How to Read More
Maybe you love to read but you just can’t find the time. Maybe you are not that into reading, but you need to do it for work. Or maybe you are like me and fall asleep if you crack a book open any time after 8:30pm. (Don’t be hating on my hard-core lifestyle!) Whatever your scenario, if you want to get more reading in and you are ready for some advice that actually works, then you have come to the right place! Here are the tips I put into practice to read several books a month:
Start Small – If you are not currently reading, then start small by reading a page a day, or five minutes a day, or 30 minutes a week. Don’t set an unrealistic goal that you are going to start strong and then drop like a rock once life gets in the way. That will only make you feel like a failure, and reading should never induce a guilt-trip.
Read what you enjoy – If you choose the topic or author, you have a better chance of enjoying the content and therefore seeing it through. Not always possible if you have been assigned a book to read, but sometimes assignments or recommendations can turn into new favorites, so keep an open mind!
Don’t force it – There have been plenty of books I have started but not finished, even books that came highly recommended. If I struggle to connect with a book, I put it down and might give it another chance later – maybe I just wasn’t in the right frame of mind. But if I am just truly not enjoying the book or cannot stay focused on it, then I give myself permission to put it down and not pick it back up again. Not every book is going to be good, so don’t waste your time if it is not for you!
Find the right time – I already mentioned that if I try to read in the evening, I am going to fall asleep – no matter how good the book. Finding the sweet spot of your schedule and mental availability is the key. I am available in the evening schedule-wise, but not mentally because I am drained. For me, my sweet spot is reading during the day, which means I either need to get up early and read before everyone else gets up, or carve out some time to read at some other point amidst my other priorities.
Schedule it – If you work a full schedule, have family obligations in the evening, and can’t imagine getting up any earlier than you already do, then consider scheduling reading on your calendar. Maybe it is Saturday morning for an hour while everyone else sleeps in. Maybe you book a recurring lunch date with yourself where you get out of the office and read. Planning time on your calendar will dramatically increase your success rate over just wishing you had time or trying to squeeze it in somewhere.
Make good use of your time – This tip was the biggest game changer for me. It dawned on me that I had a significant amount of time where I was mentally available but busy doing routine things like getting ready for the day, working out, running errands, driving, meal prepping, etc. So I started listening to books on audio. I know plenty of people already do that, but I resisted because I strongly prefer holding a physical book in my hands. But when a physical book I was looking for was not available, I discovered that our local library rents out audio books for free and I gave it a try. I was shocked at two things: 1) how much I actually enjoyed it, and 2) how fast I could get through a book on audio. Now I find that I can read a physical book and also listen to an audio book concurrently without getting them mixed up (not literally at the same time, but I have both books in progress at the same time), which means I am reading even more! Another surprising perk: when you listen to a book by a current author, oftentimes the author narrates the audio, which means you get to hear their intended tone and inflection as they read it to you. One downside is there are often books that I find I want to re-read on paper so I can digest it a little more slowly or take notes. Give it a try and you will find the type of books that work best for you on audio vs. on paper. You will also likely be surprised at how much time you can find to read when you make good use of your time spent doing mundane and routine things!
Create an enjoyable ritual – Once or twice a week I get up early, make myself some coffee, and then settle down into an overstuffed chair with a book, a blanket, and my dog plastered to my leg. I swear she looks forward to this routine just as much as I do. It feels like a treat to have this quiet time to myself, but it might look different for you. Maybe your ritual involves reading outside (weather permitting), or going to a coffee shop and treating yourself. Whatever it is, if you enjoy and look forward to it, you will do your best to make it happen.
Read with friends – Start or join a book club, or simply find people who are interested in the same types of books as you so you have someone to talk about it with. I love sharing concepts or quotes from books with my clients, friends, and family as a means of processing what I read or just passing along something I found interesting. (I only do this with people who are into those types of books, though, or if it comes up in natural conversation…don’t be that person who forces others to endure an unsolicited book report.) This is also a great way to add to my reading list - when a kindred reading spirit recommends a book, I tend to bump it up on my priority list. There are some people whose book recommendations I will immediately read with no questions asked, because they are always incredible.
Give yourself some credit – Remember that it doesn’t have to be a 300-page monster of a book for it to count as reading. Reading articles, magazines, newsletters, blogs, etc. all count. You are likely already reading more than you realize! Since you have made it this far in this article, then you are already doing it, you smarty-pants!
If you are looking for a place to start, then check out my Favorites list for some of the books I am currently reading or have recently finished. A few that I recommend over and over again are Atomic Habits, by James Clear; Never Split the Difference, by Chris Voss; and Daring Greatly, by Brené Brown. Whatever you read, just read. And if you read something fantastic, please tell me about it! I am always looking to add to my book list. Happy reading!