A truth that guides my life is that wisdom is not a personal trait that happens naturally. Wisdom must be sought.  Wisdom comes to us naturally with age and experience, but those we consider wise have done more than have many birthdays. 

With that in mind, I've done my best to commit to lifelong learning. Part of my quest to become wise has involved setting a reading goal for myself at the beginning of the year. The act of reading doesn't instantly impart wisdom, but the exercise of reading has made my brain ready to catch and retain wisdom when it presents itself.

 Here are some reasons everyone should have a reading goal:

1) A reading goal can motivate and encourage you. I have goals for the year ahead, but not all can be achieved immediately. A reading goal is a way to show yourself early in the year that you are progressing. By the end of January, it's always good to prove to yourself that you can get things done. These incremental gains encourage me to keep pushing towards my bigger goals. 

2) Reading is a responsible activity. Very few people will browbeat you for spending money or time on books. Of all the dumb things I've spent money on, books are not one of them. You certainly don't need to spend much money to enjoy books; your local library has thousands of books…for free!

3) Reading gives you a better shot at success. I don't have the ambition to conquer the world, but I want to explore my full potential. Knowledge, if handled right, should be humbling as it reveals how much you don't know and helps you change. Books have always helped me to keep moving forward in life.  Why not find out how much you can learn and grow?

4) Knowledge increases your capacity to serve. The way I see it, people count on you to be at your best. People like your family, friends, coworkers, colleagues, and those you report to. Everyone around you can benefit from you having fresh energy. Yes, knowledge is power, but that power should be put to good use by serving others.

"There are those who seek knowledge for the sake of knowledge, that is curiosity.

There are those who seek knowledge to be known by others.

That is vanity.

There are those who seek knowledge in order to serve;

That is love." -Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153)

If you’ve never had a reading goal and would like to establish one this year, I have a few tips for you:

• Pick a number. I read 28 books this year, but I know people who have read a lot more or a lot less, and in both cases, they found value in the effort. Just make it a challenge for you.

• Start with a topic you’re interested in and branch out. It’s important that you like reading, and the best way to do that is to read books that will motivate you. Nothing will discourage you more than picking up a book, and it’s a dud or a slog for you to get through. I found five books in my reading list hard to get through. If I had put them down after 3 or 4 chapters, I would have likely read a lot more this year. It’s not that they were poorly written; they just didn’t connect with me.

• Audiobooks, ebooks, and genres: I spend about 40 to 50 minutes each day in my car during the week. Audiobooks allowed me to add value to that time and achieve my target. Modern audiobooks are amazing and can be highly engaging. Give them a try. I also enjoy picking up my Kindle or iPad to go through an ebook. Find a reading method that works for you. I consume enough fiction through streaming services and tend to gravitate to non-fiction when it comes to books, but I have greatly received benefits from reading some great works of fiction. This year, I read “Ishmael” by Daniel Quinn, which is a fictional conversation between a man and a Gorilla. I’m not being sarcastic here; that book has permanently altered how I see the world. I highly recommend you give it a read.

• Be strategic: I realized a couple of years ago that if I wanted to up my reading habit, I needed to free up more time. My iPhone provided some very pointed feedback about how much time I was spending on the phone. I decided then to delete a video game on it that was consuming an embarrassing amount of unrewarding time. You’d be surprised how much time you have by auditing your time. Be strategic about setting aside time to read.

There has never been a better or easier time to explore and learn through reading. Give yourself a great gift in 2024 by setting and achieving a reading goal. As always, thanks for reading. My hope is that my little space can encourage you to get as much as you can out of life.

Happy New Year!