How I Tricked Myself Into Reading More Books
I love books. I can’t leave the bookstore without at least one. But I also tend to buy books but don’t read them. At some point, reading faded into the background and gave way to other forms of entertainment. To get back on track, I made a few simple changes that helped me with my reading habits – no speed reading required .
I made my environment more readable
My first priority was to make reading easier in general. I am like electricity; I want to take the path of least resistance. If there are any obstacles in my way, I will simply give up and do what is easier to access and which is no less pleasant at the moment. In my case, this usually means turning on the TV, fiddling with my phone, playing video games, or eating until I fall asleep.
To fix this, I took a quote I once heard about software piracy. It goes something like this: “To fight piracy, you need to make your content easier to buy than download it illegally.” Basically, I realized that I was not going to read because I made it difficult to access it. My reading lamp was in a poor position and it was uncomfortable for me to reach the switch from the bed. I had to get out of bed to turn it on or off. In addition, my bed was too high and rested against the windowsill, so I could not resist when I did not want to hold the book over my head. And worst of all, I had a giant TV in my room. Why read when I can fall asleep at Bobs Burgers every night instead?
So, I moved my reading lamp to a better spot and got a Kindle Paperwhite with a decent backlight . I secured my bed so that it is more comfortable to lie upright and hold the book without worrying about dropping it on my face. And I took my TV out of my room. The removal of the TV itself was a huge turning point for me. I also rearranged my handheld gaming systems and stopped holding my phone by my bed so that there were no other temptations when it was time to read. Now I can do only a few things in my room: I can read, listen to music, or sleep — that’s all. The ideal reading environment makes the book your easiest choice.
I carry my books with me wherever I go
I’ve talked about carrying books around with me before – for example, when you have a reading deadline – but I wasn’t used to it myself until I read Neil Pasrici’s story in the Harvard Business Review, which he shared about author Stephen King :
… Stephen King advised people to read something for about five hours a day. My friend said, “You know, this is nonsense. Who can do this? “But then, years later, he was on vacation in Maine. He was waiting in line outside the cinema with his girlfriend, and who should be waiting in front of him? Stephen King! His nose was in the book the whole time. When they entered the theater, Stephen King was still reading as the lights went out. When the light came on, he immediately opened the book. He even read when he left.
It reminded me that useful minutes are hidden in every nook and cranny throughout the day. So I started taking my Kindle almost everywhere I went. Instead of pulling out my phone and flipping through Twitter feed or reading a bunch of depressing news articles , I pull out my Kindle. And yes, you can read e-books on your smartphone, but I think it’s all too easy to get distracted by other apps and notifications. Carrying the Kindle around is not ideal – it barely fits in my back pocket, and sometimes I forget it in the car, but it’s almost always at hand and ready to use.
I know that audiobooks can be useful for people too, especially if you want to use all those watches on the road, but I personally don’t give a damn about them. The reader’s voice always shapes my experience, and as a writer I love seeing the grammatical structure of a story. It’s hard to learn from other writers if you just listen to them. But that might not be a problem for you, so be sure to grab audiobooks if they help you.
I refuse books that I don’t like
I have a certain amount of ego associated with reading books. I know I felt like I needed to finish reading the books I started, or I was “lazy,” or “not smart enough,” or I was “missing out on something culturally significant.” But this is all bullshit. Enjoying books is no different than watching a TV show or a movie. If you don’t like the show, you stop watching it and watch something else. If you don’t like the book, you stop reading it and start reading something else.
Reading a book should bring joy and value, not force you to work. When reading ceases to seem like work, it becomes more of a distraction. And if it sounds more like fun, you will do it even more. It’s okay to give up Infinite Jest . Just put it down. Nobody will judge you. That’s all. Now take the book you want to read and go to town.
I started reading three – and only three – books at a time.
Some people can flip through one book in a day or two. I can not. I’m bored and want to change channels because I’m a brainwashed millennial Nickelodeon. I read several books at once, so I can switch between them, and everything always seems fresh.
However, I did it with too many books at the same time. I had so many books on my plate that, again, reading was starting to feel tedious because I couldn’t keep track of all the facts and storylines. Now I have three books at the same time: one fiction, one scientific, one graphic novel, or something similar. I need to either finish the book to move on, or throw it away.
I talk more about books with others
The more I talk about something, the more I brag to myself. So I made books a priority topic of conversation, not movies, TV shows or games. When I chat with friends, everything I read comes first. It inspires me in general and often provides excellent reading recommendations from others. And this, in turn, is included in the cycle “read a book, talk about a book, admire a book, read more books, hurray, book”.
Talking about what I read also adds a certain level of social responsibility, and I begin to form certain expectations in my mind. I think about things like “if I don’t finish, they’ll think I’m a failure” or “I should finish it now if they ask how it ended.” This is doubly true for books recommended to me, or books that I read at the same time as a friend. If I am not actually reading it, I cannot enjoy discussing this issue – which is my favorite part.
I “end the loop” when reading
At home, I have a general rule of thumb called “complete the cycle.” In short, it means finishing what you started, leaving what you found, and not putting off what you can do now. I applied the same concept to my reading habits and it worked wonders.
When I sit down to read, I always strive to complete the cycle. And the “loop” can be whatever I define before the reading session. This could be setting a timer for 20 minutes and doing a reading sprint without being distracted all the time. This may be the end of a chapter I’m just starting. This could be reading a certain number of pages. Whatever it is, I pledge and carry out. More often than not, I immerse myself in my book and read even more than I planned.
I don’t read fast. In fact, I often reread passages several times to make sure I am telling them correctly. But these adjustments helped me to significantly reduce the lag with minimal effort. Hope these tips help you too. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to read something.