W.I.N. Wednesday: It is ok to put it down and move on.
As you know I am a big proponent of reading. My dad, who has always been an avid reader, often asks me what I am reading and if I am reading for business or pleasure. For me it is the same thing; reading for business is reading for pleasure. The majority of the books I read most years are non-fiction.
Unless it is a book that you have to read for a course or are told to read by your boss, if you are not enjoying a book put it down and go on to something else. Regardless of whether you are reading fiction or non-fiction it should be enjoyable to read those books. If it is a book you “have to” read, then reframe how you think about the assignment before you start and you may be surprised how much pleasure you get out of the reading. Think of it as an opportunity where you “get to” read a book you might not otherwise read. Challenge yourself to find as many gems and usable nuggets of information as possible. Seek to make the connections between what you are learning and what you already know.
It does not matter how many people “Highly Recommend” a particular book, it may not resonate with you for a number of reasons. Sometimes the author’s writing style does not resonate, other times it is characters in the book, or the plot or a myriad of other reasons a book may not resonate with you. If you are not enjoying it, feel free to put it down and move on. Just as every author is unique in their writing style, story-telling ability, use of research, ability to explain abstract concepts and interpretation of the world, every reader is different.
I have put down a few books that a lot of people raved about and one or two others I struggled through hoping it would get better for me only to get to the end and wished I had walked away 20% of the way through the book.
None of this is to suggest you should not read books on topics or by authors who think differently than you and challenge the way you think or what you believe to be true. It is good to challenge your thinking. Forcing yourself to read a book simply because you bought it however, is not necessarily a good investment of your time. You only have so much time in the day to devote to reading. Invest it reading something you enjoy.
What’s Important Now? Read for pleasure.
Take care.
Brian Willis
www.lifesmostpowerfulquestion.com
Maximizing human potential through Life's Most Powerful Question - What's Important Now?
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