When you were a kid, there were probably several people in your life who encouraged you to read more: parents, teachers, librarians, etc. Now that you’re an adult, you have to make your own choices about how to spend your time (both leisure and working time), and you may find that you’re not making as much time for books as you once did. Today I hope to encourage you to reconsider.

Books are amazing little packages, full of information, entertainment, and sometimes even life-changing insights. Here are just 5 of the many reasons books are so incredible:

Reason #1: Books are Portable

You can take a book with you almost anywhere, which makes it easy to “sneak in” some reading time in your everyday life. If you always have a book handy, I think you’ll be surprised how much reading you can do in the time that might otherwise have been wasted. Here are just a few ideas: the waiting room at a doctor’s office, in line at the DMV, waiting for your kids to be finished with soccer practice (or insert some other activity of your choice), while the pot boils on the stove for dinner.
Action step: Put a book in your purse or car and see how much “sneaky reading” time you can accumulate this week!

Reason #2: Books are Inexpensive

You can find inexpensive books almost anywhere – local thrift stores, used book stores, and online sales sites. Of course, you can also find them for free at your local library or a little free library. For very little money you can gain hours of entertainment, insights for your business, and learn pretty much anything you’d ever want to know!
Action step: Go to your local library or a used book store and pick out a few titles that interest you!

Reason #3: Books Transcend Time and Space

Books are timeless – you can get as much out of a book that was written 100 years ago as you can from a book that was written this month. Though at times the information included in non-fiction books is outdated, they often have nuggets of wisdom that withstands the test of time. Books are a way to connect with our history and to carry on the stories of the past.
Action step: Add one book to your TBR pile that was written at least 50 years ago.

Reason #4: Books Have Multiple Uses

Want to learn to bake a cake? Change a tire? Build a website? Speak a foreign language? Would you like to experience the sensation of riding a dragon, slaying a wild beast, or getting your letter to Hogwarts? Books can do all this, and so much more! There are so many different types of books out there that you can have almost every possible experience within the pages of a book.
Action step: Add a book to your TBR pile that is a different genre than what you normally choose.

Reason #5: Books are Available in Multiple Formats

You no longer have to consider yourself “a reader” in order to enjoy books. Load your iPod up with audio books and enjoy them in the car on your commute, or pop in some ear buds and listen as you complete your weekly chores. Depending on the nature of your job, you might even be able to listen at work! Thanks to the magic of e-books, you no longer even have to leave your house in order to find a good book. You can download one instantly to your tablet or phone using your library’s website or a book selling site like Amazon. Books are literally now available at any time in almost any format – so what’s YOUR excuse for not reading more?
Action step: Try an audio book or e-book this week!

Would you like to not only read more books, but actually DO something with the knowledge you gain from them? Join us for the Small Biz Book Club, where every month I will translate the “big ideas” in popular business books into language that applies to you and your business, no matter the size. Enter your e-mail into the box to sign up.