I read 2–3 books a week. Here’s how you can too.
In 2020, I picked up reading for the first time again in years. As a kid, I read a lot. But as I grew older, school and grades started getting in the way and I dropped the habit of reading altogether. This year, as I tracked my progress on Goodreads, I realized I’ve been finishing an average of 2–3 books a week! So what’s the secret? Here are five simple tips that helped me read more. Let’s get started.
Read what you want to read.
In this age of #hustle and #productivity, I see many of my friends putting books like textbooks on their reading list. How many people have actually read a textbook from cover to cover? In order to start and maintain a reading habit, read what you want to read, and not what you think you should read.
If you want to read a fiction book, go ahead. If you’re into cooking, grab a memoir about a culinary genius. Don’t think about reading as another task on your to-do list. You don’t have to read books that give you a leg-up in your work. Simply read whatever you want to and you’ll sail through the pages without even knowing it! This is also what allows you to gravitate towards reading over other activities when you have the time.
An advanced tip is to read a variety of books at the same time. I often read three books simultaneously, where two are more technical, research-backed texts, and one is a story-based narrative. When I’m feeling like reading something more light-hearted, I switch to a book that suits that mood. This allows me to read consistently even when I grow tired of a specific text.
Stop reading the book if you dislike it.
We all have a handful of books we never really enjoyed reading (cue the stack of abandoned books you bought on an ‘I’m gonna start reading for real!’ whim last year). Even if it is a bestseller at major bookstores, you can find yourself not connecting with the author or the story even after pushing through several chapters. Next time you encounter this, skim forward a few pages to see if there’s anything interesting. If the book is still not gripping your attention, stop reading it.
In building a reading habit, it is important to make the process enjoyable. Other avid readers have suggested treating every book like a blog post instead of a book. When we’re reading articles online, we start skimming and close the tab if the post gets boring. Who’s to say we can’t do the same for books? This little mindset shift allows you to only read books you enjoy.
Don’t buy physical books. Get an e-reader or head to the library.
Many are tempted to buy physical books, which they choose based on recommendations from their friends or online reviews. Going back to the previous tip, you may find that you can’t seem to connect with the 4.5-stars rated book you bought. Then you may feel chained to reading a text you don’t like because that book cost you $30. It’s more likely that the book will end up sitting on your desk gathering dust, serving as a nagging reminder of how you ‘really should get to finishing that’ every time you glance at it.
I would thus recommend getting an e-reader with an affordable subscription service (e.g. Kindle Unlimited, for $9.99/month) or going to the library to borrow books for free. This allows you to let go of books you don’t enjoy reading at little to no cost.
Read at the same time, every day.
This tip is about building reading into your routine. Reading is a habit and not a one-off event. Try allocating a specific time every day to reading and stick to it. For example, I read every morning while I’m having breakfast. Because I read what I enjoy on my Kindle, this habit helps me start the day right. Since I have breakfast every day, I also read every day. This is known as habit stacking. Reading during breakfast every morning allows me to get 30 minutes of reading done every day, amounting to 3.5 hours a week!
You can also try reading before bed, or during lunch, or during your afternoon break. Choose a specific time to read and stick to it.
Track your progress.
It has been shown that we are more likely to stick to a habit if we see our own stats and progress. Reading is no different. Tracking your reading progress allows you to reflect on your reading and see how far you have come. I use Goodreads to do this. The 2020 Reading Challenge allows you to set a goal of how many books you wish to read in 2020, showing a literal progress bar on your dashboard. It feels satisfying to key in a book you’ve finished and see that bar move just a bit more towards the end goal. This closes the habit loop with a sense of reward and makes you naturally want to start another book.
Those are my 5 tips for reading more with less effort. Let me know if any are useful for you and if you have other suggestions!
I’m currently trying to get back into the habit of reading and writing more. I have been relatively successful so far. If you’re curious, you can view my reading progress on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/tankityung
