Do you want to get ahead?
To be part of the 1%?
It could be in anything women, wealth, success…anything.
No matter what at some point you are going to have to read. Books in particular.
The Difference
Now there are hundreds of things that separate the successful from the unsuccessful, the rich from the poor, the winners from the losers.
Think about this the richest individuals in the world on average read around fifty books a year while the average American reads one book a year with half of those being romance novels. It takes so little to be above average. When is the last time you cracked a book?
One of the most important parts of becoming the best you can be is consistently learning so you can consistently grow.
Regular reading will change your life completely.
If I could choose one habit to have all men who come to this site do every day, it would be reading. Not working out, not eating healthier despite how great these things are but reading more often.
The constant influx of knowledge will change you. You can never meet enough people and truth be told it’s hard to find quality people. With reading you can get into the head of some of the greatest minds who have ever lived.
Instead of spending years learning through trial and error you can shorten the process tremendously through reading about someone who has been through what you have been through. For example let’s say you just started a job as a used cars salesman. Let’s say you even have a degree in business. Now let’s map out two routes for yourself.
Route A – The first year you go out and constantly fail. You are doing one thing right you are taking action. You’re working hard yet your closing ratio has barely improved. Sure you rose above the scrubs who will end up getting fired anyways but the top positions are still far above you. You never think you could make it there. So you do the only thing you know how. You charge back to the grind with even more fire and determination. No doubt you are improving but at a glacially slow rate. At this rate in ten years you will be in the top twenty five percent. Be making decent money. Yet that’s ten years of your life. Ten years of your time.
Your time.
The one resource that you will never get back. The most valuable thing in the world.
Now let’s look at another path.
Route B – The first year you go out and constantly fail. You are taking action but realize that at the rate your going you’ll be old and gray by the time anything worthwhile comes from this. Like trying to save ten percent of your income to become rich (good luck with that). This guy thinks this is idiotic there has to be a better way. So he continues to work hard but is always on the lookout for ways to increase his learning. He talks to the heads salesmen and they offer him some advice a little vague but a start. Then one day he googles sales training and is presented with a list of books. He purchases one and reads it. The man who wrote the book was a used cars salesman for thirty years and retired a multi-millionaire. Way above what the top salesmen at his place of employment earn. He begins applying what he learns and lo and behold his closing ratio shoots up. He thinks “hot damn I’m on to something” so he goes out and buys more books. Sure some suck but for the most part each one offers value. Within a years time he has past the veteran salesmen who were the top earners. They can’t believe this kid’s “luck”.
This applies far beyond sales. And your reading shouldn’t be regulated to one field.
So What Should I Read?
Though fiction has its value especially certain books, I would suggest sticking with non-fiction. There are two places where I would start.
Your Occupation
Whatever it is you do, you should strive to be the best in your field. Whether it is personal training, sales, or teaching. Whatever it is you do, do it to the best of your ability. And if you hate what you do change it. Even if you have to take a pay cut and shrink down for a bit. Life is short, don’t spend it doing things you hate.
My suggestion would be to go to Amazon and type in books in your related field. Read the descriptions and reviews of the books then begin creating a list. Then start purchasing books off your list. Don’t be afraid to take a chance on a book. You learn something even from the worst books.
Your Personal Development
Becoming the best man you can be. Getting the sex you want, making the money you want, developing the body you want, and living the life of your dreams. Self-help, self-development you get the general idea. Bettering yourself day in and day out so that you will create the life that you have always wanted. Building yourself up.
For this I would recommend you start with The Primer and from there read the books in the Approved Resources. After that venture out on your own. Look below the books for others like them. Or do your own organic research. The books here should serve as a start. No matter what always have a book you are reading so that you are always learning and therefore always growing.
Reading is about the best ROI on you time that you will ever get. At the very least you should be reading a book every two weeks. This isn’t hard. Read while you use the restroom, while your waiting at the doctors, anywhere and everywhere that you can do it, do it. The rewards are well worth it.
If you have any questions you would like to see answered in a future post send them to me at charlessledge001 (at) gmail (dot) com. If you found value in this post then I would encourage you to share this site with someone who may need it as well as check out my books here. I appreciate it. You can follow me on Twitter here.
-Charles Sledge
