The Day I Became a Professional Reader

“The best strategy I’ve come across is the idea of a wide funnel and tight filter. Be willing to read anything that looks even a little interesting, but abandon it quickly and without mercy if it’s not working for you.”

Morgan Housel

I recently listened to The Knowledge Project podcast. In it, Morgan Housel (author of The Psychology of Money and Same as Ever) discussed his “wide funnel, tight filter” approach to reading. As described in the quote above, the idea couldn’t be simpler. You approach any book with curiosity but stop reading it and move on to something else as soon as you lose interest. I never put a label on what I do with books, but it’s remarkably similar to what Housel does. To become a writer, you first have to become a professional reader. Getting there isn't as difficult as it sounds.

I find myself constantly jumping from book to book. Although I consider myself a person with a long attention span, I’m ruthless when it comes to giving up on books I don’t enjoy. Charlie Munger once said something similar: “Most books I don’t read past the first chapter. I’m not burdened by bad books”. This feels wrong because we’re taught from a young age that leaving books unfinished is some sort of sin.

Luckily, here’s Housel again discussing what reading and dating have in common: “Similar to dating, a book you’re not into after 10 minutes of attention has little chance of a happy ending. Slam it shut and move on. You’re not a failure if you quit a book after three pages anymore than if you reject the proposition of a 10-hour date with someone you just met who annoys you. Lots of fish in the sea.” In other words, life is too short to do things you don’t enjoy.

The most important part about healthy habits is making them sustainable. I don’t care how much you read when everything goes according to plan and the universe aligns in your favor. I care how much you read on an average day. The boring work you do everyday results in something massive. Do you show up at all when things don’t go according to plan? You should because that's the difference between an occasional reader and a professional reader. That’s often the difference between success and failure.

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