How I Read 100 Books a Year (10 Tips)
10 tips to make reading a consistent habit that helps build your personal brand. How I went from “not a reader” to at least a book a week.
Prolific reading is a habit practised by many of the most influential leaders of our time. This includes Steve Jobs, Elon Musk and Warren Buffet. Consistent reading doesn’t have to be hard. I’m sharing how I went from being “not a reader” to reading 100 books a year.
Last year, I shared how I read 60 books a year. I’ve been reading at least a book a week for years now. What I didn’t share at the time was, that in 2023 I had a new goal. To read 100 books in the year.
I’ll preface this blog too by saying that the number is purely a vanity metric. Don’t get caught up on yours. The reason I made the significant leap was that I noticed something shift. Reading has brought me peace and insights I wouldn’t otherwise have for many years now. But, it didn’t necessarily always come easy. Despite my best intention, time and focus were nearly always a challenge.
After reading consistently for many years, I eventually found the habit started to become easier and easier. So, in this blog, I’m sharing my top tips not so you can also read 100 books. But, to share how I made the reading habit come more easily.
I believe storytelling is your greatest opportunity to learn from those who have gone before you. Those who felt a duty to help pave the way for those to come.
When I was a teenager and a young adult, I was never much of a reader. I enjoyed it in primary school. But in high school, most assigned books didn’t appeal to me.
I started reading business books in preparation for my MBA. And fell in love. Before beginning the degree, I took a few weeks off to spend time with my grandma. She would teach me to cook a family recipe each morning. Then, I’d read while sitting quietly with her for the rest of the day. Usually, I’d get through one every day or two.
Years later, in 2019, I set myself the goal of reading 52 books in one year. Only intending to do it for the year. But, I developed a habit I couldn’t give up. I’ve continued it ever since.
I regularly hear my personal brand coaching clients say they want to develop a regular reading habit. But, say they struggle to make this happen.
So, I’m sharing my top tips. I’m calling them the 10 Ms of reading:
Prefer a podcast? Listen on my personal branding podcast or continue reading
Tip #1. Motivation
Understand your motivation for reading.
I began reading non-fiction because of the knowledge it provided me. It was a chance to learn from the greatest minds that have gone before me.
Over time, I noticed it was overwhelmingly calming. I would later discover the science behind why.
Due to the concentration level needed, University of Sussex research has shown that reading reduces stress by 68%. Even outperforming the also highly effective cup of tea, music and walking. Plus, it takes only six minutes to see results.
I found I was also able to reference reading material to help solve my problems. Plus, I started to notice subtle changes in my vocabulary.
Research by University of Berkley Professor, Anne E Cunningham, compared the knowledge of TV watchers to readers. As a reader, you know more and have better analytical skills, improving your judgement and problem-solving skills. Books, magazines and written text also use more unique words than television. This improves your vocabulary and communication skills.
Tip #2. Meaningful Themes
After one year of randomly trialling non-fiction and fiction, I started picking a meaningful annual theme. Usually, one that was connected with a personal brand goal.
I now primarily focus on non-fiction books on business, marketing, personal branding and development. My previous themes have included finance and real estate. I have sub-themes to keep things interesting and flexible.
Fictional books can have wonderful benefits too. They help make you highly sociable. It creates neurological pathways relating to characters that remain after you put the book down. This improves your people skills and emotional intelligence.
Tip #3. Momentum
A theme helps you create momentum by reducing decision fatigue. And you’ll attract recommendations around your interest.
Always have your next book ready. As Netflix does best, keep things rolling before you have a chance to overthink it.
I keep a ‘To Be Read’ list on my phone.
Tip #4. Make it Manageable
To help meet any reading goals, set the pace.
I take the number of days I want to finish a book and divide the total number of pages of the book into this. I now have a daily goal. No matter how large or small the book, in my experience this always works.
‘Parkinson’s Law’ states that your work expands to the amount of time you have available. This is what I believe made 100 books a year more manageable than I ever could have imagined. I simply started committing to finishing a book during the week and another on the weekend. This has included weekends during trips interstate and overseas, events lasting all day and night and a busy family and friends schedule.
Remember, we all have seasons of life. What works at one period, might not work for another. And what might not usually be possible, might be in another season of life. I knew this might be my season.
Tip #5. Make it Mobile
I love physical books. But, ebooks save me space, time and money. As importantly, I’m able to make reading mobile.
I started reading on an iPad. But, after that was damaged, I read on my mobile for years before eventually returning to an iPad recently. While it might not sound appealing, I loved reading on my mobile. Instead of mindless scrolling, I read.
If you use physical books, still keep the mobile principle in mind. And make sure you have a bag that fits your latest book.
Tip #6. Money-conscious Choices
In my first year of reading, I mostly read from the local library.
By year two, I had invested approximately $1,000 a year into books.
The next year, I discovered Scribd (now Everand) - the Netflix of books. I instantly saved this money by making the change. The app at the time of this writing provides a free one-month trial. After that, your monthly payment starts and can be cancelled at any time.
It’s taken me a few years to exhaust my Scribd preferences for now. So, I’ve recently re-joined the local library. This time switching to their e-books. It’s a treasure trove at no cost at all. I have found a lot more of my interests online than what I’ve seen physically available.
Tip #7. Make Highlights
Building a Second Brain by Tiago Forte shares his ‘CODE’ formula. It’s a personal knowledge management framework:
Capture
Organise
Distill
Express
I highlight all my e-books. Digital apps, including the library’s, usually let you access each book's highlights in one place. This makes reviewing them easy.
Tip #8. Make Sense
Knowledge is only power when mixed with action. I take time to apply what I’ve learned to realise its benefits.
The Learning Pyramid, developed by the National Training Laboratory, ranks learning from passive to active learning. And applies a retention rate across all key learning types.
Reading is highly passive at a 10% retention rate, with only lectures scoring lower at 5%.
The highest-ranking retention rates come from teaching (90%), doing (75%) and discussion (50%).
On my blog, I write book reviews for some books I have read. I do this even for those I haven’t published. Using Forte’s ‘second brain’ formula, the process is how I ‘organise’, ‘distill’ and ‘express’ for my ‘second brain’. I then also focus on discussing and sharing ideas with my personal brand coaching clients.
Tip #9. Mornings
For years, I’ve trialled morning and night reading. I now firmly believe in reading in the morning at a minimum. I wake up at 5 am every morning and begin my daily reading by 5:30 am.
As your day progresses, it tends to become about other people. And that’s okay. I would always prefer to be available for family, friends or clients over being glued to my reading goals. So, I aim to be done for the day even before business hours begin.
Tip #10. Mute
Positive psychologist, Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, popularised the concept of ‘flow’. This mental state is achieved when you’re completely immersed in an activity. It’s said to take anywhere between 10-20 minutes to enter. And can last for 30 minutes or even hours.
To help maintain my flow state, I leave my phone in flight mode for around 90 minutes of daily reading. And enjoy the distraction-free bliss.
For me, reading has become a cornerstone and life-changing habit. But, stories aren’t created overnight. They’re built page by page, chapter by chapter. Eventually, your efforts compound to create something magical.
So, are you going to be a leader who reads?
PS. I’m always on the lookout for recommendations. Send me an email or message with your favourite books.
