Reading may improve your memory and vocabulary, assist you in learning new things, and improve your attention and concentration. Many people desire to build a reading habit but cannot do so due to a lack of time and the cost. In terms of money, worry not; you can get free books by mail.
To develop a reading habit, you need to make time for it. While many people carry a laptop or kindle with them everywhere they go, they often forget to read a book. If you’re one of these people, here are some tips for developing your reading habit. Take time every day to read for at least twenty minutes. You’ll notice a difference in your overall reading habits over time. Here are some other tips for developing a reading habit.
The following are some reasons why people fail to develop a reading habit:
- Inconsistent reading:
The practice of reading regularly distinguishes book enthusiasts from others. An infrequent reader takes up a book today and reads for an hour, only to pick it up again two weeks later. You have forgotten everything you’ve read by then, but you’ve also come up with an excuse to avoid picking up the book. The longer the time between reading periods, the more difficult it will be to pick up where you left off. To make matters worse, you tell yourself, “Damn, I’ve been reading this book for quite some time now.” “I’ll never be able to finish this.”
- Choosing a book at random:
You get a flash of insight one lovely day, and you decide to begin reading. You choose from best-selling titles such as The Power of Now, Rich Dad Poor Dad, or Crime and Punishment. You dump the book after 20 minutes and a few pages, never to pick it up again. “How will I enjoy the others if I don’t like these well-known books?” you smack your forehead as you close the book.
How to form and maintain a reading habit
- Begin with your favorite topic:
If you read a top seller as your first book, you will probably be baffled why it became so popular. “How will the other novels fair if a best-selling book could only wow me so little?” you wonder after finishing the book. Instead, pick up a book on a subject you’re interested in. Choose a biography of your favorite athlete if you enjoy sports. If you’re interested in psychology, look for a book covering a topic in which your interest lies. You will sail through the pages one by one if you choose a book that you can relate to. Just because a well-known book does not guarantee that you will enjoy it, especially if you are new to reading.
- Try the “Rule of 50” if you’re having trouble:
This rule of thumb will assist you in determining whether to abandon a book. The goal is to read 50 pages and then judge if the text “sparks delight” if you’re either brutally leaving a read at page four or slugging it through with gigantic times you’ve come to despise. If it doesn’t, it’s time to give up. Nancy Pearl, an author, librarian, and literary critic, devised the method she explains in her book Book Lust. It offers an appropriate disclaimer for persons over 50 years old. She recommends subtracting their age from 100 and dividing the result by the number of pages they should read because life is too short to waste time reading awful literature as you get older. That’s all there is to it. Taking your phone out of your hand for one hour a day and replacing it with a book in your texting claw might improve your empathy and productivity. You can do it if the world’s busiest and most successful individuals can. Who knows what you’ll do with all that new information and ideas. You may even start your own space company.
- Do not take notes:
That’s right; you read that correctly. Writing notes on post-its or placing them on the book while reading is a common practice. Despite the many advantages of the activity, you will be uncomfortable anytime you choose a book because of the work required. If this isn’t your style, feel free to skip it. Some people enjoy reading, pondering, and taking notes to return to the book later. Others, like myself, prefer to read a book in a continuous stream with little breaks. Choose what is most convenient for you.
- Put together a reading list:
It is strongly advised to begin by compiling a list of books you want to read. You may, for example, make a list of novels you’ve always wanted to read but never got around to or a list of books you need to read to learn more about a topic or field of study that interests you. You can utilize lists that others have produced in addition to making your own. Modern Library’s 100 Best Novels and Le Monde’s 100 Books of the Century are two prominent lists. You may also discover a plethora of various lists on the internet.
- Remove all potential sources of distraction:
Turn off the TV and put your phone on quietly to remove any distractions interfering with your reading.
- Active reading:
While passive reading is preferable to no task, it is strongly advised that you adopt an operational reading strategy. “Read actively” implies thinking about what you’re reading, highlighting significant or fascinating sections, and writing comments and notes in the book’s margins or a separate notebook.
- Per day, aim for a certain number of pages:
When you plan to read a book, you hold it over your lap, inspect the thickness, and return it to the shelf—reading that many pages appear to be an impossible effort. You believe that finishing a book by reading ten pages each day would take an eternity. Do you know how many books you could read if you read ten pages every day? In half an hour, most individuals can easily read ten pages. A typical personal development book contains 200 pages. You’ll read 18 novels in a year if you keep reading at that rate. Having read 50 books, your knowledge and awareness will soar in three years.
- Set a realistic goal.
Too much reading can turn into a chore. Instead, set small, achievable goals. Try to set a goal to read one book per week, rather than several. Start with something you’re interested in reading, and you’ll likely finish the book sooner. It is easy to develop a reading habit if you enjoy it. Use a book suggestion to find something new to read.
- Avoid completing books too quickly.
Many people find it difficult to read, or just don’t finish them. When this happens, they may feel like they’re forced to read a lousy book. Rather than force yourself through a book that you don’t like, start small and finish it in a short period of time. Reading frequently will help you develop a habit that will last throughout your life.
- Make sure that your child has a designated space to read.
Make sure the area is organized and the books are varied. This will encourage students to read more efficiently. Children should also be read stories from a variety of genres. Using pop-up books, creatively published texts, and other materials will encourage reading. You can find many opportunities to develop reading habits for your child if you start early. So, the next time your child wants to read, make it part of their daily routine.
Conclusion
It is a good investment of time to learn to create a reading habit. The majority of successful people say that their reading habits have helped them advance in their jobs. That isn’t to say that reading will make you a millionaire, but it will help you become a better version of yourself. The majority of individuals stop reading the day they graduate from college. You will take a long time to better yourself if you do not read. Reading increases your knowledge and expertise. When two persons have the same number of years of experience in an area, the one who reads more has an advantage. It is not very hard to develop the habit of reading. All you need is the will to get started.
