A lesson from my 20s

Sometime in my early 20s, I decided fiction books were a “waste of time”.

I thought I could only learn “real, practical things” to advance my life and career from non-fiction. And so for nearly 10 years I only read biographies, business, and professional development type books. Some good. Most not.

Lately, I’ve been thinking about how sad this is (for me at least) because I loved fiction when I was younger.

But more importantly, I think about how sad it was to only engage with things I thought were “productive” or that would advance me in some way economically.

Prioritizing productivity over joy and pleasure — so mechanical.

The irony is, I’ve learned that creating space for things I enjoy “just because” actually increases my productivity, creativity, and headspace.

In my 30s, I want to reconnect with pure creativity, joy, and pleasure.

And I started by picking up fiction again. Here’s the other kicker: I realized fiction often has more to teach than any business book. Stories of life — timeless lessons — the poetry of what it means to be human — this is all in fiction.

I can’t believe I let myself fall prey to these “optimize everything types” years ago. But I didn’t know any better, now I do.

Which fiction books have you been reading lately? Or, which is your favorite one?