Are you interested in reading? But unable to develop the habit of reading books. Are you searching for the answer to “How to read more books?”.
Great!!
Joseph Addison famously said, “Reading is to the mind, what exercise is to the body”.
It is true that reading opens the world to us. A person who doesn’t read doesn’t know, whereas a person who reads lives a thousand lives.
As a person who reads around 100 books a year, I am often asked about tips for reading books.
In this short article, I tell you my 10 best tips for reading books.
Watch the YouTube video below:
1. Get Started, Motivate Yourself
The key to achieving anything is to always stop procrastinating. There is no tomorrow and if it is there at all, its never going to come.
So, pull yourself together, give yourself that pep talk and like Nike likes to say, Just Do It.
2. Start With Something Easy and Fluid
If you are new to reading or if you are reading after a really long gap, the key to getting back is to always read something that is easy.
If you pick a book which is easy and flowy, it will be much easier for you to get into reading again.
On the other hand, if you pick a book which is overwhelming and difficult, you may actually end up not reading it at all.
3. Keep That Phone Away
Social media is the biggest distraction of our times. It is to our generation what television was to our parent’s and take it from me, social media and books don’t really go well.
So, when you are thinking about reading lock your phone away in a cupboard or another room. I almost always as a habit keep my phone away while I am reading.
If I need to read on my mobile, I do so while putting it in the airplane mode.
4. Read What You Like But Also Try Variety
If you enjoy romances, then read romances. If you enjoy non-fiction read non-fiction. The key is to pick up the books that you think you will enjoy and not what others are reading.
When it comes to reading crumbling under peer pressure might be a very bad idea.
If all your friends are reading self-help books but you want to read a chick-lit, there is no shame in it just go for it. At the same time, there is no harm in giving other genres a try.
You won’t really know what you are missing unless you try something new and different.
5. Participate in Readathons/Book Clubs/Buddy Reading/Reading Challenges
Reading is mostly a solitary activity but if you are somebody who feels motivated in a community then there are lot of options out there to check out.
Join Goodreads – the world’s largest social media network for book lovers. Join an online or an offline book club.
You can also participate in readathons, reading challenges and buddy reading activities.
6. Read Before Bedtime
This is something which I follow a lot. It took me sometime to make a habit out of it but now I just cannot sleep without reading (well, on most days).
Just before going to bed, take a book and try reading at least 10 pages, if you succeed for a week, increase that number to 20. Keep pushing yourself until you are satisfied with where you want to be.
At the same time, make sure that you are going to bed a little earlier than before, compromising on that precious sleep time is never a good idea.
7. Read More Than One Book at a Time
I am a polygamous reader. I often read more than one book at a time. This number can be as high as 5 books a time.
But this isn’t a bad thing. Reading is a time-consuming activity and it can often become monotonous and dull.
In such a scenario, it is always a good idea to read more than one book at a time. This is especially true in the case of non-fiction and lengthy books.
8. Try Different Reading Mediums
I am a person who gets bored easily. I don’t like monogamous reading. Just like with books, I also try my hands at different mediums of reading.
I read hardcovers, paperbacks, I try audiobooks, I read on my kindle, I read on my phone and, I even read on my laptop. This sometimes dulls the monotony and works like magic.
After all who likes the simple bread and butter when one can choose from an all-you-can-have buffet?
9. Always Have a Book on You
Make this your daily motto. No matter where you go always have a book on you.
Whether you are at the dentist or whether you are commuting from work, make sure to always carry a book.
If a hard copy sounds difficult, download some good mobile reading apps and read a book while you can. Never waste time.
Remember, even in the most mundane hours you will actually be doing something productive.
10. Take Your Reading to Social Media
If this helps, take reading to your social media but also make sure that you follow tip number 3 while doing so.
Try posting about your bookish activities – whether it is visiting a bookstore, or buying a new book, or starting a new read.
Mild encouragement from friends and family can do wonders to your motivation but don’t overdo it (unless you are a blogger like me :P).
Once you start doing it, you will also find like-minded people who might help you further in achieving your goals.