3 Ways to Make Reading a Regular Habit

A beginner’s guide for getting the most out of what you read

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Originally appeared on Quora by Dylan Woon.

I didn’t really like reading. Now, I do.

(P/s: Dear Ryan Holiday, your book changed my life. Thank you.)

For instance, in the last 6 months, I have read about 20 books. Not a huge feat, but sufficient to illustrate that it is possible to make reading a regular habit.

Here’s what I did:

1) Discover your why.

Basically, there are two types of readers. Both are great. You can be either type or both types.

The first kind of readers is what I call the passion readers.

• They read because they simply enjoy reading.
• They read whichever book that piques their interest.
• They don’t necessarily look for books to improve themselves or solve problems.
• Reading isn’t the means to an end. Reading is the end.

The second kind is what I call the seeking readers.

• They read to solve problems.
• They read to enhance their own mental libraries.
• They read to improve themselves.
• For them, reading is the means to an end.
• Personally, I started as a seeking reader. Now I am both a seeking and passion reader.

So, why do you want to read? To improve yourself or to simply enjoy the moment? Pick a type and start from there.

2) Read daily.

Start small.

• You don’t have to read a book a day. Just read a page a day.
• If you happen to read more than that, celebrate that little success.
• Don’t worry about how well you understand the topic or what you are doing to apply it in your real life.
• Start small and build your momentum over time.

Utilize book summaries.

• You can look for book summaries online and see which books suit your preferences.
• From there, compile a to-read list.

Utilize apps.

• Books need not be physical — they can be digital too.
• Install apps like Dropbox, Kindle or PDF Acrobat Reader in your phone.
• Next, substitute your mindless social-media scrolling with reading.

Aim to be a reader.

• Be comfortable with the self-image of you being a reader.
• How do you do that? By regular reading.
• Deep in your heart, you know you are a reader. Reading is a part of who you are.
• You don’t read to impress anyone. You read for your own well-being.

3) A few technical tips for seeking readers.

Highlight.

• For physical books, highlight important sentences with a highlighter.
• For ebooks, utilize the highlight function.
• Highlighting helps us focus and retain the content better. We can also revisit them more easily.

Make remarks.

• We don’t have to blindly trust what a book says. If necessary, we can disagree with certain points or even challenge some assumptions.
• For example, when I disagree with certain ideas, I’ll remark: I don’t agree with this part for now (2017). Then, I’ll continue my life and revisit it after some time.
• Often times, I get new insights whenever I revisit my remarks.

Make notes mindfully.

• Your notes can take different formats — mindmaps, bullets, or even sketches.
• You notes serve as the crystallization of your understanding.
• Your notes become an extension of you, which guide and serve you in your life.

Let time work for you.

• Be patient. Don’t ask yourself, “Why am I not a reader yet?” Instead, simply enjoy the reading process.
• Rinse and repeat. Remember, Rome wasn’t built in a day.

Happy reading!

Other perspectives about reading and learning:

1. Why is reading so important?
2. How do you become wiser in life?
3. What is the difference between knowledge and intelligence?

Dylan Woon writes more here.

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