The Two Unlocks That Changed My Reading Habit

The first unlock was giving myself permission to listen to books instead of only reading them. I’ve always believed there’s something more immersive about holding a physical book, but I realized that in many situations, it was either listen or not read at all. Once I made peace with audiobooks, an entire new world opened up. Suddenly, commutes, workouts, and even routine tasks became opportunities to read.

The second unlock was letting go of television. For years, I defaulted to turning on the TV as background noise while eating or as a way to unwind at the end of the day. But when I stopped relying on it, I freed up hours every week. I replaced that low-value screen time with reading, and the change was dramatic. The more I read, the more I wanted to keep reading. It became self-reinforcing — a virtuous cycle that built momentum on its own.

Eventually, I stopped setting numerical reading goals altogether. Instead, I just made a commitment to read whenever I had free time. Over time, the habit compounded — 25 books a year turned into 50, and now it’s closer to 100.

Building habits that compound over time.

Why Reading 100 Books a Year Matters

To be fair, I think what matters more than reading a hundred books a year or fifty books a year or a certain number of books a year is the habit of reading regularly throughout the year.  100 books is a very achievable target if you really get into it, but even a book a month would be a great first goal.   Here’s why the habit of reading about a hundred books a year has been so impactful for me. 

1. It replaced shallow consumption with depth.
   When I’m not reading books, much of my “information diet” came from tweets, Instagram captions, and short articles designed to grab attention with controversy but rarely deliver substance.   It’s hard to get a good handle on the credibility of the information being shared.    By contrast, books allow for depth, research, and storytelling that short-form content can’t match. Reading books regularly provides a diet of thoughtful, substantive ideas instead of addictive little soundbites. The topic of the Third Reich’s rise to power in pre-war Germany was a chapter or two in high school history, but Richard Evans devoted almost a hundred hours of audiobook to the same topic so the depth of examples and research are vastly different and more immersive.
   
   Replacing shallow consumption with deeper, more meaningful content.
   
   
2. It filters out noise and bias.
   I’ve also shifted away from books written for purely political or commercial agendas. I focus instead on works that are grounded in history, research, and deeper perspective. President James Garfield’s death happened long enough ago that I didn’t detect political motivations behind Candice Millard’s Destiny of the Republic plus I learned a lot about the evolution of healthcare from that book as well. Interestingly, I’ve found that reading about previous eras often gives me more clarity about current times than consuming real-time “hot takes” ever could.
   
   
3. It allows immersion in big ideas.
   Reading at this pace lets me explore topics in clusters. Instead of reading one book on World War 2 history, for example, I’ll read several from different viewpoints to understand what led to the war, what really happened, and different perspectives on why. . If I want to better grasp how American government evolved, I’ll read across multiple perspectives and eras. This approach deepens my understanding and helps me form more balanced views.
   
   
4. It sparks cross-pollination of ideas.
   Perhaps the most surprising benefit is how ideas from one field inform another. A book on economics might spark an idea about health. A book on history might shift how I think about entrepreneurship. Reading the biography of Theodore Roosevelt inspired my thinking about taking on challenging adventures throughout life.   Reading Brent Underwood’s book Ghost Town Living inspired me to think differently about the projects I’m taking on.
   
   By exposing myself to a wide range of subjects, I’ve created a kind of intellectual ecosystem where insights build on each other in unexpected ways.
   
   Gaining broader perspective through intentional practices.
   
   
5. It’s a self-reinforcing habit.
   The more I read, the more I want to keep reading. Each book strengthens the behavior, making me less likely to fall back into unhealthy habits — like binge-watching shows or zoning out with endless scrolling. Reading reinforces a positive loop of growth, focus, and curiosity, while crowding out the behaviors that were “rotting my mind.”   Reading Al  Reis and Jack Trout’s  book The 22 immutable laws of Marketing inspires me to find more books exploring their principles and thought processes.

Final Reflection

For me, reading 100 books a year isn’t about bragging rights or chasing an arbitrary number. It’s about feeding my mind with higher-quality content, sharpening my focus in a distracted world, and giving myself the perspectives to think more creatively and clearly.

And while 100 books a year may sound intimidating, the truth is that the number matters less than the habit itself. Whether it’s 12 books or 100, making reading a consistent part of your life is one of the highest-return investments you can make.

👉 My challenge to you: Instead of asking “How many books should I read this year?” ask “How can I spend less time on shallow content and more time on meaningful ideas?” Start small, build the habit, and see where it takes you.