Overcoming PTRD, Step Three: Your Rx for Success
In our past installments, we’ve confronted the uncomfortable issue of PTRD (Post-Traumatic Reading Disorder) and how it may be affecting your personal and professional development. We also gave a few reasons why reading is so important. Now, it’s time to solve the problem. Are you ready to kick PTRD once and for all? Here’s your Rx for success.
Prescription: A Balanced Reading Diet
The important thing to remember about what you read is variety (no, not the magazine). Reading is very much like eating; if you consume the same thing every day, then you’ll get out of shape. The key is to read a range of different topics.
Of course, here at NAA we’re especially fond of motivational and leadership books. Authors like John Maxwell and Dale Carnegie give pinpointed advice on honing your leadership abilities to succeed in the work world. These books will help you see your potential, build your character, and grow as a human being. If you’re one of our agents, the NAA Store’s book section contains a lot of our favorites.
Another part of your diet should include current news, blogs, and trade publications. Many of you might already read the paper every morning, but subscribing to blogs and magazines to find out what’s going on in your industry is a great way to get ahead. Of course, we’d be remiss not to recommend subscribing to NAA Leads the Way for your weekly dose of sales training if you haven’t already.
Finally, you should consider reading works of fiction. War and Peace might be overkill, but something to exercise your ability to think creatively as well as refine your palette for reading comprehension is just what the doctor ordered. Francis Bacon once said, “Truth is so hard to tell, it sometimes needs fiction to make it plausible.” A little dose of fiction in your diet will help keep your creative vision sharp so you can solve those “unsolvable” problems. If you’re not sure where to start, CNN posted a great list of easy-reading fiction that will stir your imagination and hone your reading comprehension.
Dosage: 15 Minutes a Day
Rachel Ray might need 30 minutes to cook a decent meat loaf, but it only takes 15 minutes a day to get into a reading habit. That’s not really a lot; it’s the collective amount of time most people spend staring into space every day. In 15 minutes, you can bite off a good chunk of information that won’t choke you or leave you starving for more.
The point is to start out slowly and enjoy yourself. Who knows? You may start to like it so much that those 15 minutes a day start to creep up to 30 minutes, 45 minutes, or an hour. That’s when you know you’re cured.
