Read More Every Day by Building Read Triggers
Many of us have a stack of books – some real, some digital, which we paid for but didn’t get to finish. If you’re trying to read more every day, creating a trigger system will help you stay at the top of your reading list.
Reading, like exercising, is a habit that needs to be developed over time. When you skip a day, you lose the ability to build a rhythm that fits into your daily routine. To help himself read more, Zen Habits’ Leo Babauta created read triggers:
Link your new reading habit to various triggers throughout the day. For me, this is 1) reading after stretching and meditation, first thing in the morning, 2) reading when I eat breakfast, lunch and dinner, and 3) reading when I go to bed. That’s five triggers per day, and at four pages per session (or so) that’s roughly 20 pages per day.
Do you read a book every day? No, but even just 20 pages a day with triggers will keep you moving forward at a good pace. So create triggers that work for you. Whether you’re commuting to work or spending your lunch break alone, just grab your phone and grab a book. Choose books that you know you want to read, and you will quickly develop a good reading habit.
A Delightfully Quick Guide to Reading Additional Books | Zen habits