Own What You Read: Act on One Idea Now

Buying books is easy. Owning them is not.

To own a book, you not only have to read it – you have to put at least one of its ideas into action.

This is why when reading a business book, you should do so with this challenge in mind: What’s one idea I can action? What’s one thing I can do differently?

This will immediately put you into active reading mode.

In fact, when I read, I imagine myself in a continuous active dialogue with the author. So I never read a business book without a pencil in hand – to underline, question and comment.

The same is true for business podcasts. Don’t be a passive consumer of content – always be on the look out for at least one idea that you can adopt or try out.

If you’re not getting at least one idea from 30-minutes of business reading or listening, change the book or podcast. It’s likely too whimsical or too theoretical.

And what’s the best time to put an idea into action? Immediately.