I recently discovered that a specific, common habit is shared by very successful people all over the world. What’s that habit? It’s reading, and A LOT of it. I decided to do some research and discover ways in which I could read more books and become consistent with it!
How to read more books? Dedicate more time to reading and be disciplined enough to stick to it! That’s it. Simple. It’s a habit that anyone can do and SHOULD DO. Here is the list of 12 tips and tricks that I found to help you read more books:
- Make it a priority
- Read in the morning
- Track the books that you read
- Start listening to Audible
- Buy a Kindle
- Get a library card
- Change your mindset
- Take notes when you are reading
- Learn about speedreading techniques
- Join a book club
- Read shorter books
- Have a reading list made for the year
As Warren Buffet once stated,
“All of you can do it, but I guarantee not many of you will do it.”
I like to think of our brains compared to a garden. We need to plant the right seeds and pull the bad weeds from it. Reading has been one of the tools that I have used to help pull the junk (weeds) from my brain and plant the right knowledge(seeds).
I hope that this list will help some of you to boost your way to reading more books and becoming a better version of yourselves!
- Make it a priority. We all have priorities in our day. Put reading near the top. Just like taking a shower or brushing your teeth, make it a part of your everyday routine. Implement it in your lifestyle, where it is not a decision you have to make, but rather it is part of what you do every day as part of taking care of yourself.
- Read in the morning. Instead of rolling over in your bed and grabbing your phone to get that instant rush of dopamine, pick up a book and read. It’s a great way to begin your day and should be a part of your morning routine. If needed, wake up 20minutes early and begin your day the right way!
- Track the books that you read. If you like setting goals, this may be a great way to motivate yourself and keep yourself accountable. Keep track of the books you read and watch your progress. Make a list on a notepad, create a board on Pinterest, or keep track on Goodreads. Also, there is a reading challenge on Goodreads which can also be a great motivator to keep on reading.
- Start listening to audible. There is a new trend today. People are starting to listen to more and more books. This is a great way to keep the mind active in dead zones. Stuck in traffic? Long commute to and from work. Going for a run? Making supper? Turn on an audio book and being stuck in traffic can turn into being lost in an epic adventure.
- Buy a Kindle. You may be wondering how can this make me read more? Are you a minimalist? Perhaps you don’t have room for books around your home. Maybe you’re going on a long trip and you don’t want to bring ten different physical books with you. With a kindle, you can have all of the books on one device. By making it more convenient to store your books, you may find yourself reading more!
- Get a library card. This can be a great way to read books without having to spend a lot of money. If your tight on finances, and can’t afford always buying new books, this is your next best option.
- Change your mindset. One of the best attributes of being well read is the possibility of being able to help others. If a book helped you in a certain area of your life, recommend it to a friend that could be in need of it. Learning how to invest, building strong relationships, attacking limiting beliefs, are just some of the ways a book can help and change people’s lives. Reading books and recommending them
ti friends allows you to be a positive force in a world for good. - Take notes when you are reading. Have you ever read a few pages in a book and totally forgot what had just happened? It can be quite frustrating! Perhaps this has led you to fall away from reading. When this happened to me, it would feel like a waste of time. By taking notes and explaining it to myself, it forced me to understand what I was reading. Just this trick alone made reading much more interesting and enjoyable for me. It makes sure that I am grasping the idea of the book. Go and grab a highlighter or a pencil and begin highlighting or writing in the side columns of your book.
- Learn about speedreading techniques. Speed reading can onlybe done on the right kind of books. If it’s a topic that you are familiar with or has lots of lists where you can skim through, then this can greatly speed things up. You should not try to speed read through everything. The whole point of reading is to comprehend what the author is trying to communicate. We live in a time in which we try to gather as much information and as quickly as possible. Get rid of this habit. It does not make sense to try to assimilate a large quantity of information. Rather try to thoroughly understand the different ideas that books have and feel like you understand.
- Join a book club. A great way to find great book recommendations is by joining a book club! There may be one close to you, as well as many digital book clubs. This can be a great way to feel accountable. I always love to see recommendations of books from like-minded people.
- Read shorter books. In my experience, some long books can be quite a challenging marathon, especially if you start to lose interest. I’ve started lengthy books before and lost consistency at a few hundred pages. If I had tried a shorter book, I would have probably finished it. With a shorter book, you’ll find that you have more motivation to finish it, even if it seems to drag on.
- Have a reading list made for the year. Once you finish your book, you’ll know exactly where to keep going. If you want a habit to stick, a great way is being consistent. I have finished a book, but didn’t start another one for two months. It was harder to start and get back into it after the long break. I have the same feeling when I am inconsistent with exercising. As soon as I get out of the consistency, I find it a lot harder to get back into it. Stay consistent!
Positive Benefits of Reading
Reading delivers so many positive benefits that everyone should find a
Some of these benefits include memory improvement, increased vocabulary, improved focus and concentration, better writing skills, and overall knowledge.
Health Benefits of Reading
Most people know that reading will improve vocabulary, imagination and writing skills. But, did you know reading also has some excellent health benefits as well?
Some of these include; relief of anxiety and depression, more happiness and life satisfaction, reduction of stress levels, and a sleep additive for the evenings.
Related Questions
What is the most widely read book?
The most read book in the world is the Bible. A list of the most read books over the last 50 years was created by writer James Chapman. The Bible outsold any other book.
Which country reads the most?
The country that reads the most is India, according to the NOPWorld Culture Score Index. They read on average 10.7 hours per week.
How long does it take to read 100 books?
There are 52 weeks in a year, so if someone averaged 2 books a week they could do this in one year. Do not be intimidated by this answer, not every book has to
Conclusion
It wasn’t until my early 20s that I began to dive into the self-development world. I decided I wanted to work and improve myself.
Books can challenge so many ideas and interpretations that we have about life.
Reading is something that Icontinue to work towards doing more and more of. My future goal is to be able to read one book per week. What is your future reading goal going to be?
I hope that this blog has inspired you to take action and begin to start reading more. Shut off the Facebook