Note: This article was translated from Chinese with the assistance of AI.

Reading: Cognitive Awakening

Take Action, Even Without Fully Understanding Why

Early rising, meditation, reading, writing, running.

We often say we should know not just what but also why. But we frequently fall into the trap of putting the cart before the horse—pursuing theory while neglecting practice.

Native English speakers can speak fluently without understanding grammar rules. We can ride bikes through pure muscle memory rather than constantly analyzing physical balance. Even many tasks in our daily work become muscle memory—after two years in a job, the challenge fades.

Following this approach, we simply need to arrange our day like this: wake early, meditate, read, write/output, exercise.

Early rising doesn’t require an alarm—just wake naturally, without forcing yourself to sleep until a specific time.

I don’t fully understand meditation yet, but I’ll practice it anyway. (As the subtitle suggests!)

Reading is the most economical and direct way to learn from masters and sages. Don’t pursue quantity—read deeply.

Output, or rather reflecting on what you’ve read, means finding the parts that resonate with you, then putting them into practice, discussing with others, or teaching them. Transform what you’ve read into something truly yours that changes the trajectory of your life.

Eliminate Ambiguity

Whether it’s something as significant as life goals or as small as this week’s shopping list, we need to write it down and keep it somewhere visible.

Remembering things consumes mental energy, and we gradually forget—especially life goals—eventually leading to anxiety and regret.

Write it down. On paper, in your phone’s notes app, or on a big whiteboard. They say once you write something down, half the anxiety is already lifted.

The Edge of Your Comfort Zone

Tasks that are too easy don’t foster growth; those too difficult breed fear. Things that require a bit of stretching—just within reach—are the ones that help us grow without causing suffering.

When reading, choose books of moderate difficulty—ones where you know a bit but feel you don’t quite grasp everything.

When teaching children to swim, progress step by step. Don’t rush them because you envy other children’s skills.

Don’t try to power through challenges with willpower alone—it’s not sustainable.

Making Connections While Reading

Often when reading, we feel the author makes great points but don’t quite understand them. Other times, we feel the author describes exactly what we’ve experienced, nodding along in agreement.

When these moments occur while reading, it’s the perfect opportunity to theorize your own experiences and feelings, then follow the trail to see if the author offers more complete and effective methods to help you grow.

Reading books that are too difficult or too far from our experience and understanding won’t yield much benefit. Sometimes, after our experience grows, we look back at difficult books and suddenly everything clicks. That’s why some books are worth rereading.

The Steps of Reading

Previously, I considered a book finished once I’d read it. I barely took notes, let alone reflected or produced output. I merely pursued having “read” it. So soon enough, the book knew me, but I no longer knew it. Now I see this was an extremely flawed approach to reading—pursuing the superficial act of reading without internalizing and making it my own.

Reading is just the first step. Taking notes and capturing key quotes helps connect what’s in the book to your own experience and knowledge. Then we must reflect on these points, make associations, structure and theorize our existing understanding, and expand our cognitive boundaries outward. We can’t let these newly discovered islands scatter and eventually be swallowed by rising sea levels, as if they were never discovered.

The next step after reading is output through writing, teaching others, or making real changes. Use what you’ve read and understood to guide your life, and in turn, life experiences will strengthen your understanding. This creates a positive reinforcement loop.

Life Goals

This has been something that’s troubled me for a long time. From childhood, I followed the prescribed path: study, get good grades, find a good job. Even my university major was assigned to me.

Though I stumbled into computer science and experienced the golden age of the industry, I missed huge opportunities because I wasn’t truly passionate about it.

I’ve had countless things I wanted to do: learn an instrument, travel, read, and more. So many things I never acted on—I bought instruments three or four times but never learned to play a single song. They just sat there, seeming to mock me.

Later I read that what you should do is what you’ve done since childhood, what you keep returning to, what you do when there’s no external pressure.

Thinking back, I kept a diary and wrote essays until I graduated university. I’ve always enjoyed reading. So I suppose I’m suited for reading and writing! The only thing constantly on my mind was how to monetize it. Now I think: forget about that for now. Let me just take action, accumulate experience, and worry about monetization later.

Shifting Attention

The book mentions something I deeply relate to: how to make unpleasant tasks less painful. The method is attention shifting.

For example, washing dishes after dinner is a tedious chore—a table full of plates and dishes, grease everywhere. With small children at home, even the floor suffers. Every time this happens, I turn on the kitchen speaker and play music I enjoy. Then I gently sway and hum along. I slowly start washing dishes without rushing to finish. When I’m done, it doesn’t feel like torture at all—my mood is remarkably light.

Taking Action

You don’t need to think everything through perfectly. You don’t need to find the optimal method before acting. Just do it.

I consider myself fairly clever, but I’ve been too clever for my own good. Many ideas and plans tumble around in my head—I imagine all the potential difficulties and ways things could fail—until I hesitate and eventually forget. Then one day in the future when I suddenly remember, I’m overwhelmed with shame.

Conversely, some things I was forced to start immediately without familiarity, and the fog quickly cleared. I rapidly mastered new skills, and my heart filled with satisfaction and joy.

So just do whatever comes to mind. There’s always a way when you reach the mountain. If there’s no path, just turn back and try another route—it’s no big deal.

This marks my first post as I return to reading and writing.