Are People Who Read a Lot More Successful at Work?

Most of our upbringing we were taught the importance of reading; be it from our parents or school teachers. It has become a part of our identity, but as time goes by and the responsibilities of adult life creep in, many of us stopped reading much.

With social media and technology taking over our lives, it’s a wonder how many kids and adults alike still enjoy reading. And while this technology craze is showing no signs of slowing, why not let technology help us and start with online reading?

If you had to think of the smartest, how would you imagine them spending their free time? You’re probably imagining them sitting down with a book.

The thing is, you don’t have to be the smartest person to start reading on a regular basis. In fact, it has nothing to do with being smart (although regular reading will definitely increase your intelligence). It has been proven that avid readers have a wider vocabulary than those who do not read. However, there are a ton of other benefits that extend beyond a strong vocabulary.

Would you believe me, if I told you that people who read a lot are more successful at their jobs? Here are some reasons why:

Increased focus

When you read, you transfer yourself to another world and you are able to focus on the story you are reading. This requires a lot of focus and it is this focus that will help you perform better at work. When you have a task that is going to take a lot of concentration and focus, perfecting this skill will make life much easier. Readers are able to remain focused and after a small break get back to what needs to be done. Writing lengthy reports for work, entering data into spreadsheets or designing a personal resume website can be tedious and require that increased focus to get them done properly.

Better time management

Regular readers know how to spend their time wisely. They spend their free time time doing something that increases their brain power instead of watching mindless TV or scrolling the internet. They are careful with their time – a trait that is very important in a work setting.

A lot of people waste time doing things that are of no benefit to them or their futures. When you have good time management skill you are able to use your time in such a way that it allows you to do all the things required of you in both your daily life (household chores, caring for children or elders, shopping) and your professional life (work, school, studying) and still allow time for self care and socializing.

Improved writing skills

It should be an obvious point, but avid readers are typically quite good at writing. Having a great vocabulary allows them to express themselves fluently. Spending a lot of time in books means you are picking up writing styles and improving your own writing abilities. You are able to write better reports, feedback and everything else in between. Having impeccable writing skill is something that employers will usually noticed very quickly and will impress management.

More brain power

Brain exercises are completely underrated when it comes to being more successful in both your day-to-day life and at work. And while there are ton of brain exercise apps that can help you increase your cognitive ability, simply reading on a regular basis will have the same effect. When you are reading a lot, your brain is exercising constantly, which is why you would find that readers are able to retain a lot of information.

Being able to retain a lot of information is a great benefit in general and can be particularly useful to your career. Being able to recall what was said in the last meeting without going over your notes is going to score you some points. You want to come across as the type of employee who pays attention to what is being said. A great way to do that is to retain as much information as possible. What’s more, speaking to a client and bringing up some discussion points weeks after is going to lead to a very happy customer who feels valued.

Increased creativity

It is said that readers are more creative and it is easy to see the connection. Reading has a way of transporting you to another world, another time and different surroundings. This is why it is easy for avid readers to come up with new ideas. They are able to take themselves out of the present and create scenarios that make sense. It will be more challenging for a non-reader to do because they are constantly living in what is around them. Although it is not a bad thing to be present in your life, it is also good to take a mental break and just let your creative juices flow.

Better connections

Having the ability to connect with other people is very important in any career. Readers often have to connect with the characters in a book and are able to feel emotions relating to the story. This is why they find it easier to connect with actual people in real life. This also comes down from my point about how focused readers are. It is this focus that helps build that connection. They are able to feel for others, show genuine interest and retain what that person is saying. Communicating in the workplace is a necessity for most jobs, so having the ability to create better connections is a huge benefit.

Enhanced problem-solving skills

Being able to solve problems naturally is an incredible skill to have. When reading a novel, it is natural to come up with various endings as the story unfolds. And while the predictions may be wrong at times, the process of trying to “solve” the story or the antagonists problem helps avid readers solve problems in their own lives and careers. We all face obstacles at work, so being able to come up with various solutions and figure out the right solution is an asset to any job.

Conclusion

It’s easy to see why avid readers are successful at work. With all the benefits that comes with reading more, it might be surprising that many professionals don’t read much. It could be because of a busy schedule, but we all have 20 minutes a day to spend reading. This could be before bed or on your lunch hour.

We waste so much time on the internet these days and that time can never be recovered. If you are on the internet, make sure you spend much of that time reading something interesting. It does not necessarily have to be a physical book, but you have to increase the amount of reading you are doing. There truly are no downsides to increasing your reading. Even the time spent doing it is not time spent in vain. In fact, you are simply exercising your brain to help you become a more informed individual. We need to put our phones down and pick up something to read. The newspaper might seem like a good place to start, but do not forget to read something lighthearted and creative every now and then.

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