When Reading Is A Bad Idea

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Photo by no_typographic_man (Creative Commons)

 

Put the book* down.

Yeah, you.

It’s a bad idea.

But I’m learning you say.

It’s time to apply what you’ve already learned.

But I’m a writer you say.

And Stephen King says, “if you want to be a writer, you gotta read A LOT.”

True—but you are missing the point.

Don’t read now.

You can’t feed yourself all the time. 

Have you really learned anything if you don’t use it?

Step away from the literary buffet and get to work.

Stop with the overflowing stack of books.

It’s time to create.

Go make something that has your own voice and thoughts. 

Give yourself permission to be a beginner.

Go ahead and experiment.

It is only when you put yourself out there—and actually risk something—you can achieve greatness.

So just put down the book.

 

*I’m specifically talking about when reading stops you from doing the work you KNOW you should be doing. For me personally, this often includes books about leadership, creativity, or writing. It is easy to replace actually DOING those things with just reading about them. Then at this point, the reading becomes resistance (see definition here in second sentence).

Has reading ever become resistance for you?

 

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