Many years ago, a teacher of mine said reading a book is an opportunity to walk around in someone else’s mind. You don’t just learn things—you actually get inside someone else’s ideas. And when that someone is one of the great minds of business, you have an opportunity for growth unlike any other.

Reading for pleasure is a wonderful thing. But make sure you are also reading for self-improvement, and for mastery of the skills that add up to success in your field.

When you are not reading, your income potential is not going up. If you spend an evening watching TV, you rarely say, “Oh my gosh, I’m SO glad I watched TV all night. I can just feel myself growing.” But when you read a book that’s part of your plan for mastery, you can have that feeling every day.

Mastery of anything takes at least ten years. But that’s not ten years of simply showing up. You need ten years where you’re on a growth curve EVERY YEAR. If you’re in sales, or management, or have a technical position you need to read a book a month just to remain relevant.

Become THE expert in your field. And while you’re at it, start studying for the job you want next. Even if your boss’s job doesn’t open for you, you’ve proven you can self-learn and self-manage. And with that reputation, you can go anywhere!