Make time for it
Unless you schedule reading time in your busy day, you may not be able to squeeze it anywhere between all of the other tasks already crowding the calendar.
Even if you can only devote 15 minutes for reading— the time it takes you to commute to work— do put it in your schedule.
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Carrying a book with you at all times is a great trick to start reading more habitually.
You will find that there are a lot of times where you can read a chapter or two, such as instead of staring at your computer screen or checking your email for the 15th time.
Do a bit of research if you don’t know where to start or if your previous choices of authors have been uninspiring.
Create a list with exciting books and stories – just don’t overdo it. Anything beyond 20 books for an entire year could be too overwhelming if you’re just getting started as a dedicated reader.
If you find yourself stressing out (or yawning!) over a difficult or boring book, do give it a try for a few more pages but give up if it ends up frustrating you.
Read a review or two online to see what people are saying and raving about or try reading the first few pages of the content and the back-cover blurb to get an idea of the narrative.
This will make you look forward to reading the book by sparking your curiosity about “what happens next.”
A great way to get into reading more is to read to someone else: an elderly person or a shut-in, a friend’s child or your own son or daughter.
You will have a reading assignment that helps you stick to your reading habit.
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Start off by setting a goal. This goal should be articulate and backed up with a purpose.
For some, it could be a goal of reading 24 books in a year. Once you’re done placing a target figure to your reading goal, then divide them into smaller goals.
An optional step is to import your highlights and marginalia into your note-taking system.
Importing these ideas into a note-taking system is a way to create a dialogue between the authors whose work you have read while encouraging the interlinking of ideas.