A couple of weeks back, I picked up a book I had heard much about. It’s called Deep Work by Cal Newport. The book talks about the importance of working with your full focus, without any interruptions and the difference it can bring.
Prior to starting the book, I had watched quite a few videos which happened to be based on it and they were genuinely very helpful. So it was actually the videos that inspired me to read the book.
The first few pages of the book were okay, but as I progressed further, the book started to feel long-winded and repetitive. I found myself struggling to get through paras, which usually isn’t a problem for me while reading other books (no shade to Deep Work tho).
Yet I tried pushing myself through the book in hopes of understanding the concepts better since I really liked what I had heard about it.
But after a point, I realized I was just dragging myself through the book and not enjoying or retaining anything from it.
So I decided to stop.
A lot of us – including me – have the mindset that if we have started a book, we must complete it, cover to cover. No ifs or buts. But that’s not true.
If you realize that a book isn’t for you, or you’re not enjoying it, don’t force yourself to read it. You can always look up a summary of the book online, or even better – watch a video on it. There’s no shame in admitting that a book wasn’t for you, moving on and investing your time and energy in better things.
The same goes for anything else in life. Just because you’ve signed up for something, doesn’t mean you have to continue with it if it doesn’t work out.
There’s no harm in giving something your best shot and then moving on if it’s not for you. Life is too short to be spent struggling with something that doesn’t make you happy. I’m not saying that you should give up on everything as soon as it gets difficult. But if something isn’t working out, maybe it’s time to let it go. Your time is precious. Treat it that way.
So go ahead, read that book summary instead. It might not give you 100% gist of the book but it will be a lot better than reading something you’re not enjoying.