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It’s no secret: I love to read.
I always have. Ever since I learned how to read, I’ve been a bookworm. Reading is one of the best habits you could have. It fuels your creativity, it’s a great stress reliever and it literally makes you smarter. And for my fellow writers out there, it improves your writing skills.
Side note: for those of you who just don’t like to read, you could always listen to audiobooks!
I hear so many people who say they love to read, but they just don’t have time. I hear that excuse used a lot for so many healthy habits that people should be doing; reading, exercising, and spending time on creative hobbies.
But I always say that you make time for what’s important to you. We all have things we should (or want to) be doing that we don’t make time for. That’s part of being a human!
I mean, some of the busiest and most successful people on the planet are avid readers who read far more than I do. They make time to read tons of books in the midst of their chaotic schedules.
Bill Gates reads 50 books a year, Warren Buffet reads over 500 pages a day, and Stephen King always carries a book with him – in his memoir, he says that if you don’t have time to read, then you don’t have time to write. If they can do it, surely we can too.
So for those of you who love to read but just can’t find the time, I thought I’d share some tips for how to make time to read more!
– Set daily reading goals.
If you’re someone who pretty much doesn’t read at all, you can set yourself small daily reading goals. Try to read a chapter a day, 10 pages a day, or whatever works for you. For example, you can set a goal of reading at least 10 pages per day during lunch every day. As you’re building a reading habit, you can gradually increase this goal if you want.
– Read in the morning + before bed.
This is the easiest way to fit reading into your day without having to make time for it. You can either wake up a little bit earlier every morning or read part of a book instead of scrolling through social media/watching TV/whatever else you do in the morning. Or, if you’re someone who likes to unwind before bed, unwind by reading a few pages of your book.
– Take a book with you everywhere.
One of the biggest things that helped me start reading so much is that about half of the books I read are on my phone (or iPad) and of course, I always have my phone with me. This gives me a chance to read during long car rides, when I’m waiting at the doctor’s office, or anywhere else that I get a chance. If you find yourself doing a lot of waiting at various places throughout the day, this would help you get a lot of reading done. Whether it’s a physical book, an e-reader, or the Kindle app on your phone.
– Cut out other mindless activities.
The other biggest way I’ve made time to read is by deleting every social media app from my phone (except Instagram). That means that unless I’m on my laptop, I can’t post or scroll on Twitter, which means that I have a lot more time to read. Cut back on the amount of time you spend scrolling through social media, using other phone apps, mindlessly surfing the internet, or watching TV. Honestly, this could probably help almost anyone to find the time to read if they want to. Reading is a healthier alternative to any of these activities when it comes to your mental health and mindset.
– Combine it with another activity.
Habit stacking can come in handy when it comes to reading. It’s like multitasking only better. The idea is that you can quickly build a habit by adding it to a habit that you already have. For example, you can read while eating breakfast. Or you could read while you’re on the treadmill. Think of something you already do every day that you could easily combine with reading and do it every day. This takes pretty much no added effort and it’s super effective. Audiobooks can come in extra handy when it comes to habit stacking too!
How do you make time to read? Is it something you struggle with? Let’s chat in the comments!
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