How a Kindle and a Habit Transformed My Accounting Life

For years, I watched people online proudly announce that they’d read 30, 40, even 50 books a year. Meanwhile, I struggled to get through a single chapter. After being diagnosed with dyslexia in my 20s, I just assumed reading would always be an uphill battle.

I told myself I wasn’t “a reader.” 

But the truth was far more empowering: I wasn’t using the right method for my brain. 

Everything changed when I finally discovered the right tool and paired it with the right habit. 

The turning point: a colleague’s encouragement 

A colleague casually suggested this one sentence that opened a door I didn’t know was there. 

“Sometimes we need someone else to give us permission to rethink what we believe about ourselves.” 

Sure, I could listen to audiobooks and podcasts… but it wasn’t the same 

For a long time, I leaned heavily on audio content. It was easier than reading physical books, but it still wasn’t ideal. Whenever something resonated deeply (a sentence that hit hard, a concept that stirred something inside me) rewinding to hear it again was annoying. 

1. Slowing narration down ruined the rhythm  

1. Rewinding in small increments felt clunky  

1. Finding a specific quote felt impossible  

1. Screenshots of timestamps became the only way to “save” anything  

I didn’t just want to consume information. I wanted to: 

1. Interact with it.  

1. Sit with it.  

1. Highlight it.  

1. Reflect on it. 

And audio could never quite give me that. 

Kindles have been around for years… so why didn’t I try one sooner? 

That’s the part I had to be honest with myself about. The Kindle wasn’t new. The technology wasn't new. The accessibility features weren’t new. 

What was new was my willingness to let myself use them. 

I was caught in my own assumptions: 

1. “Real readers use physical books.”  

1. “If I can’t read like everyone else, something’s wrong with me.”  

1. “Needing support means I’m behind.”  

Looking back, none of that was true. I wasn’t resisting the Kindle, I was resisting permission to support myself. 

Technology finally caught up to the way my brain works and I finally accepted it 

When I finally embraced the Kindle, it felt like the world had quietly been designing a solution for readers like me all along. 

1. Adjustable fonts 

1. Spacious text 

1. Softer backgrounds 

1. No glare 

1. Dyslexia-friendly options 

1. Lightweight and distraction-free  

This wasn’t technology making reading “easier,” it was technology making reading possible for me. 

And accepting that support was part of my growth. 

Building the habit: just 10 minutes a day 

Once I found the right tool, I added the right routine: 

1. Tiny habits create real transformation.  

1. Ten minutes became chapters.  

1. Chapters became books.  

1. Books became ideas that reshaped how I think and work. 

How reading elevated my work in accounting 

As reading became part of my life, it directly enhanced how I serve clients and lead professionally: 

Expanded perspective 

New insights broadened how I think about leadership, advisory services, and the future of accounting. 

Better communication 

Understanding people more deeply improved client conversations and decision-making support. 

Reduced burnout 

Reading became my calm ritual—my grounding reset between complex tasks. 

More creative problem-solving 

Ideas from outside the accounting world inspired innovation inside it. 

In the end, it’s not about how many books I read 

For me, the breakthrough wasn’t going from reading a few books a year to reading dozens. 

It was realizing that the number doesn’t matter. 

What matters are: 

• The insights that shift my perspective 

• The lessons that strengthen my leadership 

• The ideas that spark curiosity and new possibilities 

• The moments when a sentence makes me pause and think differently 

My growth isn’t measured in book count; it’s measured in impact, in clarity, in inspiration. 

Some books offer one great idea. Some offer ten. Some offer a single sentence that changes everything. 

And that, more than any tally, is what keeps me reading. 

Action steps for your own reading transformation 

1. Use tools built for your brain

Don’t hesitate to embrace technology that supports how you learn. 

2. Start tiny

Ten minutes a day is enough to build momentum. 

3. Choose books that inspire growth

Leadership, psychology, communication, mindset, industry innovation. 

4. Learn with others

Share insights with colleagues. Growth compounds in community. 

5. Save what resonates

Highlight, annotate, and revisit the ideas that move you. 

6. Redefine success

It’s not about reading more, it’s about thinking differently. 

The big lesson 

Today, reading is one of my greatest personal and professional tools. It keeps me curious, innovative, and aligned with where our field is heading. 

And it all started with: 

• One colleague’s encouragement 

• One diagnosis that helped me understand myself 

• One technology I finally said “yes” to 

• One simple routine 

• And one redefined measure of success 

When we embrace tools designed for our brains, we unlock the highest version of ourselves.