We are all aware that reading is beneficial to our health. Many people, however, read a lot, but nothing changes after they finish. Why do others continue to improve themselves after reading? What’s the problem with people who spend their days in stagnation?
The crucial distinction between “knowledge” and “ability” is “doing.”
Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Willing is not enough; we must do.
Bruce Lee
Only by applying what we’ve learned from books can we make the knowledge contained within them valuable. Reading is not for studying; it is for doing. We create value by applying what we know.
How can we address these issues? How can we do anything after we finish a book? These five steps can assist you.
Make a workable plan.
Warren Buffett, one of the world’s most successful businessmen, is also a bookworm. When he was younger, he had the same dream as every other young man: to become wealthy. But how did he succeed when everyone else failed? The key difference is that he would develop an actionable plan and constantly tweak it based on what he learned from books.
Unlike most of us, we had no plan for our dreams or lives, and we did not change our plans after reading. Perhaps it is too difficult for us to create a plan right now, but the first thing we can do is try to create one after reading the next time. Make an action plan by asking yourself, “What should I do after reading?” Even the smallest action can have a significant impact in the future. For example, I read in a book that taking a deep breath can help with concentration. I used to feel drowsy after a nap, but now I take several deep breaths after waking up, which really lifts my spirits.
It is critical to remember the “SMART” rule when creating a plan. That is specific, measurable, attainable, reasonable, and time-bound. For example, if we finished a book about writing and wanted to write a lot more, we would make a writing plan.
- I’m going to write something.
- In one year, I plan to write fifty articles about new technology, with a total word count of more than 100,000.
- I’m going to start writing and make a million dollars in a year.
The first action is neither specific nor limited in time. The third is completely unrealistic.
Visualize yourself after you complete your plan.
You can become more determined about what you are going to do if you have a vivid imagination.
The law of attraction will undoubtedly and consistently bring to you the conditions, environment, and experiences in life that correspond with your habitual, characteristic, and dominant mental attitude.
Charles Haanel
Draw a line between yourself and the goal.
Following the creation of a “SMART” actionable plan, it is now time to analyze ourselves and understand where we are currently. We can track our progress with numbers by asking ourselves, “What percentage of our goals have we completed?” Then, try to respond to the question, “What should I do to get closer to our 10% goal?” Consider 5W1H and make a list of all the actions you can think of. After brainstorming the plans, pick the one you like best and label it “SMART.”
Reduce the scope of your plans.
Even if you have a detailed plan, it may be too vague to carry out. The plan must be divided and made as small as possible. Consider the preceding example. It’s fine to write fifty articles about new technology in a year, but it’s better to break it down into a monthly, weekly, or even daily plan. By dividing 100,000 by 50 articles, we can determine that each article should contain more than 2000 words. Because there are 52 weeks in a year, we should write one article per week. We need sources for our articles so that we can develop a more detailed strategy, such as reading 10 technology news stories every weekday and writing 1000 words on both Saturday and Sunday.
You will discover that breaking down a plan like this makes achieving your goal simple.
Stick to your plan and get it done.
Even if you make a detailed plan, nothing will come true if you don’t do it. As previously stated, simply being willing is insufficient; we must also act. It’s tragic that you know everything but do nothing. Reading that does not produce results is a waste of your time and life; it is also a crime.
