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Mark Twain said a man who does not read books has no advantage over the man who can’t read them. It is often said that average CEO reads 60 books a year.
That means at least a book is added onto the archives of the read volumes every week. Successful entrepreneurs read because they know the secrets inside words on paper, and spare time to pursue reading diligently. It is simple logic that those who read often have been known to have more finely-tuned brains than those who prefer more passive activities.
As an entrepreneur, you should spare time to dig your head into books. Here are the reasons why:
It increases the scope of knowledge
There is no bigger reason for reading than quest for knowledge. Books are a rich source of information. Reading books on varied subjects imparts information and increases the depth of understanding of the subject. Everything you read fills your head with new bits of information, and this information is bound to come in handy in future. As an entrepreneur, you see things differently, from a new, wider perspective. The more knowledge you have, the better equipped you are to tackle any challenge you’ll face in your business. And, the knowledge cannot be taken away from you even if the business goes down.
Improves concentration
In our busy lifestyles, our attention is sure to be divided as tasks beg to be attended to every single minute. The average person will divide their time between working on a task, checking their email, chatting with a couple of people, monitoring their smartphone, and interacting with co-workers in every short span of time. The multi-tasking can lead to high stress levels and, obviously, low productivity. But when reading a book, one’s attention is fully directed onto what they are reading. This improves one’s concentration and focus. Reading a book at least half an hour every day increases one’s concentration span.
Helps improve memory
The brain is tasked with remembering the setting of the book, the characters, their backgrounds, their history, their personalities, the sub-plots and related details when you read a book. As your brain learns to remember all this, your memory continues to get better. As an entrepreneur, a good memory is crucial in helping you in your day to day operations. You need the ability to recount operations of the business without much of a struggle.
Boosts self-esteem
You do not want to be in a business meeting and every participant is making a contribution, and you are unable to chip in. By reading many books, you communicate better and become more informed on various aspects of life. In debates, you are able to participate and contribute sensibly as well. This is bound to translate into a higher self-esteem. When you have confidence in yourself and your ability to deliver, you become more productive and overall a much better person. You are able to manage your business better. Well-written books affect your speech, as observing fluidity and writing styles of other authors influences the way you build sentences and words you use at business meetings, conferences, and public speeches afterward.
Improves creativity
As an entrepreneur, in an evolving business environment, you need to be creative. You need to create opportunities and always be ahead of competition. You need to come up with new, robust models that can aid competitiveness of your business. The biggest difference between reading and other forms of acquiring information such as watching television is that reading allows you the scope to showcase your creativity. The more you read, the more you learn new things. New thoughts always stretch our minds to rediscover life in new and better ways. You see things in a different way, and most often a better way.
Helps your mind relax
This is for entertainment. Even you brain needs some time off. You are busy at work and should not spend every minute off it mulling over the next move. Reading relaxes the mind. It is like a walk in the park, rejuvenating by all means. Writing helps you expel the demons of the workplace and freshen your mind in readiness for the next challenge.
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Boosts Brain power
Reading requires the coordination of multiple complex cognitive functions and, therefore, leads to creating distinct patterns in the brain, which we need to analyze situations and data. Regular reading changes our brain, mainly its language area responsible for vocabulary, ability to communicate, and spatial awareness. A study by psychologists at the Liverpool University says that the more difficult texts we read, the more our brains fire up. Specifically, poetry boosts activity in the right side of the brain, enabling it to evaluate our experience and relate it to the received data, writes essayist Mike Hanski. A fast brain, working like a well-oiled machine, is what every entrepreneur wants to have if they are to manage to run a successful empire