BOOK NOTES; Getting Things Done - David Allen

If you’re ready to stop stressing and start accomplishing your goals, David Allen’s Getting Things Done can help you create a simple, effective personal productivity system.

About David Allen

David Allen is the author of the Personal MBA-recommended book Getting Things Done , as well as Ready For Anything , and Making It All Work. For more information about his work, check out the David Allen’s website.

Here are 10 big ideas from David Allen’s Getting Things Done …

1. If your day-to-day life is out of control, it’s almost impossible to think strategically or plan effectively.

When you’re feeling overwhelmed about how much you have to do (and who isn’t, really?), it’s difficult to focus on ensuring your life and work is moving in the direction you want to go. That’s why it’s important to get control of your daily tasks before working on your big-picture life planning.

GTD is a “bottom-up” approach to productivity. The goal is to establish a sense of comfort and control over the work that’s on your plate right now, so you can free up some mental energy and space to think about the big stuff.

2. Define what being “done” looks like.

Most of the tasks people keep on their to-do lists are “amorphous blobs of undoability” - commitments without any clear vision of what being “done” looks like. That’s a huge problem - your brain is naturally designed to help you figure out how to do things, but only if you know what the end point looks like.

Everything you’re working on should have a very clear stopping point - a point where you know you’re done. If you don’t know what that point looks like, you’ll find it very difficult to make any progress at all. When you’re having trouble making progress, first clarify what being done looks like.

3. Mental work has five distinct phases: Collect, Process, Organize, Do, and Review

Not all work is the same. There are five separate phases of effective work:

• Collecting is the act of gathering inputs: resources, knowledge, and tasks. You’ll have a much easier time making use of your available inputs if they’re all in one place before you begin.
• Processing is the act of examining your inputs: what you can do with the resources at your disposal. This is where you start separating things according to what you’re planning to do next: tasks, projects, future plans, and reference information.
• Organizing means taking the results of your processing and putting it in a system you trust, so you don’t have to remember it all. Tasks go on your to-do list, projects go on a projects list, future plans go into a tracking system, and reference information goes into a file or database you can access easily.
• Doing means working through the tasks you can accomplish right now.
• Reviewing means examining the results of your work, revising your strategy, and improving your systems for better results.

Keep the phases deliberately separate, and you’ll get a lot more done.

4. Get everything out of your head.

Many people try to keep track of everything they need to do in their mind, which is a big mistake. Our brains are optimized for fast decision-making, not storage. Trying to juggle too many things in your head at the same time is a major reason we get stressed out when there’s a lot going on: we’re using the wrong tool for the job.

The best way to stop mentally thrashing and start being productive is to spend a few minutes putting everything on your mind onto paper. You can write or draw - whatever works for you, as long as you can see it when you’re done. Once the information is out of your head, it’s far easier to figure out what to do with it. Even 10 minutes of Externalization can help you feel less freaked out about your workload.

Of course, it’s better not to be freaked out in the first place, so make it easy to capture what you’re thinking on paper. I carry a wallet that has a space for 3x5 index cards and a pen - whenever I have an idea, it’s easy to capture it, even if I don’t have my notebook or computer with me at the time. If you reduce the Friction you experience when capturing ideas, you’ll naturally capture more of them.

5. Projects and tasks are two different things: track them separately.

A major mistake that most people make when keeping track of things to do is conflating tasks and projects. That’s a good way to feel overwhelmed fast - many things can’t be accomplished in one sitting.

For example, I just finished the book I’ve been writing for a little over a year. If I had “write the book” on my to-do list, I’d quickly be overwhelmed - the project was just too big. Instead of “failing” to accomplish that to-do for a year, it’s far better to treat it as a project - something that takes more than one task to accomplish. I can’t “write the book,” but I can complete a small section of the book in one sitting.

Since projects and tasks are two different things, it’s best to keep track of them separately. Personally, I carry a small notebook with me to record active tasks with 3x5 index card inside that lists my active projects. The index card is just the right size to list 4-8 active projects - if I have more than that, I know I’m spreading myself too thin.

6. Focus on the Next Action required to move forward.

Big projects have many steps, and can be overwhelming in their complexity. The key to handling these projects is not to focus on everything that has to be done - that’s a great way to freak yourself out.

Instead, just focus on the very next physical action you need to do to move the project forward. It may be looking up a piece of information, making a phone call, or accomplishing a small task. Whatever it is, it’ll move you closer to completing the project, so don’t worry about everything else - focus only on what you can do right now.

7. Use the “2 Minute Rule” for small tasks.

Don’t worry about tracking small tasks - if you can accomplish the task in less than two minutes, just do it! Writing down every little thing you have to do takes more time than it’s worth - if you need to send a 30-second reminder e-mail to someone, there’s no sense in taking 20 seconds to write it down when you could just get er done.

Personally, I expand this to 5 minutes - the principle is the same. Your goal is to get things done, not to flawlessly capture each and every little thing in your perfectly designed system.

8. Use Reference and Someday/Maybe files for things that have no immediate next actions.

There’s no sense in keeping FYI or long-term dreams in your active daily task tracking system. Reference files are great for storing information you don’t have to act on right now. These files can either be physical or electronic - for example, I keep important paperwork and legal documents in a fire-proof safe, and electronic files and websites in a file on my computer or in Evernote.

Someday/Maybe lists are great for deferring ideas that you’d like to work on someday, but you’re not committing to right now. I have ideas about fun new things do to every day - way more than I have time or energy for. Instead of losing these ideas, it’s far better to capture them in a reference file you can look through later, when you have more capacity. When you’re ready to commit to a new project, the someday/maybe gets promoted to an active project.

9. Build a trusted system that helps you keep track of your commitments.

Your mind keeps things in working memory if it thinks you’ll lose them if it doesn’t. That’s why building a productivity system is important - it helps your mind let go of tracking unnecessary details so you can focus on the task at hand. That’s why Externalization works - when you put something on paper in a place you know you’ll be able to find later, you’re freeing mental resources that can be put to better use elsewhere.

An effective productivity system consists of the following:

• A list of active tasks - next actions you’ve committed to accomplishing in the next few days.
• A list of active projects - 4-20 project you’ve committed to accomplishing in the next few weeks.
• A calendar - commitments to meet with other people in the near future.
• A someday/maybe list - ideas you’d like to explore, but not right now.
• Reference files - information or documents you’ll need to refer to in the future.
• A capture device - some way of capturing ideas or next actions as you think of them.

That’s it, really - you can use any number of tools for the above, as long as they cover those basic needs. Personally, I use a notebook for active tasks, a 3x5 index card in that notebook for projects, the calendar on my computer, someday/maybe and reference files in Backpack and Evernote or physical files, and my 3x5-sized wallet for my capture device.

10. Schedule non-negotiable time for a Weekly Review.

Life moves fast - we often have so much to do that’s it’s difficult to take a step back and examine whether or not we’re getting the results we want. That’s why it’s extremely important to schedule some time each week to do a “Weekly Review.”

Here are a few things you should include in your weekly review:

• Process and organize - anything you’ve collected but haven’t handled yet.
• Review your active tasks - are there any to add, delegate, defer, or delete?
• Review your active projects - are there any to add, delegate, defer, or delete?
• Review your calendar - are there any meetings to add, delegate, defer, or delete?
• Someday/Maybe - anything to add or promote to an active project?
• Reference Files - anything you need soon? Anything to add or update?
• Goals - are you moving in the right direction? Are you making progress? Are any changes necessary?

Don’t skip this review - it’s extremely important if you want to decrease your stress levels. Personally, I find it best to schedule my review for the end of the week: Friday afternoon or Saturday morning. It’s a great way to wrap up the week, feel good about what you’ve accomplished, plan for the next week, and set yourself up for a relaxing weekend.

Developing an effective personal productivity system takes time and experimentation.

Many people get frustrated when adopting GTD because it takes so long to get everything under control. Cut yourself some slack: GTD is a collection of habits, and habits take time to develop. Instead of trying to install everything at once, work on improving in one of these areas until it’s effortless, then focus on installing the next habit. In time, you’ll master them all.

Also remember that the goal of GTD is to make it easier to do work that matters - not procrastinating by endlessly improving your system instead of doing productive work. Try to avoid succumbing to “productivity porn” - experiment constantly, but remember that the most effective systems have the same thing in common: they’re usually the simplest thing that could possibly work. When in doubt, err on the side of doing less.

Book notes from Josh Kaufman.

Book; Choose Yourself - James Altucher

I had heard of James Altucher a few times, but I didn't really know who he is or what he does. I just remember reading a few articles linked to his blog from Hacker News; I do, however, mostly remember his distinct nerdy Jewish look (if you read the book, he has self-deprecating humor regarding being Jewish and nerdy all over it).

I don't really remember how I heard about the book, I just remember reading somewhere about the promotion. If you buy his book and write a review, he'll reimburse you for the book. I don't give a shit about the money for the reimbursement, but fortunately he'll give it charity and I'm given a bit of motivation to read a book and write a review to add content to my blog.

So, what is Choose Yourself about? In short, it feels kinda like a cross between a book written by Tim Ferris, most notably the 4-Hour Work Week, and maybe self-help guru Tony Robbins.

What does that mean? Keep reading.

Becoming a Made Man

I use the term 'made' loosely, but basically to describe how James earned his fortunate. In short, he sold one company, did all of the things that you mentally associate with extremely wealthy people: bought a mansion, lent money to everyone, and gambled until it was all gone.

Depression and suicidal thoughts came.

Choose Yourself Era

The "Choose Yourself Era" is described by Altucher as the present time "that to depend on those stifling treads that are defeating you. Instead, build your own platform, have faith and confidence in yourself instead of the jury-rigged system and define success by your own terms." I don't remember him explicitly mentioning the internet as you might expect.

Permanent Temporarily

This chapter builds a case for you to make a move to self-reliance. Altucher states: "Zero sectors in the economy are moving toward more full-time workers." According to the book, his basis for this statement is some anecdotes about empty office buildings. I'm by no means claiming that he's wrong.

This quote is worth mentioning:

This about a new phase in history where art, science, business, and spirit will join together, both externally and internally, in pursuit of true wealth. It's a phase where ideas are more important than people and everyone will have to choose themselves for happiness.

this as well:

You no longer have to wait for the gods of corporate America, or universities, or media, or investors, to come down from the clouds and choose you for success. In > every single industry, the middleman is being taken out of the picture, causing disruption in employment bus also greater efficiencies and more opportunities for unique ideas to generate real wealth.

Rejection

The chapter on rejection sets the rest of the book up well. As Altucher mentions, we all get rejected at one time or another. One of the keys to success is to get just get over it and keep trying. This reminds me of the following quote:

You miss 100% of the shots that you don't take. - Wayne Gretzky

Also, to those of you struggling with rejection, you may want to check out Rejection Therapy. The whole point of the game is to get rejected every day for 30 days. If you try to get rejected and don't get rejected, you didn't ask for enough and ask for more. Building up a rejection shield is something that everyone who wants to be successful needs to do.

The chapter on rejection also starts to build a base for the foundation of James's philosophy on success: to be successful: you must be physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually sound.

Be Grateful

This is another perspective that I share with James. So many people wonder: "why am I depressed?" When this line of thinking takes hold, it's typically because we're focused on ourselves. When we start thinking about others and what we can do to help others, our mentality shifts into a mode of servant leadership. His book doesn't explicitly state this, but his writing hints that he'd share these thoughts. A good way to shift your mentality out of depression or your rut is to start by being grateful with you have. James recommends that you quite literally count the things and people that your grateful for.

Freedom

A lot of people say: "all I want is freedom." James questions, "freedom from what?" We spend so much time fighting from freedom, but we are already free. He recommends two things to harnessing that freedom:

1. Only do things that you enjoy. He goes on to clarify exactly what me means here:

One might say, "Duh, I'd love to do what i enjoy but I have to pay the bills!" Relax for a second. We're going to learn how to do what we enjoy, first. I'm not talking about those "only pursue a career you enjoy" platitudes, either. I mean it down to your very thoughts. Only think about the people you enjoy. Only read about the books that you enjoy, that make you happy to be human. ONly go to the events that actually make you laugh or fall in love. Only deal with people who love you back, who are winners and want you to win too.

1. The Daily Practice. He uses the metaphor of our bodies being like galaxies that are empty and we need to find a way to light up our inner sky. We must do the daily practice. We must establish a regimen to protect our heart and the blood that flows through it. Doing this is a function of diet, exercise, sleep and other things.

Daily Practice

Physical Body

• Shit regularly. If you're not, eat better.
• Don't eat junk food.
• sleep seven to nine hours a night.
• Avoid excees alcohol.
• Exercise. (He clarifies that simple walks are fine)

Emotional Body

• Surround yourself with only positive people.
• Avoid people who bring you down.
• You can't be beautiful unless you get rid of the ugliness inside. Poeple become crappy people not because of who they are, but because they are crapping inside of you.
• Most people speak on average of 2500 words a day. Trying speaking about 1000.

Mental Body

• Tire your mind out daily. So it doesn't focus on worry and other crap. Set daily goals.

Spiritual Body

• Give up all thoughts about the past or "time traveling" as he calls it.
• Surrender and trust that you've done the right preparation.

Actionable tips to try once a day:

• Sleep eight hours.
• Eat two meals instead of three.
• No TV.
• No Junk Food.
• No complaining for the entire day.
• No gossip.
• Express thanks to a friend.
• Watch a funny movie.
• Write down a list of ideas.
• Read a spiritual text.
• Try to save a life.
• Take up a hobby.
• Write down your entire schedule that you do daily. Cross off one item and don't do it again.
• Surprise someone.
• Think of ten people you're grateful for.
• Forgive someone.
• Take the stairs instead of the elevator.
• Don't say yes when you want to say no.
• Tell someone that you love them.
• Don't have sex with someone that you don't love.
• Shower and actually scrub.
• Read a chapter of a bio of someone who is an inspiration.
• Make plans to spend time with a friend.
• Deep breathing.

Death

James states that a lot of people want to die. I didn't like this chapter as it didn't resonate with me. He goes off on a tangent on how to get off the grid.

Life

There is nice anecdote about his friend Kamal who is an entrepreneur and became sicker and sicker. Then Kamal started to tell himself that loved himself and didn't want to die. He got better. James states: "when we attach happiness to external goals, we often get disappointed." Kamal even wrote a book: Love Yourself Like Your Life Depends Upon it

Kamal later told James, "When someone is in love, they almost magically look better. I needed to be in love with myself to look better."

James then goes on a tangent about self-publishing.

Find Your Purpose of Life

He makes a compelling case that Colonel Sanders, Rodney Dangerfield, Ray Kroc, Stan Lee, Tim Zagat and Peter Roget didn't find their purpose until way later in life. So it's stupid for people to get worked up or depressed if they haven't found their purpose. He even states that he doesn't really like the word "purpose" because it implies that we're unhappy until we've found it.

Paradigm Shift

"You need to change for the changes that are coming."

1. The middle class is dead.
2. You've been replaced by technology.
3. Corporations don't like you.
4. Money is not happiness.
5. Count how many people can make a major decision that can ruin your life.
6. Is your job satisfying your needs?
7. Your retirement plan is for shit.
8. Excuses. "I'm too old.", "I'm not creative.", "I need the insurance.", "I have to raise my kids."
9. It's okay to take baby steps.
10. Abundance will never come from your job.

Let's Get Specific

I really like all of the anecdotes in this book. Especially the one about the origins of Braintree who is now processing over 8 billion dollars in payments per year.

1. Take out the middleman.
2. Pick a boring business.
3. Get a customer.
4. Build trust while you sleep.
5. Blogging is not about money.
6. Say yes.
7. Compete with customer service.

Business ideas:

1. Make a service business or whatever the cutting edge is on the internet. Start with small businesses, help them with get started with the cutting edge. e.g. setup Facebook fan pages, Wordpress blogs, etc.
2. Introduce two people.
3. Write a book. (Helps with consulting, paid speaking, and writing opportunities)
4. Financial repair. (He goes into detail with good ideas)

Learn Sales

10 keys:

1. What's the lifetime value to the customer?
2. What are the ancillary benefits of having this customer?
3. Learn the entire history of your client, your audience, your readership, and your platform.
4. Give extra features.
5. Give away the kitchen sink.
6. Recommend your competition.
7. Idea machine.
8. Show up.
9. Knowledge.
10. Love it.

Idea Machine

I didn't care of this chapter. He recommends that you work the idea muscle in your brain. I guess I didn't like it much because I already have enough ideas generated daily and I don't try much to do it. Furthermore, I see little value in most ideas.

The anecdote about Richard Branson is interesting and you should go Google about him now to read more.

Oxytocin

Oxytocin is the life hormone. You can trick the body into releasing some:

1. Give money away.
2. Hug.
3. Like someone's status or photo on Facebook.
4. Laugh.
5. Walk.
6. Make a phone call to friend.
7. Being trusted.
8. Listening to music.
9. Deep breath.

Honesty & Money

I loved this chapter.

People often think that you have to be dishonest in the world to succeed. This isn't true at all. Dishonesty works, until it doesn't. Everyone messes up.

Honesty Compounds. It compounds exponentially. NO matter what happens in your bank account, in your career, in your promotions, in your startups. Honesty compounds exponentially, not over days or weeks, but years and decades. More people trust your word.

How to be more honest:

1. Give credit.
2. Be the source.
3. Introduce two people.
4. Take the blame.
5. Don't lead a double life.
6. Don't be angry.
7. Don't make excuses.
8. Make others look good.
9. Don't gossip.
10. Do what you say you're going to do.
11. Enhance the lives of others.

Conclusion

This book has a lot of content. Some that I didn't mention: 1) Alex Day and his story 2) The Curious Case of the Sexy Image. 3) Gandhi 4) Wood Allen. It's jam packed. Some of the chapter titles don't match the content in the chapter. Some of the content feels out of place. Overall, is the book worth reading? If you enjoy reading books self-help books or entrepreneurial books, then you'll definitely enjoy this one. I was in a bit of rut and reading this book gave me enough of a boost to get out of it. These books are like a drug. Typically, their effects give an immediate boost. Some of them help shape the way that you think.

This review was taken from LoudJet

BOOK; Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity.

Amazon.com Review

With first-chapter allusions to martial arts, "flow," "mind like water," and other concepts borrowed from the East (and usually mangled), you'd almost think this self-helper from David Allen should have been called Zen and the Art of Schedule Maintenance.

Not quite. Yes, Getting Things Done offers a complete system for downloading all those free-floating gotta-do's clogging your brain into a sophisticated framework of files and action lists--all purportedly to free your mind to focus on whatever you're working on. However, it still operates from the decidedly Western notion that if we could just get really, really organized, we could turn ourselves into 24/7 productivity machines. (To wit, Allen, whom the New Economy bible Fast Company has dubbed "the personal productivity guru," suggests that instead of meditating on crouching tigers and hidden dragons while you wait for a plane, you should unsheathe that high-tech saber known as the cell phone and attack that list of calls you need to return.)

As whole-life-organizing systems go, Allen's is pretty good, even fun and therapeutic. It starts with the exhortation to take every unaccounted-for scrap of paper in your workstation that you can't junk, The next step is to write down every unaccounted-for gotta-do cramming your head onto its own scrap of paper. Finally, throw the whole stew into a giant "in-basket"

That's where the processing and prioritizing begin; in Allen's system, it get a little convoluted at times, rife as it is with fancy terms, subterms, and sub-subterms for even the simplest concepts. Thank goodness the spine of his system is captured on a straightforward, one-page flowchart that you can pin over your desk and repeatedly consult without having to refer back to the book. That alone is worth the purchase price. Also of value is Allen's ingenious Two-Minute Rule: if there's anything you absolutely must do that you can do right now in two minutes or less, then do it now, thus freeing up your time and mind tenfold over the long term. It's commonsense advice so obvious that most of us completely overlook it, much to our detriment; Allen excels at dispensing such wisdom in this useful, if somewhat belabored, self-improver aimed at everyone from CEOs to soccer moms (who we all know are more organized than most CEOs to start with). --Timothy Murphy --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Booklist

Allen, a management consultant and executive coach, provides insights into attaining maximum efficiency and at the same time relaxing whenever one needs or wants to. Readers learn that there is no single means for perfecting organizational efficiency or productivity; rather, the author offers tools to focus energies strategically and tactically without letting anything fall through the cracks. He provides tips, techniques, and tricks for implementation of his workflow management plan, which has two basic components: capture all the things that need to get done into a workable, dependable system; and discipline oneself to make front-end decisions with an action plan for all inputs into that system. In short, do it (quickly), delegate it (appropriately), or defer it. While an infomercial for the author's consulting practice, this road map for organizational efficiency may help many who have too much to do in too little time, both professionally and in their personal lives. Mary Whaley

This review is from AMAZON

Mind Expanding Books To Read

This list was suggested by a user in quora.com

Rookie Smarts by Liz Wiseman

Every entrepreneur is at some point a rookie, an upstart, an  inexperienced person with a dream... and fortunately experience isn't  everything. In Rookie Smarts,  Wiseman shows how rookies can outperform veterans, experience can cause  us to ignore new ideas, and how sometimes the perfect person to hire is  the person who doesn't "know" everything.

Twitter Is Not a Strategy by Tom Doctoroff

If you're trying to build a brand (and if you're not, why aren't you?), social media is just a tool.  Creativity, execution, and positioning are the foundation of great  brands -- social media is just one way to execute that strategy. Twitter Is Not a Strategy takes you back to basics... and back to ensuring you're actually creating a brand and not just a lot of one-way propaganda.

The Innovators by Walter Isaacson

The stories of Gates, Wozniak, Jobs, Page, Berners-Lee, Turing... plus  some people you've probably never heard of that helped create the  digital revolution starting in the 1840s. (Seriously.) And if that's not  enough, The Innovators is  written by Walter Isaacson, the dean of business biographies (and an  outstanding speaker to boot.) If you love being inspired by stories of  how other people did it, this is your book.

Crazy Is a Compliment by Linda Rottenberg

Contrarians take note: the subtitle of Crazy Is a Compliment is "The Power of Zigging When Everyone Else Zags." Rottenberg claims  that if people don't think you're crazy when you launch something new,  then you aren't thinking big enough. At the same time she doesn't  advocate taking huge risks; instead your goal should be to risk just  enough to get in the game. Sounds like the approach every smart  successful entrepreneur I know took.

Intelligent Leadership by John Mattone

I'm normally not a fan of labeling people (as the Pythons would say, "We're all individuals!") but the sections in Intelligent Leadership on identifying your predominant leadership trait -- and the predominant  traits of the people who work for you -- are outstanding. Hoping to  become an even better version of the leader you already are? With  Mattone's help, you can.

The Upside of Your Dark Side by Kashdan & Biswas-Diener

The Upside of Your Dark Side shows how some, um, less positive aspects of your personality can  actually lead to success and fulfillment. Anger can fuel creativity.  Selfishness can increase courage. Guilt fosters improvement.  Mindlessness can lead to better decisions. (Hey, a great reason to zone  out!) Tap the sum of your emotional parts and be more successful... and  surprisingly happier.

Every Idea is a Good Idea by Tom Sturges

Ideas are the lifeblood of every business. But ideas don't just have to come to you. Every Idea is a Good Idea is full of dependable, repeatable ways to be creative almost on cue.  While most of the examples come from musicians and artists, that's okay  -- they're easily applied to any field. Plus that makes for an  entertaining read. (Did you know that Rembrandt painted a lot of  selfies? Or that Paul McCartney used the words "scrambled eggs" as a  placeholder for lyrics that eventually became "Yesterday"?)  Informative  and entertaining. Can't beat that.

Scaling Up Excellence by Sutton & Rao

Every startup hopes to scale. But  how do you scale when your business is, largely, an extension of you?  How do you spread your beliefs and foster the right behaviors so your  company not only grows but improves? Scaling Up Excellence shows that scaling isn't an art, it's a quantifiable, repeatable  science -- and one that every business trying to grow needs to learn.

Zero to One by Peter Thiel

You won't agree with everything in Zero to One.  Some of it might even piss you off. That's okay. No matter what, Thiel,  a co-founder of PayPal and early investor in Facebook, LinkedIn, and  Yelp, will definitely make you think. And he'll make you question some  of your assumptions about business, innovation, and different paths to  success. Thiel wonders, "What valuable company is nobody building?"  Hopefully that company will be yours.

Winners Dream by Bill McDermott

Since every person's journey is  different and lessons learned are often less than broadly applicable,  I'm usually not a fan of "how I did it" books. Winners Dream is an exception. McDermott rose through the ranks at Xerox, Siebel  Systems, Gartner, and is now the CEO of SAP. (Not too shabby, eh?) It's a  great book for anyone who dreams of building and leading a global  company... or who just wants to live vicariously through someone that  has.

Smartcuts by Shane Snow

Snow thinks it's easier to build a huge business than a small one. (Sounds good, right?) Smartcuts shows how to use lateral thinking to break rules and achieve success  quickly. Want to know more about strategies like hacking the ladder,  training with masters, rapid feedback, platforms, catching waves,  superconnecting, momentum, simplicity, and 10X thinking? Shane is your  guy.

Mark Cuban - How to Win at the Sport of Business

Description

Mark Cuban shares his wealth of experience and business savvy in his first published book, How to Win at the Sport of Business.
One of the world’s wealthiest entrepreneurs, Mark Cuban has collected and updated the greatest material from his popular blog, “blog maverick,” to provide a handbook of insider knowledge on what it takes to become a thriving entrepreneur.

Cuban’s story is a stunning tale of rags-to-riches, as he went from selling powdered milk and sleeping on friends’ couches to owning his own company and becoming a multi-billion dollar success story. Cuban’s business tips will be inspirational to entrepreneurs at any stage of their careers. His ideas may be unconventional, but Cuban shares why and how they’ve worked for him and will work for you.

This week we are reading this book in VORACIOUS READERS. To join voracious readers click the highlighted texts.

How To Read More — A Lot More

When you read a lot of books people inevitably assume you speed read. In fact, that’s probably the most common email I get. They want to know my trick for reading so fast. They see all the books I recommend every month in my reading newsletter and assume I must have some secret. So they ask me to teach them how to speed read.

That’s when I tell them I don’t have a secret. Even though I read hundreds of books every single year, I actually read quite slow. In fact, I read deliberately slow, so that I can take notes (and then whenever I finish a book, I go back through and transcribe these notes for my version of a commonplace book.

So where do I get the time? (Well for starters I don’t waste any of it asking dumb questions).

Look, where do you get the time to eat three meals a day? How do you have time to do all that sleeping? How do you manage to spend all those hours with your kids or wife or a girlfriend or boyfriend?

You don’t get that time anywhere, do you? You just make it because it’s really important. It’s a non-negotiable part of your life.

I think there are three main barriers that hold people back from making this happen and I want to disassemble them right now so you can start reading way, way more.

Time

The key to reading lots of book begins with stop thinking of it as some activity that you do. Reading must become as natural as eating and breathing to you. It’s not something you do because you feel like it, but because it’s a reflex, a default.

Carry a book with you at all times. Every time you get a second, crack it open. Don’t install games on your phone–that’s time you could be reading. When you’re eating, read. When you’re on the train, in the waiting room, at the office–read. It’s work, really important work. Don’t let anyone ever let you feel like it’s not.

Do you know how much time you waste during the day? Conference calls, meetings, TV shows that you don’t really like but watch anyway. Well, if you can make time for that you can make time for reading. (Or better, just swap those activities for books)

Money

If I had to steal books to support my reading habit, I would. Thankfully you can buy some of the best literature ever published for pennies on Amazon.

But forget money entirely when it comes to books. Reading is not a luxury. It’s not something you splurge on. It’s a necessity.

As Erasmus, the 16th century scholar once put it, “When I get a little money I buy books; and if any is left I buy food and clothes.”

On top of that, books are an investment. I hear from people all the time who tell me they plan to buy this book or that book. Plan? Just buy it. I promised myself a long time ago that if I saw a book that interested me I’d never let time or money or anything else prevent me from having it. Not money, not time, not my own laziness. Don’t wait around for some book you want to read to come out in paperback–trying to save $2 or $3 is the wrong mindset. If it’s a book you’ll read, then read it now, not in a year.

(One related note: I don’t check books out from the library and haven’t since I was a child. This isn’t like renting a mindless movie. You should be keeping the books you read for reference and for re-reading. If you are OK giving the books back after two weeks you might want to examine what you are reading).

Purpose

Perhaps the reason you having trouble is you forgot the purpose of reading. It’s not just for fun. Human beings have been recording their knowledge in book form for more than 5,000 years. That means that whatever you’re working on right now, whatever problem you’re struggling with, is probably addressed in some book somewhere by someone a lot smarter than you. Save yourself the trouble of learning from trial and error–find that point. Benefit from that perspective.

The walls of my house are covered in books from floor to ceiling. The last time I moved, I had to rent a U-Haul exclusively for books. At first that frustrated me, and then I remembered that books paid the rent on both those houses. They kept me sane, they made me a lot of money.

The purpose of reading is not just raw knowledge. It’s that it is part of the human experience. It helps you find meaning, understand yourself, and make your life better.

There is very little else that you can say that about. Very little else like that under $20 too.

-

Look, you either get this or you don’t. Reading is something you know is important and want to do more of. Or you’re someone who just doesn’t read. If you’re the latter, you’re on your own (you’re also probably not that smart).

Think of someone like Frederick Douglass, who brought himself up out of slavery by sneaking out and teaching himself to read. Books weren’t some idle pursuit or pastime to him, they were survival itself. And despite this dire situation, he managed to read  and, as the writer Thomas Sowell once put it, “educate himself to the point where his words now have to be explained to today’s expensively under-educated generation.”

What excuse do you have?

If you want to read more, there’s no real secret. It’s about adjusting your priorities and your perception so that reading becomes an extension of who you are and what you do.

When that happens, you’ll be the person that people now ask: How do you do it? And the answer will be: I just do.

This post originally ran on ThoughtCatalog.com. For more comments, view it there.

BOOK; The Magic of Thinking Big

Millions of readers have acquired the secrets of success through The Magic of Thinking Big. Achieve everything you always wanted: financial security, power and influence, the ideal job, satisfying relationships, and a rewarding, happy life.
Set your goals high...then exceed them!

Millions of people throughout the world have improved their lives using The Magic of Thinking Big. Dr. David J. Schwartz, long regarded as one of the foremost experts on motivation, will help you sell better, manage better, earn more money, and—most important of all—find greater happiness and peace of mind.
The Magic of Thinking Big gives you useful methods, not empty promises. Dr. Schwartz presents a carefully designed program for getting the most out of your job, your marriage and family life, and your community. He proves that you don’t need to be an intellectual or have innate talent to attain great success and satisfaction—but you do need to learn and understand the habit of thinking and behaving in ways that will get you there. This book gives you those secrets!
Believe you can succeed and you will
Cure yourself of the fear of failure
Think and dream creatively
You are what you think you are
Make your attitudes your allies
Learn how to think positively
Turn defeat into victory
Use goals to help you grow
Think like a leader
Biography
Dr. David J. Schwartz was a professor at Georgia State University in Atlanta and the president of Creative Educational Services, Inc., a consulting firm specializing in leadership development.

How to Read More: The Simple System I’m Using to Read 30+ Books Per Year

Warren Buffett, the man commonly referred to as the greatest investor of the 20th century, was standing in front of 165 wide-eyed students from Columbia University.

One of the students raised his hand and asked Buffett for his thoughts on the best way to prepare for an investing career. After thinking for a moment, Buffett pulled out a stack of papers and trade reports he had brought with him and said, “Read 500 pages like this every day. That’s how knowledge works. It builds up, like compound interest. All of you can do it, but I guarantee not many of you will do it.” [1]

Buffett estimates that 80 percent of his working hours are spent reading or thinking. It’s enough to make you ask, “Am I reading enough books?”

When I asked myself that question recently, I realized that there were some simple reasons I wasn’t reading as much as I would like to, and I developed a reasonable system that is helping me read more than 30 books per year.

Let me explain…

How to Read More Books

If you know how to read, then reading books is relatively easy. You simply have to make time to read. Easier said than done, of course.

When I looked at my own reading habits, I realized that my reading habits were mostly reactive, not proactive. If an interesting link flashed across my screen on Facebook or Twitter, then I would read it as a reaction. I wasn’t proactively making time to read books each day. I was simply reading interesting ideas that were pushed in front of me.

As a result, most of my reading was done online. Now, there are plenty of excellent articles on the web, but generally speaking, the quality of good books is better. Books typically have better writing (more tightly edited) and higher quality information (better fact-checking and more extensive research). From a learning perspective, it’s probably a better use of my time to read books than to read online content.

So, I had to figure out a strategy that would allow me to read more books without letting typical distractions get in the way.

How do you that?

20 Pages Per Day

Here’s the only pattern I’ve been able to stick with consistently:

Read 20 pages to start the day.

I usually wake up, drink a glass of water, write down 3 things I’m grateful for, and read 20 pages of a book. For the last 10 weeks, I have followed this new habit. As of today, I’m 100 pages into my 7th book. At that pace (7 books per 10 weeks) I’ll read about 36 books in the next year. Not bad.

Here’s why I think this pattern works: 20 pages is small enough that it’s not intimidating. Most people can finish reading 20 pages within 30 minutes. And if you do it first thing in the morning, then the urgencies of the day don’t get in the way.

Finally, 20 pages seems small but adds up fast. It’s a great average speed.

If time allows, I’ll read at other times as well. After the research I did for my article on how to get better sleep, I have added reading to my “prepare for bed” routine as well. But regardless of what happens during the rest of the day, I still get my 20 pages in each morning.

The First Hour

How do you spend the first hour of your day?

Most people spend it getting dressed, getting ready, and rushing out the door. What if that time was spent making yourself a better person? What if you woke up an hour before you needed to each day and worked on yourself? How much better would you be at work, in your relationships, and as a person?

That’s essentially what this reading strategy is asking you to do. Before you move on to the normal bustle of the day, invest in yourself. Before your life turns into a whirlwind of activity, read a book that will make you better. As with most habits that can greatly impact your life, this will never feel urgent, but it is important.

20 pages per day. That’s all you need.

James Clear writes about using behavioral science to master your habits and improve your mental and physical health. If you enjoyed this article, join his free newsletter.

Time Management Tamplate From 168 Hours Book

This is weekly time management which you can lodge every hour of your week.
You can download this template at www.my168hours.com

30 Things We Learned From The Book 168 Hours; You Have More Time Than You Think

1. If you love what you do u will have more energy to do it for the rest of your life
2. Most of the activities/task we do are repetitive in every 168hours, this means u can plan and manage time efficiently.
3. Get Rid of non core competency work
4. Control your calendar
5. You can spend time with your children doing things you love together
6. Its better to do one thing at a time
7. We spend a lot of our 168 hours working, so being in the right job matters. To find out if you’re in the right job, ask yourself these questions:
Does my job tap into my intrinsic motivations (things I loved as a kid or would do for free)?
Does my job give me a reasonable amount of autonomy?
Am I chalenged regularly to the extent of my abilities?
Do my work environment, organization, and coworkers encourage my best work?
If the answer is “no” to any of these four questions, what can I change? In the next week? In the next year? Can I create the right job within my organization? Another organization? Or wil I need to go out on my own?
8. To know you are in the right job you should ask yourself if someone propositions you millions of dollars in exchange for your job will you take it?
9. If you don’t have the space for something, then be honest about it and either don’t make the commitment or agree to a more reasonable time frame
10. You can compress time spent on non-core-competency activities with a three-part strategy:
Ignore it,
Minimize it, or
Outsource it
11. Life  management and productivity depends much on time management.
12. One thing to keep in mind is that entrepreneurship need not mean borrowing huge sums of money to start a high-tech giant.
13. Regardless your a woman or a man you can be the best at your career and the best parent at the same time only by managing your 168hrs.
14. Everything that I do, every minute I spend is my choice. When you focus on what you do best, on what brings you the most satisfaction, there is plenty of space for everything. You can build a big career, you can build a big family. You can fill your life with more abundance than most people think is possible.
15. All of us ,we all have 24hrs in our days and 7 days in our weeks.That comes out 168hrs each week to create the lives we want.
16. Most of people claim that they are busy,overworked or under rested but we don't think about how we want to spend our time and so we spend massive amounts of time on things like Tv, web surfing, house work that give a slight amount of pleasure but do little for our career .   
17. 168hrs these hrs still have to be care full  budgeted  in order to turn the life you have into the life you want.
18. The chances are minimal that some one else will create the perfect job for you, you'll have to invest the hours to design it in an entrepreneurial fashion,whether you're working for someone else or for yourself.
19. Creating the right job is the first step to using the hours for work in the most effective way possible
20. When you say “I don’t have time,” this puts the responsibility on someone else: a boss, a client, your family. Or else it puts the responsibility on some nebulous force: capitalism, society, etc
21. The majority of people who claim to be overworkedwork less than they think they do, and many of the ways people work are extraordinarily inefficient. Calling something “work” does not make it important or necessary
22. "You should do what you love"means finding work that matches with with your expertise, your creative thinking skills and your strongest intrinsic motivations.
23. "You should love what you do" means finding environment that will allow you to retain that intrisic motivational focus,while supporting your exploration of new ideas.
24. If you love what you do ,you'll have more energy for the rest of your life too. There is much happiness to be gained by throwing yourself into a meaningful professional pursuit.
25. When make decisions about ur work hours, keep in mind that any work that is not advancing you toward the professional life you want should not count as work. It is wasted time.
26. Changing the work component of your 168hrs into something that looks closer to the ideal than it currently does. There is four parts Process for doing this: seize control of your schedule, do not mistake things that look like work for actual work, get rid of non-core competency task by ignoring, minimizing or out sourcing them, boost efficiency by getting better at what you do.
27. Part of being effective during the hrs you choose to work is developing the discipline to spend real time on whats important.
28. If you want to use your 168hrs effectively,once you make a commitment to urself to spend a certain number of hours on task, keep it. Never miss a deadline.
29.  The truth is that any existing job description has been conceived of by someone else. Expecting someone else to have conceived of your perfect job is roughly similar to expecting someone else to read your mind. It’s better to build your career with the idea that you will always be responsible for creating the right job for each stage of your life, whether you work for someone else or on your own.
30. If you want to use your 168 hours effectivelly and productive, start behaving the best you can, think of your time as a wealthiest thing in life. Much of life is how you frame it. DO WHAT U LOVE AND MONEY WILL FOLLOW.

9 Books Bill Gates Thinks Everyone Should Read.

While Bill Gates has a schedule that's planned down to the minute, the entrepreneur-turned-billionaire-humanitarian still gobbles up about a book a week.

Aside from a handful of novels, they're mostly nonfiction books covering his and his foundation's broad range of interests. A lot of them are about transforming systems: how nations can intelligently develop, how to lead an organization, and how social change can fruitfully happen.

We went through the past four years of his book criticism to find the ones that he gave glowing reviews and that changed his perspective.

'Tap Dancing to Work: Warren Buffett on Practically Everything, 1966-2012' by Carol Loomis

Warren Buffett and Gates have a famously epic bromance, what with their recommending books to each other and spearheading philanthropic campaigns together.

So it's no surprise that Gates enjoyed "Tap Dancing To Work," a collection of articles and essays about and by Buffett, compiled by Fortune magazine journalist Carol Loomis.

Gates says that anyone who reads the book cover-to-cover will walk away with two main impressions:

First, how Warren's been incredibly consistent in applying his vision and investment principles over the duration of his career;

... [S]econdly, that his analysis and understanding of business and markets remains unparalleled. I wrote in 1996 that I'd never met anyone who thought about business in such a clear way. That is certainly still the case.

Getting into the mind of Buffett is "an extremely worthwhile use of time," Gates concludes.

Buy it here >>

'Making the Modern World: Materials and Dematerialization' by Vaclav Smil

Gates says his favorite author is Vaclav Smil, an environmental sciences professor who writes big histories of things like energy and innovation.

His latest is "Making the Modern World." It got Gates thinking.

"It might seem mundane, but the issue of materials — how much we use and how much we need — is key to helping the world’s poorest people improve their lives," he writes. "Think of the amazing increase in quality of life that we saw in the United States and other rich countries in the past 100 years. We want most of that miracle to take place for all of humanity over the next 50 years."

To know where we're going, Gates says, we need to know where we've been — and Smil is one of his favorite sources for learning that.

Buy it here >>

'The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History' by Elizabeth Kolbert

It can be easy to forget that our present day is a part of world history. Gates says that New Yorker writer Elizabeth Kolbert's new book "The Sixth Extinction" helps correct that.

"Humans are putting down massive amounts of pavement, moving species around the planet, over-fishing and acidifying the oceans, changing the chemical composition of rivers, and more," Gates writes, echoing a concern that he voices in many of his reviews. 

"Natural scientists posit that there have been five extinction events in the Earth’s history (think of the asteroid that wiped out the dinosaurs)," he continues, "and Kolbert makes a compelling case that human activity is leading to the sixth."

To get a hint of Kolbert's reporting, check out the series of stories that preceded the book's publication. 

Buy it here >>

'Stress Test: Reflections on Financial Crises' by Tim Geithner

Gates stood at the center of an enormously complex system as the CEO of Microsoft. Timothy Geithner did much the same as US Treasury Secretary — and saw the structure fall down around him during the financial crisis. 

"Geithner paints a compelling human portrait of what it was like to be fighting a global financial meltdown while at the same time fighting critics inside and outside the Administration as well as his own severe guilt over his near-total absence from his family," Gates says. "The politics of fighting financial crises will always be ugly. But it helps if the public knows a little more about the subject."

"Stress Test" provides that knowledge.

Buy it here >>

'The Better Angels of Our Nature: Why Violence Has Declined' by Steven Pinker

In "Better Angels," Harvard cognitive scientist Steven Pinker branches out into the history of the most contentious of subjects: violence.

Gates says it's one of the most important books he's ever read.

"Pinker presents a tremendous amount of evidence that humans have gradually become much less violent and much more humane," he says, in a trend that started thousands of years ago and continued until this day.

This isn't just ivory-tower theory. Gates says the book has affected his humanitarian work.

"As I'm someone who’s fairly optimistic in general," he says, "the book struck a chord with me and got me to thinking about some of our foundation's strategies."

Buy it here >>

'The Man Who Fed the World' by Leon Hesser

Even though Gates can get a meeting with almost anyone, he can't land a sit-down with Norman Borlaug, the late biologist and humanitarian who led the "Green Revolution" — a series of innovations that kept a huge chunk of humanity from starving.

"Although a lot of people have never heard of Borlaug, he probably saved more lives than anyone else in history," Gates says. "It's estimated that his new seed varieties saved a billion people from starvation," many of whom were in India and Pakistan.

Borlaug was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, and the Congressional Gold Medal for his efforts — and is one of only seven people to do so.

For Gates, Borlaug is a model in getting important work done in the world.

"Borlaug was one-of-a-kind," he says, "equally skilled in the laboratory, mentoring young scientists, and cajoling reluctant bureaucrats and government officials."

Hesser's "The Man Who Fed the World" lets you peer into the personality that saved a billion lives.

Buy it here >>

'Business Adventures: Twelve Classic Tales from the World of Wall Street' by John Brooks

Amazon

Back in 1991, Gates asked Buffett what his favorite book was.

To reply, Buffett sent the Microsoft founder his personal copy of "Business Adventures," a collection of New Yorker stories by John Brooks.

Though the anecdotes are from half a century ago, the book remains Gates' favorite.

Gates says that the book serves as a reminder that the principles for building a winning business stay constant. He writes:

For one thing, there's an essential human factor in every business endeavor. It doesn't matter if you have a perfect product, production plan and marketing pitch; you'll still need the right people to lead and implement those plans.

Learning of the affections that Gates and Buffett have for this title, the business press has fallen similarly in love with the book. We put together a list of takeaways, while Slate quipped that "Business Adventures" is "catnip for billionaires."

Buy it here >>

'The Bully Pulpit: Theodore Roosevelt, William Howard Taft, and the Golden Age of Journalism' by Doris Kearns Goodwin

Amazon

Like us, Gates is fascinated by the way Theodore Roosevelt was able to affect his society — busting trusts, setting up a park system, and the like.

For this reason, Gates appreciates how Goodwin's biography uses the presidency as a lens for understanding the shift of society.

"How does social change happen?" Gates asks in his review. "Can it be driven by a single inspirational leader, or do other factors have to lay the groundwork first?"

He says that TR shows how many stakeholders need to be involved.

"Although he tried to push through a number of political reforms earlier in his career," Gates says, "[Roosevelt] wasn't really successful until journalists at 'McClure's' and other publications had rallied public support for change."

Buy it here >>

'The Rosie Project: A Novel' by Graeme Simsion

amazon

Gates doesn't review a lot of fiction, but "The Rosie Project," which came on the recommendation of his wife Melinda, is an oddly perfect fit.

"Anyone who occasionally gets overly logical will identify with the hero, a genetics professor with Asperger’s Syndrome who goes looking for a wife," he writes. "(Melinda thought I would appreciate the parts where he’s a little too obsessed with optimizing his schedule. She was right.)"

The book is funny, clever, and moving, Gates says, to the point that he read it in one sitting.

Buy it here >>

Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/bill-gates-favorite-books-2014-10?op=1#ixzz3Gu5Mv4Wp

What is it like to be a voracious reader?

I found this question in Quora and picked few answers to help us as voracious readers.

• Your reading list is never ending - the more books you read, the more books you realize you should read. Recently I read a biography which recommended seven books that I realized I simply have to read, and when I eventually read those seven books they will also recommend numerous book that I will have to read; continuing the process ad infinitum.

• Friends expect you to have read everything - 'how could you not have read Book X or Book Y, I thought you read a lot', is a question you get asked all the time, neglecting the fact that there are thousands and thousands of books that have to be ignored in favor of the books you do eventually read. Just because you are a voracious reader does not mean you have read every 'major' book written in the last two hundred years.

• Re-reading is more important than the initial reading - I am consistently humbled by how much I miss spotting in my first reading of almost any text. It is only after numerous re-readings of numerous passages and chapters that important themes and ideas start to click. I now even mark certain sections with the comment 'return to later' in the knowledge that I will need to come back to that section.

• There are two types of voracious readers - there are those who will chew up anything in a particular genre or field and there are those who read expansively as well as in areas that they are uncomfortable with. I used to belong to the former category (I would only read a certain type of literary fiction), but ever since I switched to the latter, I have become a better reader and a deeper thinker.

• You continually discover gems of ideas that expand your consciousness - I am currently reading a fascinating book called Why Does The World Exist?, and on two occasions I have stumbled upon ideas that have given me eureka moments that will stay with me for a long time to come as well as altering my present state of thinking. It is for these moments that I continually read and read and read..

BOOK; 168 Hours - You Have More Time Than You Think By Laura Vanderkam

This week 20/10 – 26/10/2014 we are going to read a book 168 Hours - You Have More Time Than You Think By Laura Vanderkam.

There are 168 hours in a week. This is your guide to getting the most out of them.
It's an unquestioned truth of modern life: we are starved for time. We tell ourselves we'd like to read more, get to the gym regularly, try new hobbies, and accomplish all kinds of goals. But then we give up because there just aren't enough hours to do it all. Or if we don't make excuses, we make sacrifices- taking time out from other things in order to fit it all in.

There has to be a better way...and Laura Vanderkam has found one. After interviewing dozens of successful, happy people, she realized that they allocate their time differently than most of us. Instead of letting the daily grind crowd out the important stuff, they start by making sure there's time for the important stuff. When plans go wrong and they run out of time, only their lesser priorities suffer.
Vanderkam shows that with a little examination and prioritizing, you'll find it is possible to sleep eight hours a night, exercise five days a week, take piano lessons, and write a novel without giving up quality time for work, family, and other things that really matter.

To get the book and participate in discussion join voracious readers.

A Simple Guide to Becoming a Voracious Reader

The more I learn about the lives of great people, the more I know that many of them are voracious readers. Bill Gates and Warren Buffett are two contemporary examples. My favorite example, though, is Theodore Roosevelt (TR).

While he was at the White House, TR read at least one book a day, even when he was busy. If he had no event at night, he could read one or two more books. Not only that, he had a strong memory of what he had read. Often he could quote passages.

With TR, reading had become a habit since his youth. Whether he was with the cowboys or soldiers, his favorite pastime was reading. This habit gave him an immense knowledge and a broad perspective. It helped him become the effective person he was.

Why You Should Become a Voracious Reader

There are many benefits you can get by being an avid reader. Here are some of them (I focus on non-fiction books here):

• It broadens your perspective.
  Reading helps you see the world from a new perspective. Among other things, it helps you foresee new opportunities and threats. You will also be able to assess a situation more accurately.
• It helps you be more creative.
  By feeding your mind with many different ideas, there is a good chance that your various thoughts will cross-pollinate and produce fresh ideas. You will become more creative as a result.
• It relaxes your mind.
  TR said that reading is “a pure imaginative therapy.” Immersing yourself in a good book is like watching a good movie. It can take you to new worlds. Such an experience is entertaining and relaxing for your mind.
• It gives you a deeper appreciation of the world.
  Sometimes we don’t appreciate something because we don’t know how wonderful it actually is. Reading can give you a deeper understanding of the world around you which, in turn, will grow your appreciation of it.
• It enriches your conversational repertoire.
  Knowing more about the world around you means having more topics to converse with. That will help you connect with different kinds of people.

How to Become a Voracious Reader

Now that we have seen the benefits of becoming an avid reader, here are some ways to become one:

• Build your curiosity.
  If you are curious, you don’t need to push yourself to read. Instead, you will want to read because it will satisfy your curiosity. To build your curiosity, be aware that there are many interesting things in this world that you don’t know. Your life will be much more exciting if you find them. Even seemingly boring things have interesting sides if you dig deep enough.
• Teach yourself to read in small sips as well as in long swallows.
  This advice comes from Stephen King in On Writing. Whenever you have idle time, whether long or short, fill it with reading. Waiting in the doctor’s office could be a good time to read, so is waiting to board your plane. It means that you should always take a book with you. Fortunately, that’s easy to do these days: simply put e-books into your tablet or smartphone and you are set.
• Read diversely.
  Reading diversely prevents you from getting bored because you constantly enter new worlds. The sense of wonder will motivate you to read more.
• Immerse yourself in your reading.
  When you are reading, visualize what you read. Imagine being in the world. TR was so immersed in his reading that he couldn’t even hear his name being called. When you achieve this level, reading will become a flow. It will become a “pure imaginative therapy.” You will end up wanting more of it.

***

Do you have tips on becoming a voracious reader?

This Guide was copied from LIFE OPTIMIZER

100 Essential Sites for Voracious Readers

The advent of e-readers has allowed people to carry a lifetime of books in their backpack for convenient, backlit reading anywhere.

This proliferation of reading gadgets has not only been a boon for passionate readers, but for writers as well. It is easier and less expensive than ever for independent authors to publish their works to a possible audience of millions.

This is a huge benefit to both writers and readers, and has led to an outpouring of independently published e-books for lovers of all genres. This list is a celebration of reading and writing for both academic and general audiences.

Read the list here

Welcome To Voracious Readers.

Voracious Readers is a group of avid readers who believe that knowledge is power and the best thing to do is to have a lot of it.
Our main objective is to read 500 books in 5 years, which equal to 100 books in a year and two books in a week. 

In voracious reader we read two books per week one according to profession and another one for general knowledge for example personal development, time management, leadership e.t.c 
The book we read in general category we discuss it during book discussion session which is help once a week.
Time for book discussion is every Saturday at 18:00hrs to 20:00hours East Africa Time(GMT +3)
It is important for every member to participate in book discussion, failure to do so without notice will lead to termination of membership.

How to join Voracious Readers?

Book sharing and book discussion take place through TELEGRAM MESSENGER.
To join the group install TELEGRAM MESSENGER in your device and send text message  to this number +255 717 396 253 asking to join Voracious Readers group.
You are welcome.