My journey to reading more!

Tips which worked for me in reading more and better & how it can work for you too.

In 2020 - as part of a new year resolution to reconnect with my love for books - I started reading again. Yes, again.

Because as long as I can remember, I’ve always been a reader. I would read as long as words were put together to make sensible sentences. Growing up without the distraction of social media (and a Netflix subscription) made it easier too.

Unexpectedly, like all good things, it did not last for long.

I don’t exactly recall how and when the tsunami of the real world eroded my make-believe world, leaving me stranded with a void. A stressful job on one hand, and an effort to fit in to look cooler on the other, left me with no energy or time to engage in things I once loved.

Cut to 2020 when I started to experiment with not only my lifestyle and habits, but different reading techniques enabling me to start reading actively again.

So what did I do (or not do)?

• Firstly, I integrated reading into my daily routine linking it with an activity which I already did. For example, if I was having my morning tea, I would read for 15min along with it. It’s quite surprising how continued associated activities quickly form habits and before you realize it becomes your way of life. Also, to add 15-20min daily reading would mean that you can finish a book of 250 pages in 2 weeks time. Not bad at all I will say!

• I surrounded myself with books. I had a book on my bed’s side-table. I had a book on my phone. I had one on my e-reader. So instead of browsing social media when standing in a queue or travelling to work, I would squeeze in 10-15min of reading in my daily schedule.

• Decision fatigue is real when you finish an excellent book and you can’t decide which one to read next. To tackle this, I kept adding books in my “To-read” list. Apps like Goodreads or Storygraph are amazing to list those. I always had options to choose aiding me in maintaining momentum.

• I considered different mediums to read more. Listening to audio-books is a legit way to incorporate more reading especially when you are doing monotonous and repetitive tasks. Not all audio-books are made alike, so I experimented with different genres and styles to find ones which work for me. For example, I found that I enjoy those audio-books the most which follow a linear narrative or are divided into byte sized chapters allowing me to not lose concentration. Which brings me to my next point.

• I stopped reading books which didn’t interest me. It didn’t matter if it was well-reviewed, multiple award winner or a classic. I made an effort to bring myself out of sunk cost fallacy. This was the hardest step for me, but it made reading an enjoyable activity than a chore. I had to remind myself that I was not competing in any race. I was not in a school anymore. Nobody was punishing me. I was doing it for myself.

• I joined a book community. Reading in group was not only motivational, but also opened my mind to diverse perspectives and interpretations. Plus, it served as an excellent way to know about different styles, genres and authors which made me immerse more into the bookish world.

• And lastly, I stopped making reading goals. While I still have a reading challenge if you go on my Goodreads profile, I don’t reprimand myself anymore for not choosing reading. Somedays I want to watch that cringe show on Netflix. Somedays I want to walk outdoors and listen to birds instead of an audio-book. Somedays I want to engage in my other hobbies. Other days, I don’t want to be productive. I know books are here to stay with me. They are personal. And whenever I’m in need, I’ll find them. Like I’ve always been. Like I did on one cold January morning.

  Like Ernest Hemingway once said - "There is no friend as loyal as a book”.

  (I didn’t want to mention the no. of books because that’s not the point I was making here. This article is for you if you think you should be reading more than what you do today.)

  Happy Reading!