6 Reasons Why You Must Develop the Habit of Reading Books

What is the point of being able to read if you don't do it? A study found that the average CEO reads 52 books a year. Warren Buffet reads for 5 to 6 hours every day. So many successful people have attributed their success to their reading habit. Some of them are Bill Gates , Mark Zuckerberg, Elon Musk, Mark Cuban and Oprah Winfrey. So what is so special about this seemingly simple habit ? Read on to find out !

Good decisions come from experience. And experience comes from making bad decisions. In order to learn, mistakes have to be made. But it is not necessary that you learn only from your own mistakes. You can learn from other people's mistakes as well. This will save you a lot of time, energy and pain. Biographies and autobiographies are filled with such valuable information.

A book gives tremendous amounts of knowledge. It broadens your perspective. Your view of the world changes. It gives you all the information you require about a certain thing. Having more knowledge gives you an enormous advantage over everyone else. You will be able to speak to people about a wide variety of subjects.

When you are constantly learning new things, your memory improves. Since the brain has to store a lot more information, it pushes it's capabilities. This is not just with reference to informative books, Even if you are reading a novel you need to remember everything that happens. Especially in a mystery novel. Otherwise the events in the later stages of the book don't make sense.

There's a misconception that only informative books are useful. People sometimes feel that reading novels is a waste of time. But this is far from the truth. Novels require you to imagine every single scene. As you are reading the brain is constantly working on constructing images out of the words. This engages your right brain which is responsible for creativity. Your imagination and creativity significantly improve. Here are two genres of books that are fun and productive at the same time.

Mystery

Mysteries are known to be the best books to keep your brain sharp. They keep your curiosity alive. You constantly keep thinking of different scenarios. You keep exploring different possibilities. You start paying more attention to every line and every word. You are looking for clues that might help you solve the crime. In most cases, you start thinking like a detective.

Fantasy

Fantasy novels are set in a different world. The visuals that are described don't even exist in our world. So you have no reference. You have to build the image all by yourself. In the process of reading a novel, you have created images of an entirely different world in your head. This does wonders for your imagination.

Vocabulary is one of the key pillars of communication. This includes verbal and written mediums. A person's communication skills play a huge role in his success. Have you ever had that moment where you want to convey something but can't seem to find the right word ? This is a very commonly faced problem.

The best way to overcome this is through reading. The best part is that you won't have to put in extra efforts. Contrary to what some people say, I don't write down new words and consciously learn them. When I don't know the meaning of a word, I just look for it. Later, it just naturally becomes a part of my vocabulary.

Firstly, reading is not like watching television. It requires concentration. We live in a world filled with distractions. The internet and social media have opened up various possibilities. Now we have so many things to worry about at the same time. I believe that my generation has lost it's ability to concentrate on one thing at a time. This is another reason we need to read books. It improves your ability to stay focused for long periods of time.

It is very important to read regularly. If you only read once in a while, the whole purpose is lost. I used to be a very inconsistent reader. There have been times when I have finished 10 books in a 10 day stretch. In between I hadn't read a book in almost a year. This is a very bad habit. Like everything in life, even for your reading habit, consistency is key. Make it a habit to read everyday. Even if it is only for 10 minutes. In fact, I would actually recommend starting with just 10-15 minutes a day. You can slowly work your way up to 1 hour a day or maybe more.

Reading is the best exercise for your brain. It involves all the different functions of the brain. As discussed earlier, it engages your memory, imagination and improves your vocabulary. It is like a comprehensive workout for your brain. The more you read, the sharper your brain becomes. So just pick up a book and start reading it right now.