Generally, I Don’t Like Writing. I Definitely HATE Reading

I should start by saying this blog, essay, writing outlet, or whatever someone might call this is aimed towards those who don’t like write, but mainly towards those who never voluntarily read a book of their choosing. This goes out to what seems to be the majority of people, and from my experience, the vast majority of directionless millennials.

Ever since grade school (I’m only 21 now), I have particularly despised reading & writing. English class undoubtedly was always my least favorite class, and consequently the easiest for me to fall asleep in. I never understood how some students absolutely loved that class, whereas I could not get over how bored I was. Could there have been a secret I was missing? I excelled in other areas such as math and science, therefore I couldn’t convince myself I was just dumb. Perhaps it was the repetitive teaching styles English professors had. It seemed that every single year, all the way through high school, the first quarter was dedicated to describing the fundamental basics of grammar. To waste such time re-learning the differences between nouns, pronouns, adverbs, adjectives etc. seemed of little value to me. Even so, the one benefit I saw in English class was the fact that the repeated writing of papers for 10 or so years definitely made for a skillful and proficient writer, nevertheless at the cost of extreme boredom.

Moreover, the funny thing about English class is that there are books associated with it. It should be noted that the only thing I hated more than writing at the time(as you can probably guess) was READING! Furthermore, until August of 2018, I had not picked up a book with the intention of just reading since about the 9th grade(2011). School textbooks were interesting, but often was the case that the writing was so dense it was often hard to keep reading. My interest always found a way to fade quickly. Aside from school textbooks, I knew of fiction books and novels often read in English classes. I did not like the idea of HAVING to read a book. Additionally, I didn’t care too much of the story in which I was reading, probably because I would have rather been playing video games or doing something outside(basically anything more fun than reading). All the books the school wanted me to read clearly were not things that I was interested in reading. What’s the key word? Interested. So what changed in 2018?

Previously, I often thought that I simply hated to read. Thinking more deeply on the matter now, despite my old closed-minded attitudes, I just wasn’t interested in WHAT I was reading. Subsequently, I began listening to a podcast by the name of biggerpockets(BP) and began learning the fundamentals of real estate investing. Each episode, a new(and sometimes returning) successful real estate investor was interviewed, and as a result, I learned a few recurring characteristics of real estate investors.

1. All successful real estate investors need to be persistent, not necessarily smart
2. All successful real estate investors make a lot of money
3. The vast majority of real investors read BOOKS every month

Wait, what?! Your telling me you have to do something you hate? How can you do that, you are turning on your core values! Don’t you remember? Reading SUCKS!

As it turns out(believe it or not), following the habits of successful people really does increase your chance of becoming successful yourself. Don’t settle for average, strive to outperform the top performers. As an illustration, the author Grant Cardone in his book The 10x Rule reveals that “The average worker reads an average of less than one book per year, and works an average of 37.5 hours per week. This same person makes on average 319x less money than the top CEOs in America, whom by the way, claim to read over 60 books a year”. With this in mind, it's easy to understand how you are the books you read, the combination of the five closest people around you, the information you choose to accept or reject, and most importantly, YOU are the only one responsible for how your life turns out. There are a lot more variables that people are really comprised of, but listed above are easy ones that you have direct control over.

With that being said, I set a goal for myself to become like those who I aspire to be. With this in mind, I picked up a book with no requirements to be met and no deadlines for a class, but conversely to test out this reading thing again. Out of all the books the BP guests would recommend, I heard an awful lot of people mention that it all started with Robert Kiyosaki’s Rich Dad, Poor Dad. I decided to see what the hype was all about, and as a result, bought the audiobook.

WOW! This book changed my life. My entire perspective on everything was turned completely upside down. Essentially, everything I had always dreamed but thought could never reach, all of a sudden didn't seem so hard to achieve anymore. Was I any smarter? Maybe, but this book didn't teach me how to invest in real estate. As a matter of fact, it gave me something more powerful. Namely, it gave me a mindset, an upgrade, a new lens on which to see the light of day with. This book essentially was a key, and people can choose to find these keys to unlock new doors with.

Previous to reading this book, I was miserable working as a bartender and going to community college. Meanwhile, my other friends were close to graduating with 4-year degrees. Under those circumstances, I felt discouraged. On top of that, I certainly wasn’t looking forward to working at a job for the next 40 years trying to save up for retirement and leave all of my good years to waste. I wanted to be someone who could make a difference, but saw no opportunity in my life. Regardless, this one book drastically changed my course.

Since last month, I am proud to say that I have completed the following books:

Rich Dad, Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki, Set For Life by Scott Trench, Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill, The Richest Man in Babylon by George S. Clason, Never Split the Difference: Negotiating as if Your Life Depended on it by Chris Voss, The Book On Investing in Real Estate with No(and low) Money Down by Brandon Turner, The 10x Rule by Grant Cardone, and I am in the process of reading How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie.

Saying that my life has changed for the better after reading that first book is an understatement. I learned that not all books are for everyone, but there are books out there for every individual to enjoy. The key is finding a topic of interest, something you actually enjoy. You’ll find books a lot easier to digest. In the case of buying ebooks or audio books, I would highly recommend reading or listening to the free sample chapter to see if this is something that has already drawn you in, or left you uninterested.

By and large, reading books is shaping and making me to be more prolific. As a result, I now wake up at 5:30 AM everyday, even though I have work at 3-4 PM(I used to wake up at noon regularly). I am reading books every month/week. As of today, I have begun creative writing. I also have gained much control over my impulses, emotions, habits, and therefore overall decision awareness. My pastor once said “Your mind is like a garden. If you do not tend to it, weeds and undesirable plants will grow rampant. The longer the weeds remain untended, the harder it will be to remove them. It may be hard work to do the initial weeding, but when your garden is clear, you may choose to plant whatever desirable and bountiful crops you desire. This also means regular maintenance as no beautiful garden can stay beautiful, unless tended by the gardener and his/her proper seeds”. So what is the final idea I want to leave you with? Stop being pushed around by life! Take action, pick up a book, invest in yourself! No one else is out to get you or hogging all the wealth/success. Only YOU are responsible for the “average” life you’ve settled for.

Read any of the books I have listed above as I believe they can provide great value to literally everyone.