Why You Should Buy a Book to Help You Blog
This post is Day 25 of the 28 Day Blogging Breakthrough Challenge. You can chat about the challenge on social media using the hashtag #BloggingBreakthrough. Click here to view all of the challenge prompts.
Over the past few years, I've been reading fewer and fewer books. Give me blogs and magazines any day, but an actual book? It’s safe to say that it’s been a while. That was until last summer when I got a creative inspirational book for my birthday. Since I've started reading it, it’s made me realise how important it is to read books. It creates so much joy and can actually support your self-development more than the online world ever can.
So as part of the Blogging Breakthrough challenge, when we’re finally getting to that stage where we’re putting things into action, this is the perfect thing you need. It’s time to start focusing on yourself and grow your creative imagination with some good old-fashioned reading.
Why Are Books so Beneficial?
When you’re a child, you don’t even think twice about reading. I used to devour book after book after book – some I definitely read more than once. I loved escaping into another world and tying myself to each story. It’s important for your growth into adulthood – but it’s given me a completely different perspective now.
No matter whether you’re 14 or forty, that feeling of opening a page of a fresh new book never goes away. Now I'm 24, I realise even more how big of a part reading plays in my personal development. Here are some other reasons why I think reading is so beneficial:
It Gets You Away from the Noise
When you’re reading a book, you’re just reading. All you need is somewhere comfy to sit, your drink of choice (tea for me) and a book. You don’t need social media, you don’t need your notifications popping up every minute – you need quiet. That’s why I want to get back into reading more.
Our lives are surrounded by so much noise lately, coming in every direction. Emails, notifications, messages, to-do lists – it’s like we always have to be tuned in so our mind never relaxes. Reading a book lets you completely switch off from everything. You don’t have to worry about whether or not you shared the link to your latest blog post or whether you replied to that email. The point of reading is so you can let go of all that and distance yourself from the noise to enrich your life.
It's Another Way of Taking in Information
I don’t know about you, but I've definitely changed how I take in information. I think back to high school or college and wonder what it would be like if I was there right now? When quick fire 300 word blog posts were all the craze, it lowered our attention span. Now that longer form content is the way to go, it’s proving to be difficult because our attention spans have lowered so much already.
That’s the beauty of reading a book. It’s a completely different way of taking in information on your own terms. Blog posts and online articles decide how much you’re going to read for you. With a book, the decision is all yours. You can decide what to read, how much to read and when to read it. Whether you read two pages or two chapters, it’s a better way of taking in information. You’ll find the words on a page will stay in your mind longer than words on a screen ever will.
You'll Get New Ideas & Open Your Mind
Since starting to read the book I'm reading, I've really noticed a difference in how I think about things. It’s really allowed me to think more openly about situations and how I deal with things. I’d say that’s a massive improvement.
If you’ve got bloggers block or you’re just struggling to come up with any new creative concepts, reading a book can change this for you. Doing something completely different, like reading a book instead of consuming everything online is usually all you need to do to spark new ideas. Like we said earlier, it’s a different way of taking in information, which means you’ll come up with ideas you’ve never thought of before.
So now you know why reading is so beneficial – now let’s move onto the books that can help you get that breakthrough with your blog.
Inspiring Books for Bloggers
#1 99U
99U’s series of books are at the top of my must-read list. “Manage Your Day-to-Day”, “Maximise Your Potential” and “Make Your Mark” are all about helping you create a fulfilling daily routine, stepping outside your comfort zone to come up with even better ideas, and doing things that matter. It’s all about keeping you on track with your creative career and hobbies, whilst growing your skills and mind too.
#2 Creative Confidence by Tom Kelly and David Kelly
When I was younger, I thought creativity only came down to artwork, painting and design. Now I know that it’s so much wider than that. This book is all about recognising and unleashing the creativity that each and every one of us has. I really feel like this book is for me, because it helps to get rid of the myth that creativity can only be used by creative people. I wouldn't call myself a creative person, but I know I can be creative. If you feel the same, this book is exactly what you need.
#3 Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert
There’s been a lot of talk about this book and with good reason. Again, this is all about creativity and what it means. The purpose of this book is to give you confidence with your creativity and show you how easy it can actually be. It’s about exploration, and instead of plodding along throughout our life, we should embrace the curiosity that we have.
#4 Make it Happen by Lara Casey
This is the book that I'm reading at the moment. It’s all about recognising your purpose, pushing through your fear and believing that you can make things happen. So far, I'm answering questions that are transforming how I view certain things and it’s making a huge difference. I’d definitely recommend this book.
#5 Rising Strong by Brené Brown
This book really speaks to me, because it’s all about self-awareness. The author writes about how being vulnerable is actually quite powerful and also about courage and strength. It’s about being brave enough to stay true to ourselves even though we might fail. Even just a short description makes me want to read this right now.
Today's Task
Buy a book – it’s that simple!
It can be one from this list but it doesn’t have to be. And even if you’re not a book reader – just read this one. Trust me – you’ll notice a difference.
Remember, if you’ve got any questions, reach out to me on Twitter at @abranchofholly or leave a comment. And if you take any pictures of your progress be sure to use the#BloggingBreakthroughhashtag!
TO GETTING A BREAKTHROUGH WITH YOUR BLOG
Remember - there's something exciting coming for the #BloggingBreakthrough challenge. It'll be launching in the second week of February & I can't wait to show you. Watch this space for more info!
Let's chat in the comments - do you find reading books beneficial? Do you think you'll try one from this list?