5 Reading Habits of Succesful People

Terri Savelle Foy is the author of "Pep Talk: Learn the Language of Success Through Positive Declarations." The mentor is known worldwide as a world-class motivator of hope and success through her transparent and humorous teaching style.

Every single successful person that Terri has studied has this one trait in common: they read a lot. "75% of self-made millionaires have reported reading at least two books per month," stresses the writer.

According to Terri, unsuccessful people view growth as a period of life. Meanwhile, successful people view development as a way of life. They never stop learning.

"For some reason, I had the mentality of viewing books as an obligation rather than an opportunity. It was just an assignment that I had to do, not something I get to do" then she adds, "I seriously thought that only nerdy people who lacked a good social life were the ones staying home on a Friday night curled up with a boring novel."

Bill Gates says, "Be nice to nerds. Chances are you'll end up working for one."

These are the five reading habits of the most successful people recommended by the expert.

1) They are intentional about reading

Successful people know they are what they read, so they schedule a time for it. They aren't haphazard about investing in themselves. They're very intentional about it. From dusk until dawn, high achievers' lives are very planned out, and reading is a top priority. Start with a 20-minute plan each day, but stick to it.

After 30 days of persistence, you will have learned 10 hours' worth of the wisdom that could provide you with the very idea to double your business, make a significant career change, get your body in shape, see healing in your marriage, etc.

2) They are selective about what they read

"The most successful people attribute their success to having mentors," Terri assures. You've probably heard stories about people like Mark Zuckerberg, co-founder of Facebook. His mentor was Steve Jobs. Bill Gates had Warren Buffet, Oprah has Barbara Walters, Justin Bieber has Usher, and Lady Gaga has Elton John.

Also read: HOW FEMALE BUSINESS LEADERS SUCCEED

You might argue that you weren't allowed to hang out with Oprah or Zuckerberg, but this is where reading gives you the advantage. You get to choose your mentors who will have the most significant impact on who you become by reading their books.

3) They read to grow

Brian Tracy said, "You are locked in place at your current level of skill and knowledge. You can go no further with what you know now. Your future largely depends on what you learn and practice from this moment onward."

Learn from those who are doing, achieving, and earning more, proving a success. Start reading the books of those you admire the most.

4) They read to save time and money

There is a reason why the most successful people look to others for guidance and inspiration through a book's pages. You can save a lot of money by learning from those you admire.

5) They seize every moment to learn

Successful people may only have a couple of minutes before they have to be somewhere, but instead of viewing it as only 20 minutes, they see it as a 20-minute opportunity to spend reading or learning something.

Outstanding professionals are continually on a quest to learn, grow, and obtain knowledge and skills to move their lives to new heights.

The final advice from the expert is: "you can learn about retirement investments over breakfast, you can learn a foreign language over lunch, and you could even learn how to win friends and influence people over dinner. Don't wait for the one hour that you don't have. Start with the five minutes you do have and open up to chapter one and start reading."