As a kid I was a voracious reader. I read everything I could get my hands on, and spent as much time as possible in libraries. All the way through university I spent whatever spare money I had on buying books, and as much time reading them as I could manage while still having friendships, a job, and so on. It helps if you have friends who also love reading!
Nowadays it’s so very easy to spend hours at a time on social media, reading nothing much, just clicking like and leaving little friendly comments. I still buy books at the same rate, but I’m not reading them as quickly or as frequently. So I’m challenging myself to read 52 books this year, an average of one each week. To make this a fun stretch goal and not a dreadful chore, I’m being quite easy on myself: work books count, and I don’t have to actually finish 52 books, just start that many.
As with any resolution or challenge, it helps to have SMART goals and decide what habits you’ll use to work towards reaching that goal. SMART goals are:
- Specific – 52 is pretty specific
- Measurable – I’m making a note in my diary each time I start a new book
- Attainable – I used to read about 70 books a year in my glory days
- Relevant – well, it’s relevant to me and I don’t much mind if other people care
- Time-bound – I’ve got one year, and read fast enough that the average novel takes me a few days to finish
The habits I’ll be using to make sure I do the work needed are to:
- Always have a book with me – I have the Kindle app on my phone and many books bought using the One-Click Purchase feature on Amazon after a few glasses of wine and an enthusiastic recommendation from a friend.
- Schedule time to read – Monday afternoons are when I usually start a new book and that’s on my calendar app
If you want to be reading more than you already do, why not do a little challenge like this? It doesn’t have to be 52 books, and honestly you’ll be more excited about it if you make the goal easy to achieve. Start with one book a month, or whatever feels right to you. If it’s more than you’re reading now, that’s perfect.
Other tips for reading more:
- Turn off the TV or music – background noise is okay, but reading for pleasure rather than work isn’t particularly good for multitasking.
- Make yourself a little treat when you sit down with your book – a cup of tea, a glass of wine, some biscuits or whatever. A little reward for working towards your goal is helpful and creates a pleasant association with picking up a book! Also sitting in a cozy chair is easier than reading in bed (sore neck!) or at a desk (this isn’t your job).
- Ignore the snobs and read whatever you like. Fiction or non-fiction, trashy pulp or fine literature… it’s all good.
- Likewise, ignore the classics lists and the must-read lists and the best-seller lists. Read a book because the plot or the characters seem interesting to you, not because lots of other people think it’s good or important. Those lists are useful when you’re looking for new-to-you things to read, but there’s no law that says you must follow them. Recommendations from people who like similar books to you are much more likely to help you find a new favourite.
- If the book you’re reading isn’t working for you, for any reason at all, put it down and start a new book. Maybe you’re just not in the mood for it now, maybe it’s not well-written, or maybe you’re not the target audience. But forcing yourself to read a book like it’s your duty is a guaranteed way to make you wander off and hit refresh on Facebook. Move on to the next book – it will almost certainly be more fun.
I hope this is helpful for you. I’ll be posting some more about my reading throughout the year.