How to effortlessly read 50 books a year

2026-04-01 · Short · Ali · recording, 0:39 · watch on YouTube

Topic: Books and reading · mode: Explanation and tutorial · tags: His own products discussed

In a Short, Ali says that to read 50 books a year effortlessly you should take on the identity of a reader, then do what a reader does: carry a book, read on the toilet instead of scrolling, and read before bed.

What is said

The parts of the video and what is said in each (★ — how much it matters to the video).

00:00:00 — Reading 50 books a year by becoming a reader: what a reader does and why identity comes first

• ★★★ To read 50 books a year with little effort, Ali advises an identity shift: embody the identity of a reader by telling yourself "I'm a reader" until you genuinely believe it. — 00:00:00
• ★★ A reader, Ali says, always carries a book, reads on the toilet rather than scrolling Instagram, and spends 20 minutes to half an hour before sleep reading a Kindle or a physical book. — 00:00:00 · Kindle, Instagram
• ★★ Ali says habit change is often much easier when it comes downstream of identity change. — 00:00:29

Threads in this video

• refine · How do you read more books? — To read 50 books a year with little effort, Ali advises an identity shift: embody the identity of a reader by telling yourself "I'm a reader" until you genuinely believe it. (00:00:00)
• refine · How do you build a good habit and break a bad one? — Ali says habit change is often much easier when it comes downstream of identity change. (00:00:29)

Mentioned

Central: identity-based habits

Also: Feel-Good Productivity (book) · Instagram · Kindle

Also centred on identity-based habits: Tiny Changes, Remarkable Results - Atomic Habits by James Clear · I spent $50,000 on a business coach so you don’t have to · What Identity Do You Want To Embody? 🫵 · How To Actually Achieve Your Goals in 2026 (Evidence-Based)

← Previous: The Strategic Imbalance Paradox · Next → Give me 14 minutes and I'll show you how to read more books