your actions with your desires.
You have to ask yourself and be honest if you have a dream or a goal. Dreams never come true; they are just a beautiful sensation in your mind. Goals come true with a plan of action if you really want to.
Whatever you do on your daily basis has to be aligned with the goals you are aiming for.
What You Do Consistently determinate your life
“Small disciplines repeated with consistency every day lead to great achievements gained slowly over time.” — John C. Maxwell.
Don't be the reader who just read to talk to someone and show how smart you are instead of acting. Be aware that reading doesn't fix anything unless you want to implement and take action.
Everything you do in your daily life matter.
If you have that good habit to read don't waste your life just consuming. Instead of acting and teaching someone through your behaviors, not through your mouth.
Remember that the person, that reads a single book and applies what he learned is far ahead of you, even if you read hundreds. Consuming without implementation is useless.
Integrate those actions into your daily routine. If you have a clear goal, focus on it. Adding habits that can lead you to reach your goals faster.
Your life is determined by what you do consistently.
In Conclusion:
It doesn't matter how many books you read. I have been reading a lot. But to be honest, I realized that a person could read a single book and, if applied, ingrained the lessons in real life. That person has a huge advantage over me.
Now I tried to implement everything I learned in my daily life.
The most important take away from this post is:
- Turn your dreams into real goals.
- Be consistent in your everyday life with your actions.
- Do not just consume.
- Share to the world whatever you learned through your actions, not with words.
As Leo Buscaglia states:
“Change is the end result of all true learning.”
If you want more stories like this or different topics, let me know here!
Godofredo Rojas is a writer, chef, and constant learner from Peru. He studied in Le Cordon Bleu in Lima, Peru. He moved to New York in March 2011. You can find him on Facebook and Twitter.
