If you’re anything like me you’ve read a lot of “self-help” business books. I’ve read quite a few successful authors Tim Ferris, James Altucher, Michael Ellsberg, Craig Ballantyne, and so on, all with the purpose of “finding” my future. It feels good to read these books. It makes you think, “If I can do what they say, I’ll be successful, happy, and well-financed.” And then, nothing changes. You go back to your normal routine, your normal habits, and live your normal life. Nothing changes besides a couple insights you already lived years without. That can change, you can connect these ideas, but it starts with doing.
Gathering Dots From Reading
The insights you glean from reading a business book are like dots in a child’s coloring book. Each book has a few dots sprinkled it which are completely applicable to your life. Every time you read you can add a few dots to your page. Just because dots appear on a page, doesn’t mean you’re any closer in connecting them. It means you have un-executed plans. It may feel good to gather dots, but life isn’t about collecting insight, it’s about taking action.
Start Connecting the Dots
Putting the dots together is not that difficult. Maybe you read something from Four Hour Work-Week, like how to cut-back on email. You can put that into practice tomorrow. It might be a change in habit, but it is actionable. Similarly, if you’re like me, you’ve been accumulating a lot of dots in your head or on a piece of paper. Instead of reading more “self-help” books, start combining the lessons. Start putting productivity habits into place, start trying a new diet, if you’re reading about copywriting, start writing copy. Each little piece you start doing will lead to the next piece.
Each dot you connect will lead to the next dot. They might not be numbered like a child’s coloring book, but the lesson’s you learned will slowly connect to one another. The next dot to connect to will reveal itself once you start doing. Start with something simple and watch your skills snowball. Let action be the pen that connects all your ideas.