How to read more often
2:42 PM
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So, here are some things I do that help me read every day:
1) Take a book everywhere
I usually put a lightweight paperback book in
my purse and take it with me everywhere. This way, whenever I have a break I
can do some reading. I realized I actually do a lot of reading during the day
when I take advantage of several short periods of time. Needless to say, you
might as well take any other electronic device you have that allows e-books
(Kindle, IPad or any other ultra modern gadget that I have only heard about)
2) Set up a deadline
I really don’t like starting anything without a
clear deadline for it. Having a goal helps reading a little each day. So what I
do is: I divide the number of chapters or of pages by the days I want to spend
reading the book. For example, my edition of “Sense and Sensibility” has more
or less 300 pages. I wanted to finish it in 15 days. Therefore I needed to read
20 pages a day. It’s not necessary to stick to this too strictly, the most
important is to be realistic. 20 pages for me is doable but 50, not so much.
3) Avoid distractions
I get really frustrated when I need to read the
same paragraph five times. It’s way too time consuming. If you really benefit
from a quiet, interruption free environment, look for quieter places when
reading.
4) Engage
other people
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This tip is
usually given to people that work out, but I really think it applies to reading
too. Reading doesn’t necessarily need to be solitary. If you can get a friend
or family member to read the same book you are reading, you can always talk
about it and encourage each other to read it. You can also join a local or
online book club. When the activity is fun we tend to do it much more often.
5) Listening,
instead of reading
I can’t read on buses because I get headaches. To take advantage of my commuting time I use
audio books. You can find lots of titles available in different formats. I use Librivox, it's free and all the books there are in the public domain.
Hopefully
some of these tips might help you read more.
I would love
to hear what you guys do to increase your reading habit!
4 comments
I find that taking my Kindle with me everywhere is a great way to sneak in an extra few moments of reading.
ReplyDeleteWho knew that when your friend goes to the loo in the coffee shop you could fit two pages in, or that an unexpected wait in the dentist could kill three chapters of your latest read.
Setting deadlines on the other hand, I find to be counter productive, when I am forced to read something, especially when I am not a huge fan of it, I can find myself reading the back of a bottled drink whilst holding my Kindle as a fashion statement.
Despite all this, the one sure fire way to read more is find a book you really enjoy!!
www.riereviews.blogspot.com
Something similar happened to me yesterday, I was waiting in line at the bank and was able to read some pages too. It's not much but these moments are very frequent in our day, so we might as well take advantage of them!
ReplyDeleteI find setting up a deadline specially useful when reading difficult or demanding books. When we choose books we like it's definetly much easier to read (and re-read) them!
Thanks for commenting, Rie!
thanks for the tips, they help alot
ReplyDeleteYou're very welcome! I hope you're doing a lot of interesting readings now ;)
DeleteThanks for commenting! Do come back because I usually reply to comments here.