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Reading is slowlane

458

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I see a lot of readers and reading threads on the forums. Guess what? Reading is slowlane. Why? Because it's an easy trap that makes you think you're accomplishing something.

You should read because you have problems within your daily fastlane actions, period. You're searching for an answer to an execution problem, not searching for the next rush of enlightenment that leads to no action.

So to all of you reading books right now, put it down and start executing.
 
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G2TS-Man

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I see a lot of readers and reading threads on the forums. Guess what? Reading is slowlane. Why? Because it's an easy trap that makes you think you're accomplishing something.

You should read because you have problems within your daily fastlane actions, period. You're searching for an answer to an execution problem, not searching for the next rush of enlightenment that leads to no action.

So to all of you reading books right now, put it down and start executing.
Sometimes I think like this too but Reading also give motivation, tips and inspiration to actions !!!!
 

McFirewavesJr

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I see a lot of readers and reading threads on the forums. Guess what? Reading is slowlane. Why? Because it's an easy trap that makes you think you're accomplishing something.

You should read because you have problems within your daily fastlane actions, period. You're searching for an answer to an execution problem, not searching for the next rush of enlightenment that leads to no action.

So to all of you reading books right now, put it down and start executing.

As much as I agree with you, I think a small distinction should be made. I believe reading some material in any field is useful initially until you grasp the concept, but past a certain point one must recognize the difference between education and entertainment.

I love @MJ DeMarco 's book because it's PACKED with educational material, but too many books out there are watered down to the point of being a complete waste of time.
 

MJ DeMarco

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I disagree with your title, but agree with your sentiment...

I'll add more later...
 
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Choate

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I agree with you that people do mistake reading for accomplishment, and one can get caught up reading business books or the forum instead of taking action.

I do want to note that I've seen a lot of anti-reading sentiment on this forum lately, people saying that you should only read to progress your business, about specific problems, read -> immediately take action, etc. I've also seen people advocate against it because it encourages "consumption" instead of producing or saying you should only read 1 book / year. Citing "facts" like you forget 99% of what you read anyways. As if reading for leisure is the devil.

Whether you read for leisure or read to accomplish specific goals, I think to say the least its beneficial to have a set time and place to read. There are a lot of benefits to reading to simply say scrap it altogether, such as improving effective communication, bettering your vocabulary, enhancing your memory, to the potential cognitive benefits such as aiding against Alzheimer's.

But you should set aside a time and place for it. Whether that's an hour a day, or 20 minutes in the morning or before bed, or whatever, know when you're going to read and have a nice little reading spot as well so you aren't distracted. You read for the overall benefit of the long haul, understanding that there might not be immediate benefits to it, but it might give you a 0.1% progress that day.

Where it becomes a problem is when people dedicate time that would be better off to their business, mistake it for making progress, or just get distracted and lost in a sea of overwhelming information.

Ideally, I read 2 news articles a day from different sources, read a chapter or two from two different books each day, and spend a little time on the forum... this might amount to an hour or an hour and a half of my day, which to me is a small price to pay. But its controlled, and I don't lose sight of my overall goals, whether I'm reading a nice fiction book or a meaty, grind it out business book (Like the one I'm on now, "Competing on Analytics" - dry as hell and hard to finish).
 

TTG SS

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My day starts with a cup of coffee and 20 mins of reading as a warmup before getting to work.

I agree though reading can be an easy action fake if you're not careful.
 

lowtek

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I see a lot of readers and reading threads on the forums. Guess what? Reading is slowlane. Why? Because it's an easy trap that makes you think you're accomplishing something.

You should read because you have problems within your daily fastlane actions, period. You're searching for an answer to an execution problem, not searching for the next rush of enlightenment that leads to no action.

So to all of you reading books right now, put it down and start executing.

By chance, do you read the wall street playboys blog ?

when you're not executing, of course :)
 
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Mattie

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So to all of you reading books right now, put it down and start executing.
I agree...I read yesterday, billionaires don't waste their time reading. They have other people do it for them, and hand them the information. They want statistics and facts now.
I suppose they earned the right to do this, since they're already billionaires.
 

QueueQueue

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I think a lot of people fall victim to the trap of "I'll keep educating myself until I come up with my 'winning' idea". The premise to this thinking is that when you eventually do get that perfect idea, you will have all the knowledge needed to execute perfectly. In practice, this doesn't work as the best way to perfect execution is simply to practice the process of execution over and over.
 

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From Bill Gates, Warren Buffet, all the way to Mark Zuckerberg all are active readers, and have been before and after becoming wealthy. Certainly reading for mere entertainment and not taking action will lead to no results, but efficient reading is hardly slowlane. There is a reason why CEOs read dozens of times more than all their employees. Replacing action for reading is dreamer-status activity.

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458

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By chance, do you read the wall street playboys blog ?

when you're not executing, of course :)

I skim the WSJ each morning for 15 minutes. Keeps me in the know.
 

MJ DeMarco

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Not sure how "reading" can be classified as Slowlane.

The Slowlane is the presumption that penny pinching $$ from your job timed with 50 years of faithful investing with Wall Street will make you rich.

Not sure how reading fits in here.

However could reading be action-faking?

Absolutely.

In fact, I tend only to read what is pertinent to the problem that sits before me. If OBSTACLE X is in front of me, I'll likely be reading material pertaining to OBSTACLE X.

While I do random reading, it is less likely. I tend to gravitate to things where I'm deficient, in hopes to improve that particular area.
 

MJ DeMarco

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@458 can you please change your email address. The forum is continually receiving deliver errors sourced from your email address.

Thanks.

This message was created automatically by mail delivery software.

A message that you sent could not be delivered to one or more of its
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Action: failed
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Jav100

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This post well timed. I have created a google document with a large reading list. But between my job, projects and life have had barely any time to execute any plans.

So I am shifting some time away from reading to executing.

Like others have said allot SOME time to reading and learning, 20-30 mins a day unless you have so much free time.


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Analyticz

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I agree with @MJ DeMarco. It is not inherently, although I know what @458 is saying. It is procrastination and sometimes people land up stuck in this area of just reading for 3 hours instead of taking action. Even if it is the smallest step. You don't need to read to know the next step you are kidding yourself.
 

G-Man

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I took the time to learn Excel macros so I could automate time consuming tasks and move one tiny step closer to separating my time from my money. I got inspiration to think about automating that shit, and spend a few hours on a Saturday learning to macro by reading a book... a book that I've already read.... TMF .

So, approximately 10-15 hrs reading TMF , another 6 or so learning macros, and I've cut a task that takes two full days every month down to something that takes 1 morning per month. What if I had said "I need to be executing" instead of exposing myself to new ideas that made me question HOW I was executing? It reminds me of something a buddy of mine always says that I'm pretty sure he stole from somewhere "spend more time working on your business than in your business"

I get what OP is driving at, but I've always found time spent learning to be the most worthwhile time I've spent.
 
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jsk29

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To me, saying 'reading is slowlane' is like saying 'working is slowlane'.

What's important is:
  • Who do you read (or work with)?
  • What do you read (or work on)?
  • How do you read (or work)?
  • Why do you read (or work)?
 
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Siberia

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I see a lot of readers and reading threads on the forums. Guess what? Reading is slowlane. Why? Because it's an easy trap that makes you think you're accomplishing something.

You should read because you have problems within your daily fastlane actions, period. You're searching for an answer to an execution problem, not searching for the next rush of enlightenment that leads to no action.

So to all of you reading




The BRAIN works for ASSOCIATIONS, brain thinking process takes place automatically and independently of our will '.

And this whether you like it or not.

Either you are a person with a life of a variety 'and intensity' special or otherwise you have to provide the opportunity 'to activate this process.

You can not just PENETRATE with sustained action but you have also ACCOMMODATE.

Most of INSIGHTS, of which we are in constant search, they arrive automatically for ASSOCIATION of ideas, opinions, images, themes, details.

This KNOW HOW it 's never enough !!!

Unless you are a LEGEND or the personification of chimera the so-called "ALWAYS ON".

Reading in the FastLane process 'an energy recharge, information and associations, the food for our UNCONSCIOUS that the switches in the so-called CREATIVITY' and you will not let us feel alone. Reading and 'an energy recovery break unconscious that increases your chances' in the making.

The behavior, as you call it, of reading to get the theoretical sense of doing something, not 'the real basic action of FastLane process, and' something quite different and easy to correct.

The READING is SlowLane when you read the things right ............ but if you read "THE RIGHT THINGS and 'FASTLANE".

In any case, I agree in part with Mj, in your flush misses the feeling but you have got a RESONANCE VISIBILITY and 'accidental or deliberate, you would never have had if you had not lost time to READ the various threads instead in our forum to continue in your unstoppable action.
 
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oimate

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Totally agree-I've been as guilty as anyone(and probably still am).
I cant go past a bookshop without invariably having a browse in the self help/business section and always tend to buy a book.

I probably have about 20 odd books still to be started-I know myself this is Procrastination!

Should we concentrate on one book at a time and banish the remaining to the attic and not allow oneself to open a new one until we've taken action on things learnt from the recently finished book?
 

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I have encouraged people that work for me to be voracious consumers of anything and everything written about business, about industry, and about their interests.

Reading expands your intelligence.

In the interest of full disclosure, my daughter who many of you heard on our Podcasts is in the final stages of her Masters in Library Science.

I think reading and applying your learned knowledge to new paradigms is the only way to change lanes. Becoming an intelligent consumer of media is a requirement for personal development and advancement.
 
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Raoul Duke

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I see a lot of readers and reading threads on the forums. Guess what? Reading is slowlane. Why? Because it's an easy trap that makes you think you're accomplishing something.

You should read because you have problems within your daily fastlane actions, period. You're searching for an answer to an execution problem, not searching for the next rush of enlightenment that leads to no action.

So to all of you reading books right now, put it down and start executing.


dr-lol.gif
 

RulesForRebels

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Reading isn't slow lane but doing nothing but reading and never taking action is slowlane.

Alex Becker a Youtuber I watch alot calls this mental masturbation. Reading and talkin about success but never actually taking action. I think reading is good but when it comes to learning a new skill be it how to build a site, how to build a landing page, or whatever else don't try to ingest the entire knowledge of that subject at once. Learn enough to get started, go until you hit a roadblock, read or learn just enough to get you past that problem you hit and then keep goign until you hit another stumbling block.

This way your not trying to learn everything about affiliate marketing in one sitting nad never getting started but are making progress along the way and learning as you go.
 

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