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6 Ways You Can Read More This Year

There’s a book out there waiting to be read by you

By Rute BarrosPublished 2 years ago 6 min read
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Photo by Sam Lion from Pexels

Why don’t you read more? Is it because you don't have time? Is it because it became more of a chore than a habit? Is it because it’s easier to just sit down and watch Netflix?

I’m a firm believer that everyone enjoys reading. They might just not have found their book.

Just like there’s someone out there for every one of us, there’s a book out there waiting to be read by you.

If you’re like me and have always enjoyed reading but haven’t been reading as much as you wanted to, I have some tips to help you get back on that horse.

1. Set Small Reading Goals

Goals are only good if they are realistic.

I’m not saying that you shouldn’t aim high or dream big. I’m saying that you can’t expect yourself to change drastically your life from reading 0 books a year to reading 1 every day.

Baby steps. Start small and then slowly raise the bar up.

I always struggled with setting unrealistic goals for myself. It was a way of self-sabotaging myself. And you’ve probably done the same at some point.

At the beginning of this year, I decided to focus on reading one book at a time, instead of constantly thinking about all the books I want to read.

Thanks to that shift in mindset, I was able to read more in these past 4 months than I did in the last year.

That’s how much of a difference it makes when you shift your mindset. From being self-destructive to being patient with yourself and feeling motivated.

2. Opt for Narratives

Nowadays, everyone seems to be reading nonfiction books.

All the self-help, self-development, personal finance, and business advice seem to be consumed more than ever.

But if you’re struggling to find the motivation, time, or energy to read, maybe you are choosing the wrong books.

Narratives read fast.

The more narrative a book has, the more immersive it is. And the less likely you are to get distracted.

And even though a non-fiction book might have great advice, it might be written poorly or not be interesting to you.

When I’m in a little bit of a reading slump, I go for a fiction book. Specifically, one where I can get completely immersed in the world and the characters.

The best books are those that leave you always wanting to read more.

3. Listen to Audiobooks

Audiobooks are the best way for me to read more.

Every week I read 1 audiobook.

How? By taking advantage of the fact that I have to walk to and from work every day.

It takes me 20 minutes to go from my house to my place of work.

That’s 40 minutes every day.

200 minutes every week.

800 minutes every month.

Why not take advantage of the time I have to spend walking and instead of listening to music, listen to an audiobook?

And because I’m listening to the audiobook when I get home, If I’m enjoying it, I’ll continue listening to it.

While I get something to eat and tidy the kitchen, I’ll be listening to the audiobook.

That usually ends up being 1 hour. Sometimes even more.

So it would be at least 1h and 40min every day of the week. That’s around 33 hours in a month.

Considering that the audiobooks I listen to are on average 8h long, that’s 4 books a month.

And I didn't have to sit down and read once.

And because of this habit, I now find it easier to find time to read.

4. Swap Screen Time With Reading Time

Recently there’s been a trend online of people swapping their screen time for reading time.

It is crazy what 5 minutes here and there will turn to when you sum it all up.

We don’t even realize how much time we spend on our phones until we see the number right in our faces.

That’s why so many people started questioning why don’t they spend that time doing something productive. Something useful. Something that they actually enjoy. Instead of mindlessly scrolling through their phones.

And that’s why I recommend doing this challenge. I tried it myself and it is shocking how much time we actually have in a day.

So many of us complain about not having enough time in a day to do all the things we want to do. But somehow we manage to spend 2h a day or more scrolling through social media.

That amounts to 28 full days a year.

Imagine what you could do with all that time.

All the books you could read.

5. Turn Your Work Into a Game

Gamification is the application of game features, mainly video game elements, into non-game context for the purpose of promoting motivation and engagement in learning. — Raed S. Alsawaier

Gamification can create short-time motivation. It can help you keep going while you’re trying to relearn your long-term internal motivation. like why you like reading, and why you want to read more.

They give you a sense of accomplishment and motivation to continue, and your brain will then release dopamine in response. That’s why video games are addicting.

Now you can take that and use it to your advantage. You can turn your work, or the habits you’re trying to create, into a game.

A very simple and easy way of doing that is by participating in the reading challenge on Goodreads.

Goodreads is a social media website for book lovers. It’s where you can share what you’re reading and find loads of books to read.

Every year you can set a reading goal on Goodreads that you can use to motivate you to read more.

But don’t forget point #1, and be mindful of the goal you set so as not to turn reading into a chore and take the fun out of it.

6. Read What You Want To Read, Not What Someone Else Thinks You Should Read

Reading is personal.

When you’re reading, it’s you and the book.

You should never be ashamed or embarrassed for enjoying a certain genre or a certain book. There’s no guilt in the pleasure you get from reading.

And no matter how popular a book is, it’s ok if you don’t like it. I’ve definitely felt the pressure of the popularity of a book get to me.

And it is disappointing when your experience of the book doesn't match the hype.

An example of that was The Song of Achilles. So many people love it, I was expecting to love it as well. But I didn't. And that’s ok.

If you want to read more about that, here’s my review.

Final Thoughts

According to a survey done in 2021, 23% of adults in America say they haven’t read a book in whole or in part in the past year. This includes print, electronic, or audio form.

One reason people give why they don’t read as much as they wanted to is that they don’t have the time.

But there are six ways you can find time to read more: set small reading goals, opt for narrative, listen to audiobooks, swap screen time with reading time, turn it into a game, and read what you enjoy reading.

By using these tips, you will be able to not only find the time to read but also be motivated to make time for reading more.

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About the Creator

Rute Barros

Bookworm & Dreamer. I write about books and everything else I find fascinating. 🇵🇹 🇮🇪 Get weekly book recommendations: tinyurl.com/bookishnewsletter

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