50 for 50 Idea #4: Start a reading habit

posted on: February 5, 2018
author: Brian Lomax, Ed.D.

Do you like to read? Perhaps yes, perhaps no, or perhaps you’re indifferent to it. Whatever your view may be, my goal is to recruit a few more of you into the group of reading lovers because there are so many benefits to it, including for your performance in sport and in life.

When I was young, I was fortunate to grow up in an environment in which I was surrounded by books and newspapers. My Dad worked at a newspaper and along with the daily paper, he used to bring books home from work for me. Many of them were about sports and various sports stars. That began my love affair with sports and my obsession to learn everything about them. I would read sports almanacs so I could memorize which sports teams won which championships over the years. I read about the history of my favorite sports. I read the Sports section of the newspaper everyday and Sports Illustrated magazine each week.

As I got older, I remember more and more books in the house. In my bedroom, the bookcase began to reflect my developing tastes: Science fiction, mysteries and thrillers, the history of movies, biographies, etc. along with more books about sports. For those of you who know me well, you won’t be surprised to learn that I regularly read from the dictionary and our encyclopedia collection. Clearly, I grew up in the pre-internet age and had nothing else to do!

In my early 20’s, I noticed that I wasn’t reading any more, and it actually made me feel bad. I was missing an opportunity to become smarter about the world, and I was neglecting an activity that had shaped me as a person. So I decided to fix that by starting small. At the time, I was working in Boston and commuting via bus and/or train, so I had a lot of down time to and fro. No one had laptops or smartphones in 1991 so I used my commute as a time to read (and sleep). That strategy provided specific times of day to get my reading done as well as an amount of time for it. The time of day you do something and how long you do it for are key components in establishing any habit and are things you should consider as you develop any new routine.

Throughout the 90’s and into the early 2000’s, my desire to take my competitive tennis game to higher levels of performance influenced my reading selection. My anger, my nerves, and my conditioning were all issues that had to be dealt with if I truly wanted to get better. So I sought out books and CDs to help me on these topics. Here are a few that were memorable in those early years:

• The Inner Game of Tennis
• Fearless Tennis (Audio CD)
• In Pursuit of Excellence
• Winning Ugly

I wouldn’t be the competitor I am today without these books (as well as many others) and without a dedicated reading habit. That’s what I want for you. I want you to use reading as one of the tools that enables your continuous improvement and opens your mind to new possibilities.

If you’re not someone who reads regularly, start small. Begin with 10 minutes per day or 10 pages a day. Do it at a set time of the day or anchor it to something you do regularly (breakfast, mid-morning snack, lunch, before bed, etc.). You’ll be surprised how 10 minutes per day or 10 pages per day can add up into a whole lot of learning. After you’ve finished your daily reading, mentally reward yourself with a reminder that you just got 1% better today. Those daily 1% improvements are going to compound quickly and before you know it, you’re going to notice substantial improvements in whatever it is you do. If you need some suggestions on books to start with, email me and I’ll give you some ideas.