I write long posts.
This one is not.
I am shutting down
The ReadARs Club.
This has not been an easy decision, but it’s a necessary one.
Only when I close this book of my life that I can move onto the next.
Immediate Next Steps —
I will leave the groups open for conversation till 31st August 2024.
I will close them down as we enter September.
Over the next 3 days, share your cherished memories
Appreciate the friends you connected, chatted & grew along with!
AND EVEN RANT if you are disappointed with my decision.
Why am I shutting it down —
In one sentence – I couldn’t scale it.
The paid membership poll I asked served as the final litmus test.
The barrage of questions, objections & hesitation sealed its fate.
For some of you who polled Yes, I am Sorry.
For most of you who polled No, thank you.
My Call to Arms to the ReadARs —
ReadARs who joined b/w 2019 to 2023 — The ReadARs Club 1.0 &
ReadARs who joined in 2024 — The ReadARs Club 2.0
You came here to build a Habit of Reading.
Now you are ready to fly away from the nest.
Go out there & be the ambassadors of Reading.
Keep applying all that you have learnt in this journey.
That’s all you need.
Thank You to each & every ReadAR —
You are the most important people on this planet.
You made the transitions happen.
It all started in 2019 as a mere 50 day Reading Challenge.
Then evolved into “The Reading Habits” cohort based course.
And nestled into “The ReadARs Club”
I’ve come across gems of ReadARs, who brought their unique skillsets to become such an asset for the whole community.
“People come for the course, but stay for the Community.”
You made me learn this lesson forever.
I can’t mention all wonderful ReadARs here as the list will go on.
(remember this isn’t a long post)
Over the rest of 2024, I will seek to have a 1:1 to thank them.
Special Thanks
None of this would have happened had it not been for my wife, Nikita Punjabi. (LI, YT)
I rebuilt my habit of Reading in 2016 & 2017 because of her.
It was because of her encouragement that the ReadARs was started.
She has had to bear with me as I tried, experimented, faltered.
She even decided to help me further, with Guided reads on Fiction books.
And doing so helped both of us see that the end was near.
Today, the end is here.
What lies next for me —
I don’t know what future unfolds.
But now is the time to rebuild.
In the immediate terms, I will read to improve my health and career.
Both have been on a slippery downward slope for the last two years.
In terms of Reading, I believe my journey has just begun.
There are many areas that I can get better — especially note-taking, writing book reviews & content curated from books.
I hope you will say the same about yourself.
I am certain our paths will cross again.
Let’s stay connected via —
1. LinkedIn
2. Youtube
My Instagram presence is questionable!
(3 Accounts yet no effing clue what to do.)
4. Facebook – Who knows if I start using it.
And I am one DM away on WhatsApp.
I will share my personal number in the groups — please save it.
I can’t guarantee that the professional number with which I’ve ran ReadARs, will exist cometh 2025.
Thank You for Reading all the way down.
AR
19 replies on “This is the End.”
Thanks AR and kudos on being there for so long. Your resilience and idea of making people read is a brilliant one.
Hope you break into business side of Reading in your next chapter and we are rooting for you.
All the Best
Sad to see that you closed the ReadARs.
Two points:
1. Program (GRP) is good and amazing. May I steal it? Do let me know.
It is not scalable to the mass level but possible at batch or small levels.
It’s tricky to build a business model. But worth attempting once again.Probably with some mentor or coach – who understands this part.
2. IMHO, one of the greatest assets that you bring is your deep insight into curating the books. I loved those selections. You are always bang there. Do keep writing and posting on your readings, selections, and recommendations. The community will love that.
3. You may want to keep communities intact! Those are already in place.
Being a book-lover, readAR, I will keep connected.
Our many interests overlap, so maybe we can think of collaborating on something too! Feel free to reach out.
Also, your work – inspired me to think – about how I can add value in some way to readers and book lovers. (Reviving my old blog is a step in that direction.)
“People come for the course, but stay for the Community.”
This made me think! how do we leverage that?
Aniket, for the love of book reading can we stay connected with you via a group who are serious readers. I know it’s difficult to scale, but the joy of reading and sharing should not stop. Please think once again.
As you say Aniket, people come for the course, but stay for the community. I love this community that you have built.
Yes, my two cents. The community shall live on.
Dear Aniket,
I am grateful to you for introducing reading books. Without you this was not possible, you are like that light in dark tunnel who enlightened importance of reading.
After relocating to London it was me who failed to continue regular reading but yes whenever I read any book I always remember those golden days and you.
You are awesome and impactful. Keep up the good work and big thank you for introducing reading books in my life
This is very very unfortunate!
Aniket, I have very high regards for you to instill the reading habit in me!
Hey Aniket,
Thanks for introducing us to new methods of reading and help us building daily reading habit.
It is sad that you need to close ReadAR. Keep in touch!
Hey Aniket…you had started an incredible initiative and I was happy to see your progress.
I do understand that life moves on however wish you had continued this.
It’s really disheartening to see you close this.. but I understand your passion.like most people here mentioned just stay to connect as a group and not to scale of that seems difficult. Nevertheless you are an amazing person and you inspire everyone you meet. You might have to pause a bit to concentrate in other life issues but don’t stop it, as this is also where you truly want to be? I would never have thought the 15 min rule still works for me. That technique is the only reason I can pick many books and things I want to do and pursue, and don’t feel overburdened by it. You are a gem. 💎
Omg!! Didn’t expect this to happen, Aniket. So sorry to hear that you’re closing it. To say that it is heartbreaking would be an understatement.
Even though I’ve been inactive the last several weeks mostly due to work and mental health reasons, I was actually looking forward to the journey with the next chapter of the ReadARs Club. And I assumed this page will contain instructions on how to join it, what to expect from it and so on. But alas! This is a total googly.
I’m sure this might not have been an easy decision for you and Nikita. I can’t say I totally understand without necessarily being in your shoes but I can imagine the emotional toll (probably physical too) running the club might have been having on you given that it isn’t being the way you envisioned it to be.
I’ve seen you work really hard over the past year and a half of my journey with the club. I can understand how disheartening it can be when the results are not as good. I also sincerely apologise from my end for not being as active as I wished to be. Not sure if you’ve noticed but I’ve somehow been tagging along. Even with ‘Slow Productivity’, I’m behind by only a week.
Without the club, I’m sure I’d not have even passively read some of the recent ones we did together.
I’m certain that the time you get back from your decision will provide you with the much needed space to heal, recover and may be identify any fresh opportunities with renewed zeal to resurrect the club sometime in the near or distant future. Or to run it without the kind of stress you have been experiencing of late.
Even if for any reason it doesn’t take birth again, I’ll forever be grateful to you for the all the great experiences I had with the club and it’s fab members.
Like Normy said, even if it isn’t run formally anymore, and if it doesn’t trouble you emotionally, I’d love for the group to be kept active. However, I’ll totally understand and respect your decision even if you decide otherwise.
Please do give me a shout whenever you want to talk in the coming days or weeks or months. I hope to be able to help. If not anything, at least to give you a shoulder or an ear.
I know we still have a couple of days left. But if it does come down to it eventually, I want to let you, Nikita and other friends in the club know that I’ll truly miss this space.
Big thanks! Wishing you the very best, Captain! 🫡
Hey Aniket!
Thanks for all the time and efforts you put in with us in the ReadARs club 2.0
Its disheartening to see that you are closing this down.
Wish you all the very best for the future.
Keep reading.
Keep inspiring.
It’s indeed a tough decision. I can’t thank you Aniket enough. You are one gem of a human being who had put your honest efforts in what you believe and in bringing so much positive change in the lives of readers. Priorities change in one’s life often but this experience of yours will lead you to something you may not envisage now. It may pivot to some other form.Keep your doors open. I am highly appreciative of Nikita’s efforts . She believed in what you believe. I consider the ReadArs initiative a grand success. God bless your family.
It is shocking to read what I read above. I joined you and this forum in April 2020. Was not much of a reader before that. Thanks to you and to the groups that you created, we lived and enjoyed the journey of reading so many books together. Thank you for enabling the habit of reading books. I wish you restart this journey someday……count me in when you do. While its sad to see this ending, I believe you will come back with something better and bigger…..something that gives you contentment and peace of mind. Good luck to you Aniket, and thanks a bunch once again for gifting the joy of reading to so many of us. Stay blessed.
Dear Aniket,
This is disheartening to see the end of the initiative you started last few years ago. I am sure you have taken this decison after lot of thoughts and must be difficult for you.
I am grateful to you for helping me inculcating an habit of reading. I loved being part of the wonderful community you built. Kudos to you on your efforts and commitment you have shown to help many for building a reading habit.
I wish only the best for the endeavors and chapters of your life.
Keep inspiring and motivating us.
Thank you from bottom of my heart.
🙏
Dear Aniket,
Like all others am also sad with this decision but I have a strong belief what happens, happens for good. So, will wait for next chapter.
I am grateful to you for multiple reasons the strongest is the re-cultivating my reading habits, giving it a boost whenever I lacked and always being around as a mentor. I will cherish all the memories built in past 4 years as it’s exactly 4 years since I joined ReadARs club, sometime I am always very proud of.
Stay in touch, focus on health and I am sure there will be a next chapter soon to embark together.
Cheers!
Vithika
Dear Aniket,
Like all others am also sad with this decision but I have a strong belief what happens, happens for good. So, will wait for next chapter.
I am grateful to you for multiple reasons the strongest is the re-cultivating my reading habits, giving it a boost whenever I lacked and always being around as a mentor. I will cherish all the memories built in past 4 years as it’s exactly 4 years since I joined ReadARs club, something I am always very proud of.
Stay in touch, focus on health and I am sure there will be a next chapter soon to embark together.
Cheers!
Vithika
Hey Aniket,
I’ve been thinking about your post, and while I’m feeling a bit sad about the end of the ReadARs Club, I also want to take a moment to appreciate what an absolutely incredible journey it has been. Your decision to close the club doesn’t erase the amazing journey we’ve all experienced together. I’ve personally grown so much alongside the group, and the passion for reading that you sparked in me will always endure. Once a ReadAR, always a ReadAR, right? You should feel incredibly proud of what you’ve built.
Hope the closing of this club is like when tech giants shut down projects to invent something new and exciting. I’m genuinely looking forward to seeing what amazing things lay ahead for you and Nikita, and I have no doubt that we all get to keep that reading flame alive in our own ways.
ReadAR remains in my books and always will – Here’s to the next incredible adventure!!
Warm regards,
Niraj Patel