By Dung Huynh 
Honestly? I thought Achievers Magazine was just another boring motivational thing. Flashy covers, fancy people on them, probably full of empty “dream big” crap. But hey, I saw one at the dentist’s office last Tuesday. Cover story kinda caught my eye. Figured, why not try actually reading one properly for once?
Step 1: Actually Getting My Hands on a Copy
Looked online. Found their website easily enough. Prices weren’t insane, but subscriptions felt like a commitment I wasn’t sure about. Saw they sell single issues. Clicked “Buy This Issue”. Easy checkout thing, used my regular card.
Waited a couple days. Boom, magazine plopped onto my doormat. Nice thick paper, smelled new. Okay, step one done. Got the thing.
Step 2: Picking What to Read First (The Hard Part)
Opened it. Immediately overwhelmed. So many sections! Interviews, “success secrets”, money tips, tech stuff, book reviews. Felt like a buffet where I wanted everything but could only fit one plate.
- Flipped through: Glossy ads everywhere. Skip skip skip.
- Saw the Table of Contents: Main feature story was long. Like, really long.
- Spotted a shorter piece: Near the back, “Three Habits That Changed My Morning”. Hey, that seemed manageable. Decided to start small. Aim for the short one.
Rule #1: Don’t try swallowing the whole magazine at once. Pick a bite-sized piece.
Step 3: Trying to Actually Read It (Focus is Key)
Sat at my kitchen table. Coffee beside me. Phone… oh yeah, the distraction machine. Knew that thing would ruin it. Grabbed it, chucked it onto the sofa across the room. Out of easy reach.
Started reading the short article. Brain kept wandering. “Did I pay that electricity bill?” “Is the cat meowing?” Shook my head like a wet dog. Forced myself back to the page.
Key move? Highlighting. Found an old yellow marker in the drawer. Started marking lines that actually felt useful. Made it feel less like passive reading, more like hunting for gold nuggets.
Step 4: Actually Trying One Tiny Thing
The article suggested drinking water first thing in the morning. Before coffee. Before anything. Writer claimed it woke them up better than caffeine. Sounded stupidly simple. Almost too simple.
Next morning, remembered. Groggy. Stumbled to the kitchen. Looked at the coffee maker… then looked at the tap. Poured myself a big glass of water instead. Gulped it down. Did I feel instantly amazing? Nope. But weirdly, felt slightly more… alert? Less fuzzy.
Kept doing it all week. By day five? Yeah, okay, it kinda works. Feels like hitting a mini reset button.
What Actually Happened?
Didn’t become super rich overnight (obviously). Didn’t suddenly morph into Tony Robbins. But:
- Got one usable habit out of it. Small win, but mine.
- Learned I have the attention span of a gnat. Serious phone discipline needed.
- Highlighting stuff makes it stick way better. Forces me to actually engage.
- Starting small is the only way it works. Trying to read the whole mag cover-to-cover? Recipe for instant nap time.
So yeah. Achievers Magazine. Maybe not all fluff? Found one useful tiny trick. Might pick another section to tackle next month. Slowly. Very, very slowly. The coffee first thing though? Still absolutely needed it after that glass of water.
yadanarbon 