I don’t think you need convincing that reading is extremely important for our personal growth and success. You probably know a lot of examples and stories of well-known successful achievers such as Warren Buffet, Bill Gates, Elon Musk and others. They have read voraciously since their youth and continue devouring books in great numbers.
Since my early childhood I always loved books, and good old libraries were my favorite places to go after school. However, life got busier with time, and this wonderful habit became less essential.
I started reading only about 5-8 books per year and struggled finding time to read more. Then one of my students shared how he accomplished his yearly goal to read 30 books. It impressed me and inspired to create my own reading routines and develop this awesome and useful skill.
That first year my target was rather ambitious. I decided to read 50 books in one year – and failed! I only read 25. There hadn’t been enough strategy in that decision and the routines were not established yet. So, the next year (2017) my goal was more humble – 30 books. And I accomplished it with ease.
Let me share with you several easy and practical tips to start reading more in less time. They helped me to read more than 50 books in 2018 and strive for more in the future!
1. Set reading goals.
If you enjoy setting and achieving goals, if seeing the result of your work and crossing things off your list inspires you to do more, then this technique is for you. Set a measurable goal, and believe me, it will push you forward, encourage you to find ways and silence the excuses.
You can decide to read a certain number of books per year or per month. It’s totally up to you. Just make it realistic. However, even if your goal is too ambitious, it will inspire you to read more. Remember, the phrase? “Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you’ll land among the stars.”
2. Create lists of desired books.
Each year I create a list of the books I want to read. Sometimes my friends or students recommend them to me. Other times I might hear about a book from a colleague or on Facebook. In any case, there’s always a reason why that particular books would make it to my list.
Having a list and crossing the names of books off of it makes me incredibly happy. What about you?
3. Develop reading routines.
This is a powerful technique which seriously impacted my own results. As soon as you have your daily reading routines in place, you’ll start seeing how you manage to finish one book after another at an increasing speed.
The power of this trick is in its simplicity. All you have to do is build a habit of reading a few pages in the morning, a few pages in the evening (even if just for 10 minutes) and listening to audiobooks during the day.
4. Read in transport.
Another great habit which you can add to your reading routine is to have a book with you every time you get to travel in public transport. Whether its subway, trains or airplanes, always make sure you use this time productively. Some people read paper books, others prefer ebooks. A lot of my friends use their phones and tablets for reading.
If you drive a car most of the time, check out the following two tips.
5. Listen to audiobooks.
If you haven’t started listening to audiobooks yet, do it now! We’re all extremely busy at this digital age of endless possibilities. There’s so much we want to accomplish every day that reading is often pushed aside. As result, people keep complaining to their friends how much they want to read, but can’t find enough time for that.
There’re several ways you can listen to audiobooks. Search free libraries online: Open Culture, Lit2go, OverDrive, Project Gutenberg, Spotify, LibriVox, Loyal Books.
If you’re willing to pay monthly subscription, there’re several options: Scribd, Audible, Audiobooks and many others. Prices are different and, of course, the assortment of books varies. However, I’m sure you can choose something for your taste.
6. Speedup audiobooks.
This tip deserves the slot of its own in our list. Not that long ago I realized that we can actually listen to audiobooks faster. In most apps and players there’s an option of increasing the speed of audio playback. You can listen to it at 1.2X, 1.5X or even at double speed. Of course, you don’t want to make it too fast and lose all valuable information. Just try different options and choose the speed best suited for you.
7. Learn speed reading.
Do you like to read educational, business or self-development books? They are different from fiction books in the way we perceive information. Pleasure reading is called this way because we want to savor every word and enjoy every minute of it. All informational educational literature can be speed read without losing much if you know what to do.
About 6 years ago I took a class in speed reading, although only now all principles and techniques became clear. It took me all this time to hone the skill, and, no doubt, there’s still a lot of room for improvement.
Conclusion
The last thing I want to say about reading is what Simon Sinek would tell you about your life: Find your WHY! Think carefully why you really want to read more.
Is it because you need to cover a lot of books in a short period of time because you’re getting ready for exams or thesis or doing a research? Is it because you’re thinking of starting your own business and want to learn as much as possible about your industry? Or would you just like to immerse yourself into the world of fiction and enjoy it more?
In any case, make it very clear for yourself and even write it down in your planner or journal. Why do you want to read more books? What will it do for you? How will it change your life?
And may the answer to this question motivate you to start using all the tips above!
Read more on this topic:
10 Incredible Books or How to Start Reading More
How to Read More Books When You’re So Busy
