I was listening to Rob Dial’s Mindset Mentor podcast recently where he talked about how you can get ahead of 99% of people. Rob shares that the average person watches Netflix for 3.2 hours per day, and is on their phone for 4.1 hours a day - half of which is on social media!

In recent years, people's attention spans have decreased 33% and continue to do so. 

Yet, the average CEO reads around 60 books per year, that’s more than one a week! 

If you want to get ahead of everyone, learn while others are frying their brains through scrolling. 

His words made me pause and reflect on my own habits. Whilst I put content on social media, my aim is to always try to add value and educate, I have never been a big consumer of social media content but I am an avid reader of books. Yes I do use my screen, but I try to be intentional. Self awareness is key. 

Rob's key message - it is easier to get ahead than ever before. 

We all have our favorite genres of books, I am a sucker for anything on business, self development, investing and finance. I try to squeeze in learning whenever I can, on a long run, on my drive to work, walking to the office. Audiobooks have turned my commute into a moving classroom, and what I choose to read often comes from recommendations from friends, from other books, or podcasts I’ve listened to.

The last book I picked up was The Dhandho Investor by Mohnish Pabrai, after hearing about it on the Diary of a CEO podcast. One statistic shared during their discussion really stuck with me: more than 80% of people do not enjoy their careers. I actually shouted “Yes! This is exactly why I created my course - because life is too short to stay stuck in a job you hate.”

The book may not be for you, but I certainly found it fascinating.

Because my brain spends so much of the day switched “on,” I choose a very different style of reading in the evenings. I dive into fiction, this week it is Birdcage Walk by Helen Dunmore, not something I would usually pick up but my latest bookclub read, and The Tainted Khan by Taran Matharu (I love a good dragon story). It allows me to step out of reality, let my brain rest, and recharge. If I fall asleep after three pages (or fifty), so be it - the story will be waiting for me tomorrow.

That balance - learning plus switching off - keeps me sharp, creative, and also maintains my love for reading.

So, why make time to read?

Here’s why I never go without a book (or five) on the go:

• Knowledge on tap – You can literally get someone's life knowledge and experience distilled into a few hours. In my view, books are worth their weight in gold.
  
  
• Sharper focus and memory – Just a few minutes a day trains your brain to concentrate and improves your attention span. So, when everyone else is doom scrolling, you can be getting ahead and caring for your brain.
  
  
• Stress relief – A study found 6 minutes of reading can cut stress by 68% - proof that even a short daily habit pays off.
  
  
• Creativity boost – I have picked up so many ideas through books and reading. Whether that is a new social media tactic to try out, How to Win Friends and Influence people, or to understand medieval architecture and how cathedrals were built (Ken Follet’s The Pillars of Earth). Even fantasy novels can spark real-world ideas.
  
  
• Personal growth – The right book, at the right time, can change everything. I remember reading Lean In by Sheryl Sandberg many years ago and thinking it was OK, only to read it again years later (when I needed it most) and loving every single word. It gave me the courage and motivation I needed to step into the next version of myself as a leader.
  
  

And you don’t need hours. Twenty minutes a day is enough. That’s one train ride, one coffee break, or the time you’d usually spend scrolling your phone.

Maybe it will be the scare tactics from Rob’s podcast that will motivate you to pick up a book. 

Perhaps, you have found yourself not being on your A-Game at work recently and you are not sure why, or you wonder why some people are “high performers” and you just can’t get there. 

This one little habit could help you to get to where you want to be, in life, in your career, in being the parent you always wanted to be. 

So, what are you reading right now?

I believe books are one of the simplest, most powerful tools for growth. They sharpen us, calm us, and often give us the courage to make the changes we’ve been putting off.

And if you’re one of the 80% not enjoying your career, don’t just read about change - start creating it. That’s why I developed The Career Clarity Blueprint - because life’s too short not to love what you do.

Always with love, 

Elsa x