I pretty much love the way I am progressing in my goal of reading books this year. This year was the first time I had ever intentionally sat down to read a novel, and I have already finished two novels this year. I used to be the kind of person who couldn't read past the middle page of a novel, even after being given six months to finish the book. I hated reading, but now I am beginning to appreciate it.

This year, I have finished reading two books: "Atomic Habits" and "The Richest Man in Babylon." I don't have the books with me presently as I left them at school. The next two books I plan to read are "How to Win Friends and Influence People" by Dale Carnegie and "The 48 Laws of Power" by Robert Greene. I will be reading the book by Dale Carnegie first before moving to the one by Robert Greene.

One thing I have learned from reading these books is to take notes of the lessons they teach. I made the mistake of reading "Atomic Habits" without taking notes, so I will need to go over that book again, this time with the aim of taking notes. But from what I have read in the book, I can remember the following points:

• To build a habit, you need to make it obvious, attractive, easy, and satisfying.
• A 1% change in your habit can lead to great results.

The book talked more than these points, but these are the things I can remember for now.

For the second book I read, "The Richest Man in Babylon," I had trouble reading and understanding the book at first with the old English style of writing and the use of "thy," "thee," "canst," "dost," etc. I am not used to this type of poetic English, but as I read it, I began to grasp it. I really enjoyed this book, and I took notes as I read it. I enjoyed this book more than "Atomic Habits" because of the stories it told about people and how one can easily relate to them.

"The Richest Man in Babylon" contains the best financial advice you could get from anywhere, and it talks about how to attract wealth (gold, which is the term used in the book), what causes one to go broke, and how one can attract good luck. Below are the top lessons I can remember from the book:

• Always save one-tenth of your earnings to keep and the other nine-tenths for your expenditures.
• Gratification is important, so spend on things that you need and budget your expenses so that there will be enough to invest and grow your wealth.
• It is important that you give your best to your work; work hard and make it something you enjoy.
• Don't be deceived by people who offer unrealistic earnings for investing. They are after your money.
• Don't go into any business you have no knowledge about, always make your research and meet someone who is specialized in it, seek advice from them before starting such business.
• A man who is diligent in his work would find the true definition of luck, not one who dreams and gambles in hopes for luck to make him rich.
• To attract luck, it is important to take advantage of opportunities, accept opportunities, and don't procrastinate on them.
• Procrastination is the thief of success and hinders luck.
• Never lend money to someone who does not have means to pay up or without a good plan to use the money.
  Make your home a means of income.
• Your future is important; save and invest for your old age, as you would not be able to work as fervently as when you were young.
• It is important to let your money work for you. Put your money to work, and let its returns work for you.
• Wealth is made by accumulation and not by expedition
• The more you learn, the more you earn. Your skills are an important factor in earning more. What skills can you offer to earn a living?

With the way I enjoyed reading this book, I am definitely going to read it again and again until every piece of advice and instruction in it becomes part of me.

So what about you? What book are you reading at the moment?

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