If you want a “cheat code” to get ahead faster in life, build a habit of daily reading. The majority of business professions have continuing education requirements to maintain a license in that profession. These requirements exist because advancements in industries, laws, technology, and processes are constantly changing. In order to stay prepared, a large portion of our education comes from self-education.
The first step toward self-education is reading -and, ideally, on a daily basis. Reading opens your eyes to new ideas and different points of view, and it increases knowledge and understanding. This benefit alone can help you climb the career ladder faster than your peers, but there are several other benefits of daily reading that can be even more helpful in reaching your career goals:
- Reading cultivates the mind and sharpens your mental capacity. The brain is a muscle -it needs to be worked regularly in order to stay strong and acute. When you read every day, you increase your knowledge by exploring new topics. With that increased knowledge, you are able to tackle problems with more creativity and efficiency.
- Reading increases social awareness. When you are reading, your brain is processing information from an author’s perspective. This allows you to understand other people’s viewpoints better, which can make it easier for you to relate to other people and communicate with them more effectively. This skill can help you to communicate better in the workplace, which helps you become a well-respected member of your profession.
- Reading reduces stress. Many people use reading as a means to unwind at the end of a day or after an intense period of work or studying. When you read something that is interesting and enjoyable, you are able to take your mind off the stress of whatever is going on in your life. This can help keep stress under control and ease anxiety.
- Reading improves writing skills. In order to write well, one must read a lot -both for pleasure and for work-related reading. When you read every day, you are constantly improving your own writing ability. The more you write, the better you get at it. This helps when you are in a work environment and need to communicate with coworkers and clients.
- Reading exposes you to new ideas and information. Even if you read something that does not interest you or directly relate to what you do, you are still exposing yourself to new ideas and information. This can help maintain a diversified knowledge base, which means you will be more able to draw on different skills in your field when necessary.
- Reading makes you smarter. Studies have shown that the more one reads, the faster their brain processes text. With this increase in processing speed, the reader is able to retain more information and learn more quickly. This means you can learn more in less time, which allows you to spend less time at school or on the job training and get back to work more quickly. In addition, reading improves analytical thinking. The better you are able to analyze what you read, the better decisions you will make in your personal and professional life. When you read something that requires analysis (such as an article or report), work on actively engaging your brain to analyze the information. The more you practice this, thebetter able you will be to make good decisions that help you achieve success.
- Reading increases vocabulary . The more words you know, the better able you are to communicate with others in writing or speaking. With an increased vocabulary, you have a larger pool of words to draw from when you are writing or speaking. This makes your communication clearer and more effective.
- Reading increases concentration . In order to read a book, a person has to concentrate their mind on the text in front of them. The more they practice this skill, the better they become at it. This is a useful skill for students and professionals alike, as an increased ability to concentrate can help you to work more efficiently.
- Reading helps you learn from the experts. The mostsuccessful people in any field are those who have learned from experts in their industry. With a habit of reading every day, you will be able to absorb knowledge directly from the experts, which will help you succeed more quickly than someone who has not done this.
These are just some of the most important reasons why you should read every day. Make it a part of your daily routine, even just 10 minutes a day, and you will become a more knowledgeable, skilled and successful person.
