Consider this valuable shortcut that may have eluded your consideration.
Every book carries not just a shortcut but also a subtle secondary message that you might miss in the initial read.
For instance, books on “focus” like The One Thing, The Gap and The Gain, or The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People all center on a singular message.
However, what they don’t explicitly state is that you must actually implement those principles consistently, without exception.
Without incorporating these teachings into your daily life and using the information effectively, what value does the book truly hold? It becomes no more than a paperweight.
Now, let’s take it a step further.
Once you’ve identified your “main” book, your subsequent readings should aim to enhance and reinforce your primary theory, rather than diverging from it.
Suppose you’re enamored with The Seven Habits book. In that case, your approach should involve applying each habit to every aspect of your life. And when you read The One Thing, you’ll need to assess how to integrate your seven habits into your one thing.
Too often, people discard the wisdom from their main book and attempt to adopt everything from future readings, leading them further away from finding their one thing.
The secondary message of every book lies in adapting its ideas to suit your personal operating system, yet none of the thousand or so books I’ve read have explicitly emphasized this point.
Now, you’re equipped with this knowledge. Use it wisely, my friend.