8 Surprising Tips To Help You Read a Book Every Week
For as long as I can remember, reading has been my favorite hobby. From third grade to my present 32 year old self, it’s rare to find me without a book beside my bed or in my purse.
In fact, keeping a book with me at all times was a habit that was ingrained in me by my parents at an early age. Growing up in the 90’s and early 2000’s, we didn’t have our own cellphones. This meant that whenever we left the house, our parents would ask my siblings and I if we had some “reading material.”
The expectation was that you should always have a book, magazine, etc. because you never knew when you’d have a few minutes to kill running errands, in a waiting room, etc.
From that point on, reading became a habit, and one that I truly love. Now, I know that this might not be a habit for you, but you’d like it to be. No worries, I can help.
8 Tips To Add More Reading Time Into Your Daily Routine:
Read For 10–30 Minutes Before Bed
There are a few reasons why I think reading before bed is key. First, it forces you to get away from your computer. I also find that it settles the mind and and is relaxing in a way that being on a device isn’t.
Also, practically speaking, it’s likely that this will be the longest stretch of time that you have during the day to dedicate to reading so make the most of it!
Use Small Pockets of Time
If you’re used to defaulting to Instagram or email when you have a few free moments in line at the grocery store, try turning this into a few minutes of reading time.
Now, in this instance, if it’s not always convenient to carry a book with you try always having a Kindle book downloaded on your phone. It might not seem like much at first but even 2–4 pockets of time throughout the day can really add up over the course of a week or month.
Listen To Audible While You’re Walking, Driving or Cooking
Whether it’s just for fun, walking a dog, or as part of a commute, most of us have at least some walking time during the day. I love using this time to listen to an audiobook. For walking, I have to say that I prefer listening to novels rather than non-fiction.
This is another easy way to chip away at something that you’ve been wanting to read, without taking additional time out of your day just for reading.
Cooking is another great time to listen to an audiobook, especially if you cook alone. Or, if you have a partner or roommate, you can find something that you’d both enjoy and make it a daily ritual.
When my husband and I have a long drive ahead of us, we like to find a good novel and having something fun to listen to can really break up a long trip.
Set a Daily Reading Goal
If you’re a goal oriented person and REALLY want to hit the one book a week benchmark, then this might be helpful for you.
For instance, choose what book you want to read for the week. Then, check the number of pages and divide by 7. This will give you a good idea of approximately how much you need to be reading each day in order to meet your goal.
Plus, if you know a day or two during the week will be particularly busy, you can always try to get ahead the day before.
Abandon Bad Books
Because I love books so much, I’m often curious to know why people don’t read as much as they’d like to. Surprisingly, a big reason is that people don’t like what they’re reading…yet they feel a deep rooted need to finish every single book.
If this is you…let it go. I’m giving you permission to stop reading. If you don’t like something, don’t finish it.
In my 20’s I felt COMPELLED to finish every book that I started. However, once I realized that there is truly an endless supply of good books in the world, I left behind the notion that I needed to finish every book.
Always Keep a Backup Book
Another problem that I hear is that people will finish a book and then spend days or weeks trying to find a new book.
Don’t let this happen to you! Always keep a wish list on Amazon and always keep adding to it as you get recommendations from friends or family or as new books are released or available for pre-order.
You can also type in your favorite books on Amazon and see what other books are similar and recommended.
Also, if you notice that you are getting close to finishing a book, take a minute to order 1–2 more from your library. If you’re keeping up with a book a week, you could even designate a specific day of the week to search for new books.
In case you haven’t been to your local library for a while, most have lot’s of e-books and audiobooks and you can even download an app on your phone, if you’re more of a digital reader.
I like to have at least 2 books on hand in case I finish what I’m reading and need something new.
Join a Book Club
While you might not be reading a book a week with your book club, it can be a great way to get you reading more in general.
Book clubs are another terrific way to get additional book recommendations from people who most likely enjoy similar books as you do.
Or, if you want to break out of your comfort zone, you might try joining a book club with a genre beyond what you normally read.
I’ve done both online and in person book clubs and both can be great. For in person you can try your local library or meetup.com to find a potential group. For online groups, you can often find these on Facebook groups.
Hold Yourself Accountable
Whether it’s an accountability partner or sharing a weekly book summary on Instagram, holding yourself accountable is key.
When we first start a new habit it can be difficult to maintain, and reading is no different.
If you have a friend, family member or partner that also wants to read a book a week, try holding each other accountable by checking in with one other at least once a week either in person, by text, phone, or email.
You could even try reading the same book and then share your thoughts with each other at the end of the week. Plus, you’ll want to make sure you’ve done your reading to avoid potential spoilers!
To Sum Up:
One of the most important things to keep in mind is that reading is meant to be fun, so find what works for you. If a book a week sounds great to you then go for it. However, if this seems stressful or unattainable, start with a book a month and then maybe consider building up to a book a week later on.
If you’re wondering why I’m so passionate about encouraging people to read, it’s for two reasons.
- When I talk to people, I hear over and over that many people would like to start reading or read more than they currently do. Like most habits that we’re not doing, sometimes we just need a few tips or a little guidance to push us forward.
- Reading is one of the most affordable ways to truly change your life. Whether it’s opening your imagination with a novel, or learning a new strategy that can get you a promotion or bring in additional revenue to your business, books are amazing teachers.
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