My top 3 tips for reading more
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Finding time to read can be hard with all the distraction waiting for us in the real and digital world. Just buying some books is not enough to get you started, at least it was not the case for me.
I thought about my greatest changes in behavior that allowed me from reading no books to almost 1 book a week. Here is my top 3 that everyone should try out.
1. Dedicate reading time
Yes quite a straightforward title, dedicate some reading time in you day. It is very hard to read on the side when you feel like it. Yes, you could definitely do that but the results will vary a lot from 1 week to the next.
The main thing with this is to determine what time of the day you are least occupied and can be left alone. For you, this could be in the morning before everyone wakes up (That’s my golden hour). It could rather also happen more towards the end of the day after everyone has tucked into their beds.
Dedicating time, like 1 hour per day should be enough for you to crush 1 book per week.
I recommend everyone to should get started with this tip. Look at your schedule and dedicate that reading time.
BONUS TIP: throw away your television.
Still distracted?
If you feel that the reading time alone is not enough. Take a look at your environment. Are you reading in bed? In the sofa next to someone else? Maybe you have the radio in the background to keep you company?
I suggest removing every distraction from the room you are and focus on that time set aside. Cellphones are the real devil here. If you can’t have a dedicated reading room turning off your phone might be the best thing to do.
2. Don’t create big wishlists
Everyone loves wishlists right? When I was a kid I remembered creating toy wishlists for Christmas and Saint Martin’s day (these are big in Belgium). My parents, or should I say Saint Martin always was very generous. I usually got a lot of gifts, but sometimes the one gift you wanted was not in there.
Wishlists create disappointment if you can’t fulfill them. You might have a wishlist or goal to read 20 books this year, but then a couple of months into the year and you only read 3 books. You get disappointed and might start thinking to stop reading altogether.
In my previous article, i touched on luzme. A site for following ebook prices and also there I voted against using lists of books to read. Luzme - How to Use
Boring book ? stop..
It’s important to read things that excite you and not think that you “force” yourself by following a list of books you already bought. If you want to create a small wishlist I suggest to not put more than 5 items on that list.
Also, change that list if you think you should. It could be that you read an interesting book on bitcoin and you want to know more. Scrap your unrelated wishlist and fill it with bitcoin books and enjoy your next read.
3. Read more than 1 book at a time.
Now this one can be quite controversial because many would say that it’s more efficient focusing on 1 subject at a time. I somewhat agree to that notation as I believe multitasking is not meant for any mortal human. However, reading for example 2 books at a time and reading your “Self Help” book in the morning. And in the evening finish with that great Science Fiction novel can be helpful.
Reading more than 1 subject will excite you. Starting a new book is like the most exciting adventure you can start, so why not have 2 or more at the same time.
Very important here for this to succeed is that you mix up the genres of book you are reading at the same time. It’s not a good idea to read 2 novels at the same time, as you might mix up the characters. Its also not good to for example learn about the programming language Python and Javascript at the same time. You will be confused at the end of the 2 books without a lot of understanding of either.
I rather suggest reading 2 totally different books at the same time. I like reading a self-help book in the morning to be excited to start my day with the tips I learned. And Finish my day with a novel so my dreams bring the novel to live.
What are your favorite tips for reading more books?