5 Tips for Reading More Books
I have been doing a lot of reflecting lately about reading, and its link to success.
Spend any amount of time studying the greats and you’ll find high-achievers world-wide accredit their success to obtaining information through the daily practice of reading as one of the most important keys. From Oprah to Elon Musk, top earners speak highly of books have playing a critical role in positioning them for success. Reading is key!
In the age of virtual learning, one of my many concerns is that my 5-year-old will experience delays in her reading ability because of .... well…virtual learning. So, I have proactively been working with her every night on critical techniques such as identifying sight words, and comprehension of simple text. These are things that I remember that worked for my oldest child who impressively started reading at 3 years of age. But, most importantly I have been proactively doing my part to lead by example and establishing a culture of reading in my household.
Luckily, creating such a culture isn’t too far-fetched for my little family, as my daughters have always seen me pick up my latest read, green tea or coffee in hand and get completely lost in the text. Our home is filled with books in several rooms, varying from Three Little Pigs to The Alchemist. And though, this is something I am proud of, I can honestly say that my reading habits have had a lot of room to grow. For example, over the past 3 years, at least, I have started each New Year with several audacious resolutions-one resolution being to read 12 books in that year, which equates to one book a month.
Seems doable, right?
Well factor in two children, a 9-5, a business, family responsibilities, home priorities, health/fitness, other hobbies, and so on… A full year passes and only one or two book have been read. “There is always the net year” I would forgivingly convince myself. The new year would come in, I’d enthusiastically set the 12 books goal and you can guess the rest. This was my pattern. But not this year. Though 2020 has not yet ended, I am on track to my goal of completing one book per month for the first time and I wanted to share the principles I have been using to achieve this milestone.
How to read a book or more a month:
Decide ahead of time what books you will read and why: This has been a major key to my success in achieving my goal. I purchased books ahead of time (the quarter before) so that I wouldn’t have to scramble and decide what to read next. Also: Every single book I have read/am reading is intentionally chosen based on my interests. From my personal development growth, to philosophy to racial justice; each book has a WHY as it pertains to other interrelated goals. For instance, as a person who conducts Racial Justice Training, I am always interested in books that provides historical context; as well as, books that discusses Race Theory.
Put reading time on your schedule. Literally: Working out is not only my passion but a priority in my life. My schedule reflects this priority, as I wake up very early before the rest of my household in order to complete a full workout. Its written on my daily schedule and gets marked off at the end of each day. I realized that if I wanted to accomplish my 12 books goal, I would need to transfer that same energy and tactic! Reading became a priority, and a requirement. Each day, as I reviewed my schedule (both written an electronic), I made sure reading time was visibly carved out with a start time and ending time. Also: When I first get a book, I calculate how many chapters I would have to read a day to complete the book in a month, and then write that on my calendar.
Study Buddy/Reading Partner: Though 12 books a year is my personal goal, there were a few times throughout this year that I partnered with others to complete a book. This was a great way to be held accountable to reading consistently and provided some good moments of deep discussions. Establish a joint schedule, end date and times to share each other’s thoughts about the book. This will keep you motivated, as well as your partner.
Audiobooks: God bless the inventor of audiobooks! Audiobooks truly helped me stay true to my goals on the days I was more active and on the go. I’d listen to an audiobook in my car while running errands instead of music, or as I’d workout. I will say that not all audiobooks are created equal, and the quality of the narrator play a major role in your ability to remain attentive; but overall it allows you to get “reading” done while doing other tasks.
Don’t Force It: I enjoy reading, but there days I’d rather catch up on a show that I enjoy; especially after a hard week of working. Let’ be honest: What’s better than curling up under a warm blanket with a book? Curling up under a warm blanket with a remote. In those times when you truly just don’t feel up to, don’t force it. You want to read to comprehend and frankly, when you’re not fully into it, you won’t fully takin the words you eyes are seeing. In these time you may want o read a little extra the next day or just schedule a reading day off overall.
If you’re like me, and want to increase your knowledge and awareness, then reading more books a year is an age-old means to do so. These are just five tips but what would you add to this list?
Until Next Time, In Greatness,
Coach Shara