How I Tricked Myself Into Reading More
As I mentioned in my first post, Cool, I’m Blogging Now — finding joy in reading has always been a struggle for me.
Being forced to read only the classics in school for a set number of hours drove me to despise reading. Even over summer vacation, you wouldn’t find me with a book in hand for fun.
Once I graduated from college, though, my mindset started to shift. Now I could read on my terms — but I felt overwhelmed with the choices and didn’t know how to keep a reading habit without feeling like I was back in grade school.
Since then, and especially at the start of COVID quarantine, I cemented a few reading habits and tricks that have worked wonders for me.
Take a Chance on Me
My local library helped me get over my biggest reading fear — what if I don’t like it?
I don’t know about you, but I hate buying things without being confident that I’ll love them. This substantial commitment issue to books prevented me from exploring anything interesting, and I felt guilted into finishing any book I purchased — even if I disliked it.
Everything changed when my mother reminded me that libraries still exist. Don’t like a book? Return it! Wow. It was that simple. You can even try out ebooks and audiobooks through services like Libby (check with your local library to see what service they use!).
The power to expand your literary palette without breaking the bank is incredible. Libraries are cool — use them to your advantage!
Audiobooks Count
Until recently, I had a crazy notion that audiobooks were cheating — but listening to a book shouldn’t be considered a lesser form of reading.
You’re still exposing yourself to new points of view and learning. So if you’re having trouble finding the time to sit down with a traditional book, pull out your headphones!
When I started commuting every day, audiobooks became my go-to. It’s also a great way to share the experience of reading. When we’re in the car for a significant amount of time, my wife and I love putting on an audiobook and chatting about it when we get to our destination.
Libro.fm is my preferred alternative to Audible. Your subscription/each purchase through Libro.fm supports a local bookstore of your choice. But if purchasing audiobooks is out of your budget, or you just want to give them a try, I’ll remind you to check what your local library has to offer.
A Library in Your Pocket
I never thought I’d buy an e-reader — until early COVID quarantine left me bored and unable to get to the library or get to the bookstore.
Then, when I gave it a shot, I found unexpected features that were a game-changer for me. And now, I prefer my Kindle to regular books.
Reading on my phone was straining on my eyes, and the thousands of potential distractions didn’t help either. E-readers have one purpose, and that’s what I needed.
One specific feature even helped me read above my typical comfort level — definitions on the spot. Here’s how things usually go when I’m reading a printed book — I come across a word that I’m unfamiliar with or one I second guess the meaning of, I have to stop, reread it a few times, then finally pull out my phone to look it up. In this time, I’ve completely forgotten the context of what I was reading and usually end up thinking, “Oh well, you’re lost already. You may as well stop.”
But with an e-reader, it’s just a matter of long-pressing on an unfamiliar word, and boom — the definition is right there. I get the information I need, tap once more, and I’m back to reading without losing steam. I dream of giving my school-aged self this technology!
Another benefit of having a library in your pocket is that you can switch between books instantly. I don’t know about you, but I’m the person who would bring five books on vacation because my mood and taste can change by the minute. If I didn’t have the book to match my mood — oh well, I wouldn’t read!
Having a plethora of options at your disposal will make it easier to push past the “I’m not in the mood excuse.”
Make it a Habit
A routine is a lot more significant than cramming all at once. You’d be amazed how much a little time each day adds up.
You don’t need to be crazy ambitious when you start a reading habit either. For me, being over-ambitious actually hurts my chances of keeping up with a habit. Instead, begin with — read one page or if you’re listening — listen to one minute. Sometimes, this will be all you have the energy to do, and that’s ok. But it’s all about keeping the momentum. A lot of times, you’ll do a lot more without having to try hard. It’s all about getting started.
For habit building in general, I highly suggest giving Atomic Habits by James Clear a read.
Go Give Books a Try!
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