Reading Isn't Optional

Let’s start with a reality check: The average American spends just 16 minutes a day reading.

Now, compare that to the habits of the world’s most successful people. Whether it’s Warren Buffet or Oprah Winfrey, almost every successful person reports reading all the time. This isn’t a coincidence—it’s a playbook for personal and professional growth.

Success leaves clues, and you’ll find those clues in books.

Why Reading Matters

Serious reading rewires your mind. It sharpens focus, enhances memory, and strengthens your ability to connect ideas.

But perhaps most importantly, it offers a critical perspective: the realization that everything you face—every fear, challenge, or triumph—has happened before. Others have navigated it, and so can you.

Think about it: You only live one lifetime, but every book is a portal to someone else’s experiences, breakthroughs, and lessons. Reading allows you to absorb decades of wisdom in a matter of days. It’s the foundation for creating meaningful impact in the world.

Examples from the Best

Take Warren Buffett. He spends 80% of his day reading and thinking, reportedly consuming 500 pages daily. When asked about his success, he pointed to reading as the primary habit that built his knowledge base.

Or Barack Obama, who prioritized 30 minutes of reading every night—even during his presidency. His nightly routine included fiction to deepen his empathy and understanding of the human experience.

If these leaders could find time to read while managing immense responsibilities, what’s stopping you?

The Alternatives Are Costly

While the average person spends over three hours scrolling social media, but fewer than 50% of Americans read a single book last year. Social media, in particular, is a double-edged sword, feeding anxiety and shortening attention spans.

If you want to stand out, read more books. Period.

The Math of Reading

Think you’re too busy? Here’s the math:

• Average book length: 250-300 pages or ~5 hours to complete.

• Daily reading goal: 30 minutes a day.

At this pace, you’ll complete 24 books a year—that’s 24 lifetimes of insight, resilience, solutions, and stories added to your own.

A Challenge for You

Take the 30 minutes you’d spend scrolling social media and replace it with reading for 30 days. 

Start with a book that resonates—whether it’s a biography, a novel, or a guide on a skill you want to master. By the end of the month, you’ll notice profound shifts in your perspective, focus, and understanding.

Every book you read is a new opportunity:

• To learn from someone else’s life.

• To broaden your perspective.

• To deepen your capacity to serve others.

Let me know what books you start reading this month.

Quote I’m Pondering:

"Man often becomes what he believes himself to be. If I keep on saying to myself that I cannot do a certain thing, it is possible that I may end by really becoming incapable of doing it. On the contrary, if I have the belief that I can do it, I shall surely acquire the capacity to do it even if I may not have it at the beginning."
— Mahatma Gandhi

What I’m Reading

12 Week Year by Brian Moran and Michael Lennington

Book helps individuals and organizations increase productivity and achieve more in less time by fundamentally changing how they approach goal-setting and execution. I found it to be a good reinforcement of getting more done in less time strategically.

Learn more at https://12weekyear.com/

That’s all for now!

I hope you had an incredible end to 2024 and are already working towards your dreams and habits for 2025 (including, hopefully, a reading habit!). For more thoughts on how you can be preparing for this year, make sure you check out my blog on the power of writing.

Cheers,

Eric Mathews

P.S. — I’d love to talk with you and learn how I can help you achieve these goals this year. Sign up for a free coaching call today and take the first step toward your next breakthrough this year.

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