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How I Went From Reading One Book a Year to One Book a Week
Discover the Transformational Habit of Reading One Book Per Week & How You Can Do It Too!
Believe it or not, one of the best decisions I ever made wasn’t rescuing my cat Bun Bun from the street, but something almost as cuddly—committing to reading one book per week. But there is a trick to do it.
Reading can be transformational — you can literally gain access to the best ideas from top experts around the world on any topic. The good news is that the cost, effort, and time needed to read one book a week is surprisingly minimal!
I was never a voracious reader. My annual reading list used to be shorter than my grocery list… until I discovered a simple system that allowed me to read books easily and efficiently.
I started using this system to read books approximately one year ago.
In one year, I read a total of 30 books, and during the first 12 weeks of 2024, I read 10 books, which is almost one book a week.
The books I typically read cover topics such as business, investing, entrepreneurship, and personal development. However, no matter what topics you’re interested in, here’s how to absorb one book a week.

The Audiobook Revolution
I started listening to audiobooks 20 years ago. Yet, it was only in the past year that they truly revolutionized my reading habits and skyrocketed the volume of knowledge I was able to absorb.
Consuming almost one book a week truly feels like having a superpower: it gives you the ability to learn new knowledge and skills, effectively adding new tools to your mental toolbox. And I promise you — reading this much will put you miles ahead of most people.
“Reading is essential for those who seek to rise above the ordinary.”
— Jim Rohn
Here’s How I Find Time to Read One Book Every Week
Let me tell you: it never crossed my mind that I would be reading one book a week. One book every week? That was definitely not the old me!
I’ve always been a busy guy: I have a full-time job in a fast-moving sector (crypto), plus side projects like this Medium blog that you are reading, plus taking care of my flat and my cat, going to the gym, and spending time with Ms. Bee Lee.
How on earth could I find the time to read books?
Well, there’s plenty of time! Here’s when I read, and probably where you can also find time to read:
- While commuting to and from work.
- During lunchtime.
- At the gym.
- While doing household chores, like washing the dishes.
If you are commuting, eating, or exercising during these times of the day, you can probably find 1 to 2 hours a day. And although it’s hard to read a physical book while doing physical exercise or while eating, you can definitely listen to an audiobook!
These times of the day are moments when you are engaged in activities that don’t require your full mental attention, making them perfect opportunities to listen to audiobooks.
Considering the average audiobook is about 10 hours long, you could very likely finish one book per week by simply turning on your Audible app while engaged in these activities.
So the formula is simple:
- Find those times of day when you perform tasks that don’t require intense mental activity.
- Plug in your earphones.
- Play your favorite book!
“The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.”
— Dr. Seuss
How to Turn Audiobooks Into a Habit
So far, I kinda made it sound very simple, right? As though you just find the time, and suddenly you are listening to one book a week.
There are 4 actions you can take to turn this into a habit and upload all this valuable information from the audiobooks into your brain!
1. Create a shortlist of books
Write down all the titles that you want to read. This way, you will never run out of ideas for interesting books to read. Here’s a sample of my shortlist:

2. Download the proper audiobook app
Audible is by far the best app for accessing a wide range of audiobooks, and it is very convenient and really affordable. You can now even try it for 30 days at no cost using this link!

3. Always carry earphones with you
Bring your earphones along and plug them in while you are eating or at the gym to immerse yourself in the author’s world and knowledge. If you are driving, connect your phone to the car’s Bluetooth.
4. Make it a habit
This will be the easiest step, as long as you choose interesting books! After consistently listening to audiobooks for 21 days, it becomes a new habit from which you will reap significant gains in knowledge and other benefits.
After developing this habit, there’s no going back. Unlike other entertainment subscriptions like Netflix, an Audible subscription will actually bring you a wealth of valuable knowledge!
Henri’s 1-Month Reading Challenge For You
This is a challenge that might change your life. Believe me, I’m 99% sure that if you join this reading challenge, you will not turn back. Reading is a habit that can only improve your life.
So here’s the challenge for you:
- Subscribe to Audible and enjoy the first month free of charge. If you cancel before the 30th day, you won’t need to pay anything.
- Read at least 2 books in the first month.
- Share in the comments which two books you plan to read and return at the month’s end to update on your progress. I will be your accountability partner! 😉
Conclusion
Reading one book per week has been a profoundly transformative experience for me. By downloading audiobook after audiobook and utilizing what would otherwise be unproductive moments throughout my day, I’ve managed to gain a wealth of knowledge from experts across various fields.
I wholeheartedly recommend starting your own journey of reading one book per week. It will bring tremendous personal growth and satisfaction.
Given the convenience and accessibility of audiobooks, it’s never been easier to fit reading into your busy schedule. Take the first step today and discover the transformative impact of reading one book per week — your future self will be grateful.
Please note that this article includes Audible affiliate links. As my followers are aware, I only write about topics and products I genuinely believe in, affiliate links notwithstanding.
— Henrique Centieiro 📚
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