Why and how to read magazines

I get a lot of magazines. You probably do too. And if you’re like me, you can’t possibly read all of them. There’s not enough time in the day to do your day job, have a life, and still get through that growing stack of back issues.

But getting through those magazines is still important, I believe for three main reasons:

1. Education: You’ll learn something every time you pick up a current or past issue you haven’t read. It’s a critical part of our everyday, ongoing education, especially in our own businesses, industries and areas of expertise.

2. Innovation: I guarantee you’ll find at least one new idea directly applicable to your business in every magazine on your stack. You just have to look.

3. Networking: For every idea you get for yourself, you’ll likely find 2-3 ideas, articles, editorials or other content you think will be relevant to others in your company or network, which provides a great opportunity to touch base and keep that part of your network active.

Of course, executing on these opportunities, with that stack of past issues facing you, is no less intimidating. Thankfully, Mark Shead at Productivity501 recently posted a great set of tips for getting through those magazines more quickly, while still achieving all three of the objectives above. Here’s his list.