new year
The Secret To A Successful New Year
NEW YEAR ' S RESOLUTIONS OFTEN FALL BY THE WAYSIDE . BUT THIS ONE IS CRITICAL .
BY KEVIN DAUM
An attractive , single , friend of mine is constantly asked out on dates . Before she will consider saying yes , she asks the men a series of questions . The first , and most important , question she asks is " How often do you read books ?" Surprisingly , many of the men read very little . They are quickly rejected . Sadly , most business people don ' t read as much as they should . But there have been studies showing that successful CEOs read as many as 3-4 books per month .
With 2022 coming , you ' ve got a great opportunity to make reading at least 2 books per month a New Year ' s resolution . Reading new books is the simplest and fastest way to grow smarter and more successful all on your own . Here is how reading more books each month can help you on the path to success .
1 . YOU WILL LEARN ABOUT YOURSELF .
Self-exploration is a critical component of success . You have to understand the way you think and act in order to constantly improve . Books like Strengthfinders and 5 Temptations of a CEO can help you self-assess and adjust your style and communication .
2 . YOU WILL GET A BETTER CULTURAL UNDERSTANDING .
Biographies and historical fiction provide great insight into how the market thinks . I have learned much from books like Devil in the White City or The Poisoner ' s Handbook . It ' s difficult to grasp today ' s society if you don ' t understand the history of how we all got here .
3 . YOU WILL STIMULATE YOUR IMAGINATION .
I just spent a cross-country flight reading a book by Garrison Keilor . The escape fiction was on one hand a great rest for my mind , and on the other , it stimulated new thoughts and ideas . Stories make your mind expand beyond the fix it , solve it thinking of normal work .
4 . YOU WILL FILL EDUCATIONAL GAPS .
How-to books and textbooks come in handy for learning specific skills . For Dummies books can be a useful reference that you can apply immediately to advance your cause .
5 . YOU WILL BE A BETTER CONVERSATIONALIST .
The key to great networking is being able to maintain an interesting discussion . Books are excellent topics to banter about and can often surface common ground .
6 . YOU WILL SOLVE PROBLEMS EASIER .
Doing the same thing daily without new stimulation will get you in a rut . Reading a variety of 24 books over the year will expand your perspective and help advance your critical thinking .
Kevin Daum is an author , marketer , and Inc . 500 entrepreneur . Kevin ' s sales and marketing approach resulted in more than $ 1 Billion in sales with a 95 percent pull through rate . Combining 25 years of experience in theatre , finance and marketing ( An odd but effective combination ) Kevin has used his expertise and writing to help individuals build their dream homes , manage the financial aspects of going Green and communicate effectively to reach their goals in business and life .
Kevin is a columnist for Inc . com and Smart Business Magazine and has authored several books .
KevinDaum . com
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