As I reflect on my reading habits in the past, I realize that I haven't been much of a book lover. But I have decided to change that and make reading a priority in 2023. My goal is to read 12 books this year, one book per month.
But why?
Writing has now been a part of my life for over a year, and I have made improvements. But how much more can I get better at writing without learning from people who are great at it? They say "readers are writers." Moreso, books hold a wealth of knowledge between their pages, and by reading them, I believe I can gain a deeper understanding of various subjects and improve myself.
In my plans for 2023, there is a not-so-small allocation for books. And as a result, I've decided to read 12 books this year. This unequivocally translates to one book a month.
"What twelve books will I read?" was a question that took quite a while to answer. And, usually, this is where my plans often witherโat the point where I have to be "specific" about my goal.
Without goals and objectives, I end up chasing nothing and ending up far from where I started. I knew I had to answer that question: "What twelve books will I read in 2023?" Fortunately, Mac saw my post and suggested this contest in the Hive Book Club community, in which I share the books I'd like to read in 2023. And voila! That encouraged me to think about the books, and I have carefully handpicked all twelve.
Q1
- How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie
I found this book with a friend years ago and read some of it. I was intrigued by the little part of it I had consumed, so I went on to get myself the book. But I didn't go past the few pages I had read.
I am picking this book to start with because, with the little I read then, my perspective on relating to and dealing with people improved. And also, I loved the way it was written, as it was able to keep me engrossed.
This is the first month of the year, January, and this is the book I am reading now. Although I started a little late, I have now gone deep into the book, and I am almost half way done.
- Atomic Habits by James Clear
This book has been on my mind since the day I unintentionally found it and then read the first chapter. I became really interested and made sure to order a copy for myself, as the one I found was far away.
Everyone I know who has read it speaks highly of it and strongly recommends that I take a good look for myself. And without any hesitation, I made it my next book for the year. I should be reading this in February.
- Rich Dad, Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki and Sharon Lechter
In the course of trying to be more into books, I figured adding a few that are finance-related would do well in helping me grow in that regard as well.
@iskafan (my finance guru) was kind to mention a few that she recommends. And with Rich Dad, Poor Dad being popular here, it became my next item on the list. And without hesitation, I placed an order for it.
Q2
- How to Stop Worrying and Start Living by Dale Carnegie
In the little time I have spent reading Dale, I have grown fond of his writing. This spurred me into searching for other books that I may enjoy. And this one's title piqued my interest.
However, due to financial constraints, I couldn't place an order for this one or most of the following books in this blog. When the time comes to begin reading this book, I'll place an order. Hopefully, I will get to more of the books that I plan to read this year.
- Connect: Building Success Through People, Purpose, and Performance by Keith Harrell and Hattie Hill
Quite the title, innit? Well, I found this one at a friend's place, but he didn't seem interested in it one bit, and so I took it.
It seemed to fit with my plans to improve my interpersonal skills and build meaningful relationships. Let's see how it goes with this one.
- The Millionaire Next Door by Thomas J. Stanley and William D.
Like I have earlier established, this is another book about finance that was recommended by my friend. The title seems really intriguing to me, so I picked it. And also, who doesn't want to know about the millionaire next door?
I have yet to get the paperback, but since it's quite far away (the month of June), I will wait patiently to get it.
Q3
- The Leader in You by Dale Carnegie
Everyone is a leader, whether they see it or not. And we influence people in ways that we may not even see.
I do understand the importance of "being an effective leader" and having more efficiency in dealing with people in my everyday life. and this is why I have chosen this book by Dale Carnegie. I do not know much about it, but I am hoping it will provide me with insights that will help shape my mentality for the better...
- Gifted Hands by Ben Carson and Cecil Murphey
Another friend suggested this one to me. They talked about how the life of Ben Carson, as he shared it in this book, inspired them and is a motivation for them to push forward and not relent in achieving their goals. I'd like to read that story for myself and tap into that inspiration.
- Secrets of the Millionaire Mind by T. Harv Eker
The main reason I'm reading finance books is to learn about personal finance and investment strategies, as well as how to make sound financial decisions. It's basically me trying to indulge myself in financial knowledge for my development.
Q4
- How to Develop Self-confidence and Influence People by Public Speaking by Dale Carnegie
I found this one in my search for more books by Dale to read. In "How to Win Friends," he did really well in delivering his lessons while still doing so in a rather elaborate manner, and this spurred me into searching for some of his books to learn more about where "all that" came from.
- Algorithms to Live By: The Computer Science of Human Decisions by Brian Christian
I learned about this one from YouTuber, Elizabeth Filips, I found and have been loving recently. She has very insightful perspectives on life, and she attributes some of them to books she has read in the past, such as Algorithms to Live By.
- I Will Teach You to Be Rich by Ramit Sethi
This is another of the finance books suggested by a friend. This will be the fourth of the year.
All these books are self-help books. And that I chose them and positioned them intentionally, such as having one finance book for every quarter of the year, making four for this year.
It may seem a little "impractical" to use one month for each book. Some may take me less time to finish, and others may take a long time to finish. So what I am following is that the last day of every month is the "deadline" to have at least begun the next book, regardless of whether I finished the previous. If I don't finish one book in time, I'll have to read it along with the next in line.
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I could have opted to get e-copies of these books, but there is something about having them physically that feels different and provides a more immersive experience. And it's much easier to think about reading when one has them lying on the table or shelf. So, I am purchasing the paperbacks of these books instead.
I may eventually get to finish these books way earlier than I have planned, but that will mean one thing if I do: I will have read at least 12 books in the year 2023, and to get that far, I will have inculcated the habit of reading books and probably even gotten more books to add.
I will definitely write about each one of these books and share them with this community. That would help me journal my thoughts about them. Let's see how it goes.
โ๐๐ช, ๐๐ ๐ช๐ ๐ฆ ๐๐๐๐ ๐ช๐๐ ๐ฅ๐๐๐ค ๐ก๐ ๐ค๐ฅ, ๐๐๐๐๐๐ช ๐๐๐๐ง๐ ๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ฅ, ๐ฃ๐๐๐๐ ๐, ๐ ๐ฃ ๐ฆ๐ก๐ง๐ ๐ฅ๐. ๐๐ฅ'๐๐ ๐ค๐ฆ๐ฃ๐ ๐๐ ๐๐ก๐ก๐ฃ๐๐๐๐๐ฅ๐๐.