How to Keep Up with Professional Reading
How many of you have piles of mail stacked on the kitchen counter? Better question, how many of you feel stressed out or guilty when you glance at that stack?
I just recently received this month’s issue of Today’s Dietitian, which I’ve already told you I love. However, I haven’t finished last month’s issue. Or the one before that. And I won’t even tell you how many JANDs I have lying around.
We live in a time where the information at our fingertips is overwhelming! While I used to eagerly anticipate receiving the JAND, I now pull it out of the mailbox with dread, knowing I haven’t so much as bent a page in three months.
How on earth are we supposed to take advantage of all this information and use it to improve our practice as dietitians? When I was researching ways to keep on top of all the professional reading available, I found little helpful information. Most of it was about subscribing to new article alerts etc.
Nooo, I don’t need more information. I need to get a handle on the existing stuff.
That’s it. It was up to me to figure this out.
How to keep on top of professional reading.
Ditch what you can.
One of my friends signed up for a ton of lifestyle magazines using rewards points. As they began arriving in hoards, the very magazines she had looked forward to began to stress her out because she didn’t have time to read them.
Sure, there is probably good information in each of the journals or magazines you subscribe to. But those journals aren’t doing any good collecting dust on your coffee table. Prioritize your subscriptions and unsubscribe to the ones you find yourself ignoring most.
Go Paperless (Maybe)
Opting for a paperless version of the magazine subscriptions you keep can be a good way to reduce physical clutter, but only do this if you are likely to read a digital version of the subscription. I for one would not be.
Map out your reading plan
I have this tendency to read things cover to cover, fearing that if I don’t I will miss out on some crucial information. It’s funny though, because when I get in this mindset I tend to zone out and not remember what I just read. Please tell me I’m not alone?
I get overwhelmed when I think of reading the entire issue, so I just don’t read any of it. Better plan: choose only the articles you find interesting or relevant. Mark them by folding the page or slipping a paperclip over it.
Give yourself a reading timeline.
Now that you have ditched the subscriptions that are not high-value and selected the articles you really want to read, give yourself a reasonable timeline to read them in. Since two of my three magazines come monthly, I would set a one-month timeline.
Great. It’s easy to choose 12 articles out of your magazines and say you’ll read them by next month. If we really want that to happen (and lets be honest, we don’t trust ourselves) we need to break it down even further.
Block out your reading time.
Some people are gifted enough to be able to read while the TV is on or music is playing. I am not such a person. If my husband is watching Friends my eyes glaze over and I become unresponsive. The JAND drops from my lap and hits the floor. I don’t even notice.
Soo. That doesn’t work. I have to choose times and places where I can focus. My lunch break is a pretty good time for me to focus, although sometimes I just want to chat with coworkers or call Kevin. The evening seems to be my best bet. I poof up my pillows and crawl in bed with an issue of Today’s Dietitian or the latest Food and Nutrition Magazine. If I’m having trouble getting to sleep, JAND is a wonderful option. Sorry. I guess I like lots of pictures in my reading.
Do something with what you read!
Blog about it, tweet about it, share on facebook, or tell your friends. We remember much more of what we have learned if we share it with others. Besides, the whole reason we want to read all these magazines is to have more knowledge to share and to enrich our practice.
Remember, information is only valuable if you internalize it. Get rid of the subscriptions that are stressing you out more than they are enriching your life, and organize a time for you to read the articles that truly interest you. Make sure to share the information too!
What all magazines/journals do you receive?