Bob's Study Habits

No matter who they are or what they do, highly successful people #read. You will find that trait in all great success.

Bob read his first book, Think and Grow Rich, at the age of 26. Reading and studying that book changed his life so dramatically that he read it every day up to his passing.

People often asked about his study habits, so he shared his process in this writing. Before he did that, however, he shared two things that explained his unconventional approach to reading.

You Study to Remember

Bob shares a quote from a book titled College Sense: What College And High School Advisors Don’t Tell You About College. The author is unknown, but the quote reads, “If you #study to remember, you will forget. If you study to understand, you will remember.”

Here’s why those statements are important…

Education isn’t about hammering information in. It is a process of drawing the very best out of ourselves. The word, education, comes from the Latin word, Educo, which means educe, develop, or draw from within.

So, if you study only to remember—and that’s what most people do—you will forget. But if you study to understand, you will remember because understanding creates awareness. You create a #consciousness that you will never lose.

333 North Michigan

Studying to understand was driven into Bob's mind back in 1966 on one of the most memorable days of his life.

He was a very fortunate young guy that day - he had managed to get a full hour to interview Earl Nightingale. How exciting that must have been!

He was pretty nervous when he arrived at Earl’s office on North Michigan Avenue because he had been studying his work for a long time, and his life had changed because of it.

Fortunately, as Earl and Bob talked, he began to loosen up. At some point, he noticed a wooden stand on Earl's desk, and he asked him what it was.

Earl said it was a book holder to keep a book open at a specific place.

“Isn’t that kind of awkward for turning the pages?” Bob asked.

“I don’t change the page.”

Bob was confused.

“You don’t change the page?” Bob asked.

Earl said, “Bob, you know that repetition is required to change your behavior. You have to put an idea in your #subconscious mind over and over and over again. So, I pick an idea on a page that I want, and I read it until I find myself doing it.”

Bob used a book holder ever since that day.

Read Something Every Day

Bob didn't just read a book; he really studied it.

It was not unusual for him to read the same paragraph a thousand times or the same page every day for months. Once he had a book on his desk that was open to a page where he read the same two paragraphs every day for six to eight months.

Why?

Because he knew it was essential to read to understand and apply, not to remember like you would if you were studying for a test.

So, here are Bob's study habits:

1. Find a book that can teach you to be, do, or have something you really want.

2. Study it every day. (Early in the morning, usually for about an hour.)

3. Read it slowly to try to #understand the truth of what the author meant.

4. When you come across an idea that attracts or intrigues you, read it over and over (day after day, week after week, month after month), even if you’ve memorized it.

5. When you can apply what you’ve been reading (the idea is planted in your subconscious mind), move on to the next paragraph or page and repeat the process.

Study Leads to Success

Like others, Bob used to blame his circumstances of not making much money on the fact that he didn’t have a formal education or business experience. But once he started studying, he discovered it had nothing to do with either one of those things and everything to do with HIS self-image.

Don’t let a lack of awareness keep you from excelling in life. You can find EVERYTHING you could ever want to know in personal #development books that interest you.

Bob's message to you:

As you’re studying, keep this in mind …

You already have everything you need to succeed locked up inside you. Reading and studying draw out and develop what’s already within. It #empowers you to be your best self by developing more of your untapped potential.