I read 150+ Books in 1 Year. Was it Worth It?
I read over 150 books in one year - not to push myself harder, but to relax into reading like never before.
As an early adult, I wasn’t a “reader.” I enjoyed books as a child, but regular reading felt like an unattainable luxury in my early adulthood. Fast forward, and I’ve eventually found myself reading over 150 books in a single year. The questions I often get are about how, but what’s more important is why and was it actually worth it?
1. How I made reading 150+ books manageable
I’ve shared more about my journey from reluctant reader to bookworm in my blog, How I Read 3 Books a Week (and Why)…With a Very Average Reading Speed. In it, I also discuss more details about the habits I’ve established to make reading a manageable and consistent part of my routine. To summarise, the top habits that work for me are:
Joining an e-library or reading ebooks: Keep your next book at your fingertips.
Setting themes: Deep-dive into topics that align with your broader goals or interests.
Know your Why: Make establishing a consistent reading habit meaningful.
Be motivated to counter clip culture: Be curious enough to do your own research.
Read in your prime productivity: Whether you’re a morning or night person, read at your peak.
Schedule your reading: Don’t rely on motivation. What gets scheduled, gets done. I read 60-90 mins daily, usually 5-6 days a week.
I didn’t start reading 150+ a year overnight. But, over time, these habits compounded. Reading regularly became natural, making consistency a non-negotiable.
2. Was it worth it?
Has reading as much as I do been worth it for me? Without a doubt.
Create more dots to connect
For a few years now, I keep coming back to Steve Jobs' words about having dots to connect:
“A lot of people in our industry haven’t had very diverse experiences. So, they don’t have enough dots to connect, and they end up with very linear solutions without a broad perspective on the problem. The broader one’s understanding of the human experience, the better design we will have.”
I began by reading one book a week strictly within a set theme. By reading more books a week, I now have greater flexibility to explore more disciplines and interests without fear of missing out on what I am not reading. Reading more has allowed me to develop more interests and expand my knowledge.
The more you know, the more you realise you don’t know
While research supports that readers have more knowledge compared to TV watchers, remember the popular phrase: “The more you know, the more you realise you don’t know.” A teacher I had in high school loved this saying, and it always stayed with me. Reading more isn’t about being smarter than anyone else; it’s about realising that the more you learn, the more you realise you have so much more to explore.
Play the long game for your return on investment
I once spent a year reading over 50+ books in finance and have since read hundreds of books in the field. My best investment decisions came from areas I learned about in books. These were often not always the obvious choices either. In some instances, obscure topics in niche, unknown books. Tiny seeds planted in one book might grow and create patterns over time.
Quantity over quality
Studies have consistently found that, contrary to popular belief, high performance is achieved through quantity. As Adam Grant shares in his book, Originals, the best creatives seem to understand this better than most:
“Creative geniuses weren’t qualitatively better in their fields than their peers. They simply produced a greater volume of work, which gave them more variation and a higher chance of originality.”
This has been seen across the highest performers, from Picasso to Einstein and Shakesphere. While slowly making your way through a high-quality book over a month or more is a rewarding experience in itself, if your goal is growth, quantity will help supercharge this. Not because everything you read is quality, but because the more you read, the higher your chances of finding what is.
Reduce stress
My motivation to read very quickly became about much more than knowledge or personal growth - I immediately noticed the effect it had on me, which the science supports. Due to the concentration level needed, University of Sussex research concluded that reading reduces stress by 68%. Even outperforming the also highly effective cup of tea, walking and listening to music. The best part is that it takes only six minutes to see results, making it a manageable addition to almost anyone’s daily routine.
Shifting Identities
While it sounds counterintuitive, the less I read, the more forced reading felt. By relaxing into reading as a non-negotiable, it came more naturally.
In psychology, self-perception theory suggests we infer who we are by observing what we do consistently. You didn’t become a reader by deciding to “read more” — you became one by acting like a reader regularly - this shifts your identity.
The real return on investment for regular reading
So, was reading 150+ books in a year worth it? For me, unequivocally, yes - but not because of the number. The real return came from an accumulated perspective, seeing unexpected patterns, calmer days and ideas that quietly compounded over time. Reading doesn’t make me feel more intelligent. It does the opposite — it reminds me how much there is still to learn and how enjoyable that process can be when it's part of your everyday rhythm.
