Reading is Bad For You, so Quit Doing it

I'm serious. Stop reading so damn much.

Photo from the Information Space Blog at Syracuse

So many people read for all the wrong reasons. The two worst offenders are:

1. Reading to escape reality
2. Reading to delay action

Reading to Escape Reality

This applies mostly to Fiction books, and it really applies to more than just books. There is a pandemic of Internet connected individuals who attempt to escape their lives on a daily basis. World of Warcraft, Online Poker, Porn, Excessive Blog Reading, Excessive Facebooking, Watching TV, Reading Fiction, Reading Non-Fiction. The common factor for all of these activities is that we can use them to ignore what is happening in our daily life. 

If something is occurring in your life which you desire to escape from, it's time to address it. 

• Poor (or no) relationship? Seek Counseling, or break it off, or find someone new (or learn how to find someone new)
• Body issues (overweight, acne, poor appearance, etc.) then lose weight, get some proactive, and dress better (there are hundreds  thousands of resources online to help you)
• Hate work? Quit... Get a new job.

No matter what the issue is that you are trying to escape from, you need to confront it head on. If you don't know how to address it, e-mail me at Paul@Padorec.com and I will personally help you with it. I'm committed to helping each and every person who reads this blog.

Reading to Delay Action

Of the two, this is the excuse for reading I am most guilty of.

It is so easy for us to say, and firmly believe, that if we just had a little more knowledge that things would get better. And it's true that knowledge is a great thing. Expanding your mind is vitally important, and the gathering of knowledge is something we should all do. 

The problem is when we use that as an excuse for inaction.

"Oh, I need to call a sales prospect...Let me read The Ultimate Sales Machine, then I'll know exactly what to do!"

That's crap, and you know it deep down. You don't need to read more, you need to do more. One sales call will teach you more in 10 minutes than you could learn from days of reading. You are scared to take action, and it is crippling you to the point that you are making excuses for yourself. You probably even believe your excuses. You may say to yourself "I don't know how to sell, I don't want to scare away a prospect by not knowing what I'm doing". Just talk to them already, and you'll learn how to sell.

What Does it All Mean?

It's simple. If you are reading more than usual, you need to assess why you are reading so much. Are you legitimately interested in the topic? Is there something you should be doing to further your life even more than reading a book will? If so, it's time to put down the book, and start doing.

Note: For those who never picked up on it: "The "Book" is a metaphor for anything that you may be doing to escape or procrastinate: Video Games, Blogs, Facebook, Twitter, The News, Board Games, Porn, Cleaning, Cooking, Drinking, Shopping, can all be used as distractions and action delayers. Actual books are a wonderful portal into another person's mind. They are wonderful when used in moderation, but should be limited at the first signs of abuse.

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