Read More Deeply – Habit

If you haven’t read part 1 of this post, check out this link for more context and Step 1 of this process for how to examine your information sources.
 
Step 2 – Use Filter Questions to Save Time and Your Brain 
Our brains are wasted by constant mindless reading.  Do you ever feel like you’re in a fog mentally, even four hours after waking up when your brain should typically be at its peak?  Often its due to information overload.  Check yourself before you wreck yourself by filtering your sources on-demand.
 
Filter Questions
Every time you’re consuming information ask the following questions.
 
  1. Am I consuming this information to Entertain myself?
  2. Will I use this information Immediately?
  3. Will this information help me achieve my Goals?
 
If you answer ‘No’ to all three questions, skip it.  If you answer ‘Yes’ to entertaining yourself, that’s fine.  We all need entertainment, but it’s good to be conscious of how much.  Over time you’ll get a sense of whether you’re overdoing entertaining yourself and make adjustments.
 
 
Step 3 – Read One Page of High-Quality Information Daily
With the time you’ve created from examining and filtering your information sources, read one page of a high-quality information source daily.  
 
  • Read one page of a high-quality information source daily
  • Use the ‘Deep’ list of information sources for your reading
    • Well-researched non-fiction
    • Highly descriptive fiction
    • Long-form articles
  • Choose a consistent time to read to create your habit
    • Between waking up and breakfast
    • Lunch time break 
    • Wind-down before sleep
    • Read on the fly when needed to maintain your habit
 
You may wonder: “Why am I only reading one page?”  As described in the J-Curve post, create goals that are so easy you can’t fail.  Reading one page per day is similar to flossing one tooth per day as described by BJ Fogg.  There’s a good chance you’ll read more than one page, but you should feel content with reading just one page.  Get in the habit of reading consistently to motivate yourself snd you may find you want to read more.
 
A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies.  The man who never reads lives only one.
– George R.R. Martin
 
old_man_reading
 
 
Summary
Use these three steps to reflect on what you consume, create time and save energy for your goals, and feed your brain a high-quality diet.  These actions combined will tune up you mind and calibrate your future path towards who you want to be.  
 
  1. Examine Your Current Information Sources (Yearly)
  2. Use Filter Questions to Save Time and Your Brain (On-Demand)
    • Entertain
    • Immediate
    • Goals
  3. Read One Page of High-Quality Information (Daily)