Reading Can Help You Be the Best

Reading books and listening to audio tapes is something I enjoy tremendously. I do it for inspiration. I do it for motivation. And I do it to get ideas that can help me achieve my personal and professional goals.

I very easily read between 12 and 20 books a year.

I read a few fiction titles, but mostly I read books on business trends, marketing, sales, technology, self-development and a few on inspiration.

I've decided to create this blog to share my love of books with YOU. Yes, YOU!

As I finish a book or tape, I will go ahead and post a summary here. I'll also go back to my library and pick out some unforgettable books you simply MUST read.

My goal in writing this blog is multi-tiered. First I want to share my enthusiasm and love of learning with you. Maybe it'll inspire you to pick up a book and start reading today. Secondly, I want to make sure that I not only read books, but that I study them.

You see, merely reading a book is NOT enough.

If you read something and don't apply it, what's the point?

You have to read and then study what you've read. Oops, I said "studying", a word that connotes misery and boredom. But studying doesn't have to be torturous. Studying can mean sharing the ideas you read about with others. Explain the ideas to friends and co-workers. Start a conversation about them. And finally, try to implement the ideas into your everyday life. See what works and see what doesn't, and try to understand why. That's learning and reading is the catalyst.

The last reason I'm creating this blog is to practice my writing, another important skill that is often neglected even by many influential leaders. In fact, I just finished listening to Jeffery Gitomer's Sales Answers audio book where he challenged me to list the ways that I am adding value to my customers.

What value, he asks, am I adding in the way of contributing ideas to my team and to my customers. Ideas they can use to be more successful. Do I have a blog? Do I have a monthly or weekly newsletter? What?

I didn't have a good answer but now I do. I took Mr. Gitomers advice and I'm putting it to good use.

So there you have it. The first of what I hope are many subsequent posts. I hope that this blog motivates and inspires you to seek out ideas and to use those ideas to build a better future for yourself, your family and your organization.