Editor’s note: This article was first published in July 2013. Mightybell, as it was known in 2013, has since become Mighty Networks, so the links in the piece may no longer work as originally published.
We’re continuing with some ideas to help make the summer both relaxing and productive. This time Gina Bianchini, founder of Mightybell, shares on LinkedIn a few simple tips that I fully agree with and strongly recommend.
One of the most common traits of successful people is that they are voracious readers. And I’m not talking about reading The Da Vinci Code or The Pillars of the Earth (which I’m sure are fine for building the habit). What we mean here is taking a strategic approach to learning and knowledge by developing the smart habit of reading.
(Read: 4 things small business owners can do this summer)
Just as the ideal hobby is one that pays, the same goes for reading. If we’re going to spend time reading, the book or subject should give us experience and knowledge in our profession, or in the profession we want to learn. While this is something I personally do pretty much all year round, for those who aren’t used to it, summer is a good place to start. Gina advises:
1. Pick a subject
The first thing is to be clear about what we want to learn, what we need for inspiration, or what would fill the gaps we have in a particular subject. Since we cover business, investing and financial education, this summer you could broaden your knowledge in any of these areas. Other people may need some motivation to try their hand at business. For that, I always recommend reading the stories of great entrepreneurs above all. As a rule, we can learn something from all of them, though more from some than others.
2. Go deep into the subject
Once you know what subject you’re going to learn, don’t settle for a single book. Read 3 or 5 if you need to, because some will offer different points of view while others will be more advanced on the same subject. For example, I’ve already published 5 good books on financial education. Apart from Graham’s The Intelligent Investor, they all talk about the importance of financial education; they motivate you and raise your awareness, but afterwards you’ll need to learn more advanced concepts, because the world of finance is complex, though simple enough if you take an interest.
3. And finally, switch things up
You’re passionate about investing, about business… great, but don’t become a one-topic person. Great business ideas weren’t born from reading books for entrepreneurs, but from what you see outside those books. Let me explain: a book for entrepreneurs may teach you to spot business opportunities, but you may find those opportunities in a magazine about solar energy, technology or children’s education. We always advise diversifying our knowledge. Reading a magazine that had nothing to do with investing is what made me decide to invest in Gowex, a company that was unknown to the market at the time and is, so far, the most profitable stock in my portfolio.
Does this mean the habit of reading can turn us into geniuses?
Gina Bianchini says yes, and I give it a resounding YES too, because reading opens our minds and keeps them active, and in doing so we leave laziness behind. Most people don’t read, either out of laziness or lack of interest, and neither of those two “qualities” leads to success. You have to keep learning all the time.
I know that to many of you it may seem silly to make such a big deal of “smart reading”. In fact, the first comment Gina got after sharing these tips came from a reader who said, roughly, that the article was like going out to buy a sports jersey and thinking you’re already an athlete.
Since she hasn’t replied, I will: “Some people buy a sports jersey to watch football on the couch at home. Others buy it to play sport regularly. The second is an athlete, or is trying to be one. The first just watches football, and could have saved the money on the jersey.”
In the end, it’s all a question of mindset.
Further reading
See also: 10 things inspiring leaders do differently at work
Featured image: JD Lasica from Pleasanton, CA, US, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
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