7 Reading Habits of Successful People

7 Reading Habits of Successful People

Whether they’re lucky to squeeze in 500 words a day or read 500 pages a day like Warren Buffet, successful people swear by reading books as one of the most effective daily habits that propelled them to success.

However, you can’t just read words on a page and expect to achieve your goals or become successful overnight (however you personally define “success”).

It’s your attitude toward reading and how you apply what you’ve read that determines the impact reading will have on your life.

Here are the 7 reading habits of successful people.

7 Reading Habits of Successful People

They are Intentional About Reading

“I don’t have time to read” is not an option for high-achieving individuals. If you research the morning routines of successful people, reading books is a staple of them.

That’s right; successful people make time to read because they understand the importance of learning and are constantly seeking knowledge.

So, if billionaires who run several companies make time to read, what’s your excuse?

If you truly value this important personal development skill, you’ll make the time.

You’ll read a few pages during a 15-minute break, a chapter after dinner. Keep a book handy for when you have little pockets of time, or block out a certain amount of time every day. Even 15-20 minutes a day adds up.

20 minutes a day = 10 hours a month!

I inwardly cringe when someone tells me they don’t like to read. Not every successful person initially enjoyed reading.

They discipline themselves to begin the habit, and are so driven to learn, reading becomes second nature.

My husband is a great example of this. I’ve always been an avid reader, but he was not. That first year we were dating, he hadn’t read a book in years! He told me the last book he read was the Davinci Code.

After seeing my spiritual development and personal development books laying around, which piqued his interest, he slowly started reading.

One book at a time, one page at a time.

His thirst for knowledge and the desire to grow got him started on reading.

And now? He reads 2-3 books at once, in a variety of topics he’s interested in. Spiritual development, personal development, investing, you name it.

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They are Selective About What They Read

Reading the latest gossip rag or Kardashian book isn’t going to teach you anything.

These types of publications aren’t growing you. You’re not learning anything.

They are, essentially, fluff pieces.

Read books with a purpose in mind.

In what area do you need to gain insight?

For me, that was personal development and spiritual development.

As I read my first few personal development books by one of my new favorite authors, I would see them mention other authors in the personal development niche and make note of that author’s books and add them to my Amazon wish list.

Successful people understand the profound effect books have on the mind and hold the belief that a book can truly change one’s life.

You can learn just about anything from the right book selection.

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They Read to Gain Valuable Knowledge

“You are locked in place at your current level of knowledge and skill. You can go no further with what you now know. Your future largely depends on what you learn and practice from this moment forward.” ~Brian Tracy

If you’re not learning anything of value, how do you expect your life to change? How do you expect you to become the person you need to be to see change come about?

You cannot remain the same person and expect to elevate your life.

Working 9-5 at your soul-sucking job and plopping in front of the TV for the remainder of the day is not going to stretch and grow you.

Find books in a niche where you need to experience growth. You’d be amazed at how much you can learn from a $20 book.

If you’re like me, when I need to look up information in a hot flash, I consult my dear friend Google.

Books are kind of the same thing, except with a less urgent need-to-know and a more lengthy, detailed response.

You pick up the current trending cook book because you want to learn how to make the latest recipes. Or maybe you pick up the book on pregnancy, because you just found out you’re expecting your first child.

Want to learn how to win friends and influence people? Then read How to Win Friends and Influence People.

Read to learn.

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They Read to Save Time & Money

“A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies. The man who never reads only lives one.” ~George R. R. Martin

A big perk to reading books written by successful people is you can learn from their successes and failures.

They’ve already had the failed company, the lawsuit, the bad decision, financial loss, failed product, etc.

Learn from their mistakes and avoid some of your own.

Again, reading in a particular niche will teach you what you need to know. That includes overcoming the roadblocks, avoiding mistakes, and more.

They take advantage of every moment to learn.

“The book you don’t read won’t help.” ~Jim Rohn

This kind of ties in with my first point.

Successful people look at time in minutes, not hours.

While we might spend 5 minutes on social media here, 10 minutes there, another 5 minutes here, successful people utilize any spare moment on reading or another self-building hobby.

Be wise about how you’re spending your time-even the short little pockets of time. A few pages of reading here, a few pages there, over the course of time, adds up quickly.

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They Read to Inspire Change

“People are anxious to improve their circumstances, but they are unwilling to improve themselves. They therefore remain bound.” ~James Allen

You have to take action to improve yourself if you want to improve your circumstances. A great way to accomplish this is to pick up a book.

I look to my favorite inspirational authors to boost my spirits on a daily basis.

While reading one of their books, I notice a payoff from the daily inspiration and knowledge I gain. My mood is improved, I’m more productive throughout the day and maintain better habits.

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They Apply What They Read

If you finish a book and say, “that was great,” then put it back on the shelf to collect dust and continue on as you did before, you may as well have never picked up the book to begin with.

You have to apply what you read for it to truly be effective. It’s not enough just to read words on a page.

A great way to remember the memorable pieces of content from a book are to highlight those parts and/or take notes.

That way, you have something to review in the future so you can remember what you learned, in case you need a refresher.

If you’re struggling in a certain area and the book you’re reading offers tips to help with that, implement those tips into your life.

Maybe you’re reading about dealing with difficult people effectively. Apply what you’re learning next time the bad apple in the office gives you trouble.

If you’re reading about building your confidence, take the action steps provided to help boost your confidence.

The key here is, apply what you’ve learned into your life to help you overcome the obstacles you’re facing.

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Before You Go

Research has shown that reading is the best way to reduce stress.

Reading is exercise for the mind.

The more knowledge you gain, the better equipped you are to face any circumstance and challenge in life.

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Lisa

Hi! I'm Lisa. I help women live purposeful, fulfilling and joyful lives. I'm happily married and a fur mom to two boxers and two rabbits. I love Jesus, freelance writing, fitness, personal development, reading books, football, cross-stitching, and video games.