As I write this, I acknowledge that I am someone who loves reading. Given a choice of activity, I would choose reading 9 out of 10 times.
So I haven’t really had to tackle the question of how to want to read more, or how to enjoy reading, or how to read more when reading is difficult/frustrating/boring. For me the mere act of reading, holding a book, feeling the progress through the pages is enjoyable.
Therefore, the question isn’t how to convince myself to read, it's “how do I find more time?” I can’t sit around and read all day much as I’d like to.
So how can I get more reading done?
How can you get more reading done?
A lot has been written on the subject. (More books to read! Ha!). But here are the techniques I personally use...
1. Keep a book with you at all times
(So much easier now that books are available on phones)
Although I don’t love e-books, I do keep a few books on the Kindle App that syncs to all my devices so that I am never without a book.
2. Read multiple books at a time
This might not work for everyone. If you’re one of those people who needs to become fully absorbed in a book you may find the context switching difficult, but I found I don’t always “feel” like reading the book I’ve started.
So remove the point of friction. Rather than not read, I just read a book I feel more like reading.
3. Finish every book you start
I once read a book about the increase in general lack of commitment and follow-through. One off-hand example used by the author was to ask how many unfinished books we had sitting on our shelves.
For some reason that got to me. I went home, pulled out all the unfinished books from my shelves and made a pile. Then I finished them. Every last one. (not in one night!).
The sense of accomplishment I feel at finishing each book helped drive me to read the next one. That same sense of accomplishment drives me to continue to finish books, making it easier to get through some of the slower parts of a book.
4. Keep a log of books read
This helps me feel a sense of accomplishment, which in turn stimulates further reading. But it’s also an excellent reference source for recommending books and finding concepts later down the track.
5. Read in little moments
Whether it’s waiting at the dentist or waiting for dinner to finish cooking, I’ll pick up a book and read a few pages.
6. Keep books handy
As well as my e-books on my phone, I’ll also have a book or 3 in the kitchen, many books on my table in the study and some in the bedroom. This way whenever I have a few minutes or need a break from what I'm doing, I simply reach for a book.
7. Read a page-turner
When I need a break from business books, when I’m on holiday, or if I just feel in a reading rut, I’ll pick up a page-turner. Whatever the book is everyone’s currently raving about.
When you have a book you just can’t put down it's amazing how much time you find for reading!
Final thoughts on reading and children
Many parents will often wonder how to develop a love for reading in their children.
Whilst developing a love of reading is beyond the scope of this blog post, I can point out one thing briefly.
Looking back on my childhood, I can say that I always loved reading. A significant impact was probably my dad reading stories out loud to me as a child. Every night he would read everything from picture books to classic novels such as The Secret Garden, The Little Princess, Ann of Green Gables and The Prince and Pauper.
Studies show that reading out loud to your children is the single most influential factor on your children reading. Seems to have worked for me!
I would love to hear how you find ways to read more. Let me know in the comments below.
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