Create Your Own Learning Library

If you want to improve or change your situation, then education is an important part of doing that.  Applying what you learn is just as important as educating yourself.  At DurhamREI meetings I have mentioned that I read 3-4 books a month, which help to sharpen my saw and keep me focused.

I’m really proud of my library of books, but I don’t think many other people in my household would think so.  As it continues to grow, take up more shelves, and more room in our house.  Over the years, I’ve found going back to the books in my library helpful in my real estate business.

I’ve been asked several times on my process for consuming 3-4 books each month.

I do purchase books from a number of different online stores, but mostly from Amazon and Chapters.  I will spend some time reading physical books during each day and on weekends.  I set aside at least 30 minutes for reading each day.  Sometimes, I sneak a little more reading time on the weekends.

I will also listen to the audiobook version of a book, and if I like it I will also purchase a physical copy of the book.  My preferred Audiobook source is Audible.

I subscribe to the Audible Listener Gold Annual Plan.  This gives me 12 credits all at once for the year, and the ability to roll-over half your credits if you don’t use them.

If you go on a trip and want to purchase an extra book it’s quite easy to do with this membership.  Audible also provides the opportunity to purchase extra credits during the year at discounted prices.  You will probably spend around $12.50 per audiobook using this method on average.

There are a few reasons why you should like using Audible.

1. You can download the audiobooks and listen to them on your device when not connected to the internet. This is great for travelling or listening while in a vehicle.  (I like to use bluetooth to listen through my truck audio system)
2. It allows you to Synch your Books across different devices. If your listening on your tablet and switch to your phone it remembers the place in your book.  This part does require internet connectivity,
3. You can speed up the audio. I usually listen to the audiobooks at 1.5-1.7 speed.  I have some friends that can listen to it at 2.0 speed, but I’m just not there yet.  Your brain gets accustomed to the speed quite quickly and you would be surprised at how soon you can speed up the recordings.
4. Create a wish list of books that you want to listen to later.  As you encounter books you can simply add them to your wish list.  You can always purchase them later.

One the things I don’t like about Audible is that I can only use downloaded books from their library.  If I have an audiobook that I purchased elsewhere, I can’t listen to it through Audible.

If you want to give Audible a try for free for 30 Days, you can get two free audiobooks by clicking here.