Are you being intentional with your growth and learning?

“I cannot tell the truth about anything unless I confess being a student, growing and learning something new every day.”

Sonia Sanchez

I love to read, and my bookshelves overflow with books I want to read and those I have already consumed. Nothing is better than getting lost in a good book, whether for fun, personal growth, or professional enhancement. The beauty of reading is that every book, no matter what type of material I read, helps me grow and expand my understanding of the world and increase my knowledge and perspective. The challenge is that there are so many GREAT books to read, and some just demand to be reread from time to time. Rereading is not just about revisiting a story, but about relearning the lessons and gaining new insights. It is also a challenge to remember all the great books and the lessons I have gleaned from them.

Several years ago, I put together a ‘reading log’ to track the book, key lesson(s) learned, and the message’s impact on my thinking. The list is a great reference point when faced with a challenge, especially when I know I have read/learned something applicable to a current situation. I’ve recently started experimenting with this list and using AI to review my outlined information. The AI analyzes the key lessons and their impact, and based on a current challenge or opportunity I am considering, it offers suggestions on which materials to revisit. It has made the application of rereading essential materials much more pointed and efficient.

The reading log template is a simple yet effective tool that I’ve developed over the years. It includes sections for book details, key lessons learned, and the impact of the book on my thinking. If you find this template valuable, please email me at dusty@dustyholcomb.com, and I’ll gladly send it your way. As Harry S. Truman once said, “Not all readers are leaders, but all leaders are readers.”