Last week was the first time in my life I finished reading 20 books in a year. I was not a reader when I was younger, but after I graduated, I started picking up books to read for fun. My usual numbers were around 6 to 7 books a year, but this year I made it my goal to read at least 20 books in a year. Honestly, I thought 6 to 7 was enough information for me to consume in a year, but it turns out it’s not. So, what has changed? What made me decide to increase my reading?
It all started when I stumbled across a video online about people estimating the total amount of knowledge in the world by estimating the number of books that have ever existed. From there, he simulated the percentage of books he would be able to read until the day he died, and the number seemed small. That was only considering books that was written in English. With my current reading pace, I was looking at reading only less than 300 books if I lived until 75 years of age.
That is a very, very small number of books and knowledge to consume in a lifetime, and I felt really sad about that. So from this year until the day I die, I should at least read another thousand of books, right? That sounds about the right amount not to feel bad about myself. So I started with 20 books per year goal, and let’s see whether that number increases over time. Was it challenging? Yes. I bumped the goal to more than double, so I was expected to increase my reading pace twice as much, which was hard to adjust to at first.
The way I did that was by reversing my life order entirely. Previously, I only read when I had free time. So, whenever I felt bored waiting for someone or tried to kill time while commuting, that was the only time I read. And because my reading time was limited, I only read specific topics that could give a direct impact to my life in general - something related to my career, finance, and health. But I reversed this. Reading has now become the main priority, and any other activities are only planned around my reading schedule.
Change number one - I have now secured a dedicated time for reading, and it is a lot more than what I used to have before. Because of that, I am able to pick up more genres of books, like novels and poetry. These books, on the surface, seem like they do not give any direct impact to me through knowledge. But I don’t only read for knowledge anymore. Reading has become my source of entertainment and a way to stay calm. I also read things related to arts just to relax.
Change number two - I found myself to have more clarity of thought. This not only shows through my ability to construct ideas, but also in the way I speak and show gestures. The documents that I make, either through essay writing or presentation slides can also be presented in a simple way, where ideas are constructed clearly and in order. Reading gives me ways to articulate my ideas, opinions, and feelings in easy words and nuances.
Change number three - I have a better ability to make judgments and have more confidence in my decisions. Since reading many topics from different authors from all over the world gives me versatility in understanding the structure of the world, knowledge, and the way human beings think, it is now easier to make decisions or find solutions for life or work related problems — especially when I have at least a little bit of knowledge about a specific niche. I spend less time panicking or feeling lost, not knowing what to do.
Changes number four, five, six, … – waiting to be evaluated. For now, there is no reason to stop reading, so I will keep reading at least 20 books a year until I can’t do that anymore.