You’ve just returned after a long day at work and entered the house. You only need a moment to gather your thoughts since you’re exhausted and hungry. After grabbing a bite to eat, you relax in front of the TV. The next thing you know, you’ve just finished binge-watching the most recent Netflix series’ five episodes.
Even while we all need ways to unwind and shut down, it’s not a good habit to get into. The most successful people in the world invest their free time in studying because of this.
Not exactly breaking news, either. Thomas Corley discovered that more than 200 self-made millionaires who were the subject of his five-year study don’t watch television. In contrast, a staggering 86 percent said they read, but not simply for pleasure. Additionally, 63% of respondents said they listened to audiobooks on their morning commute.
It’s no secret that successful people read, according to productivity guru Choncé Maddox. According to reports, the typical millionaire reads two or more books per month. In order to sponge up more knowledge, she advises everyone to “read blogs, news websites, fiction and non-fiction during downtime.” Consider listening to podcasts or audiobooks if you’re constantly on the move.
Who has the time to sit down and read? you may be asking. Finding leisure time is nearly impossible with job and family commitments. I can connect as a business owner and a father, but only to a certain level. After all, what justification do you have if Barack Obama found time to read while serving as president? He even attributes books with helping him to remain president.
There are numerous leaders who attribute their success to reading, including President Obama. Oprah Winfrey, Elon Musk, Mark Cuban, Jack Ma, Bill Gates, and Warren Buffett are all ardent readers. Reading is “one of the major ways that I learn, and has been since I was a child,” Bill Gates said in an interview with The New York Times.
So how do they manage to read every day? The five-hour rule is followed by them.
Deconstructing the five-hour rule
Michael Simmons, the creator of Empact, came up with the five-hour rule and has written extensively on the subject. The idea is quite straightforward: Successful people always dedicate at least an hour per day, or five hours per workweek, to learning or practising, regardless of how busy they are. They carry out this throughout their entire career.
Simmons roots the origin of this phenomenon to Ben Franklin, who continually made time for learning. By getting up early to read and write, Franklin typically did this in the morning. He set up his own objectives and kept track of his progress. He started a club for craftsmen and traders in the style of today’s book clubs, where members would meet together to work on improving themselves. Every morning and evening, he also experimented with his new knowledge and asked himself probing questions.
The Three buckets of the five-hour rule
Franklin’s five-hour guideline has been adopted by today’s effective leaders, who have divided it into three buckets.
Read: Self-made millionaires like Mark Cuban and Cleveland Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert spend one to three hours each day reading. Reading helped Elon Musk develop his rocket-building skills, which helped him found SpaceX. Jack Ma, co-founder of Alibaba, thinks that reading can give you a head start that many of your contemporaries lack in addition to extending your knowledge. Readers are more likely to be familiar with the strategies and techniques of other industries than other people.
Even if you are unable to set aside an hour or more each day for reading, try starting with 20 to 30 minutes. I always carry a book with me so that I can read instead of using my smartphone while waiting for a meeting to start or in a doctor’s waiting room. You may also give audiobooks a try while working out or during your daily commute.
Think: The five-hour limit also covers thinking and pondering. This could be as simple as writing down your thoughts or simply gazing at the wall. For instance, Sara Blakely, the creator of Spanx, keeps a journal regularly.
You may review what you did successfully and learn from your faults by keeping your attention on the past. You’ll be in a better position to accomplish your objectives and enhance your life as a result. A University of Texas study from 2014 discovered that reflection and mental rest enhance learning.
Want assistance getting going? In your planner, block off time for reflection. Because I’m emerging from the post-lunch slump, I’ve discovered that blocking out 15 to 20 minutes after lunch is great. But begin modestly: Set aside five or ten minutes each day, then increase the amount gradually to avoid feeling overburdened.
Understand the inquiries you wish to make. Limit your inquiries to no more than two or three that are pertinent to that day. For instance, if you attended a conference, inquire as to what the main takeaways were. additionally, “How can I use this in my business?”
Rapid experimentation is the third and last bucket. Because of their experiments, Thomas Edison and Ben Franklin rose to prominence as outstanding inventors and intellectuals. Gmail exists because Google encouraged innovation among its staff.
Because experiments provide facts rather than preconceptions, they are extremely helpful. You can learn from experiments what works. You can get feedback from others and grow from your mistakes. The best part is that experimentation doesn’t take much time. Most of the time, you test by doing the same things you would normally do without testing.
Even Jack Ma advises using what you’ve learnt in a practical situation. For instance, you could start a new volunteer project after reading a book about cooperation and teamwork to put what you learned to use.
Making studying a habit will probably increase your success and productivity in a variety of spheres of your life. You can make sure you’re improving yourself and your business every day by making reading a habit.
