“Read! Read something every day. Discipline yourself to a regular schedule of reading. In fifteen minutes a day, you can read twenty books a year.” -Wilferd Arlan Peterson

How To Be a Disciplined Reader

How to read the books you buy

It’s not about how much you read, or what you read, it’s about the act of reading.

Reading should start within. A deep desire to attain pleasure, mentorship, and a new perception of life. (Wow, a little woo-woo eh?) Instead of an outcome-based goal of reading, you must begin to change your identity to that of a reader.

Become a Reader

James Clear wrote in “Atomic Habits”,

“The ultimate form of intrinsic motivation is when a habit becomes part of your identity. It’s one thing to say I’m the type of person who wants this. It’s something very different to say I’m the type of person who is this.”

James Clear also describes habit building in three layers: Outcomes, Process, and Identity. All layers have their place in importance, but deciding who we want to become first changes our entire identity, fuels our desire to follow a process, and will lead to our desired outcome.

The number one step to becoming a reader is to become a reader. Stop focusing on the number of books you read; instead, become the person who reads. Be known as the bookworm, the person who always has a book on them.

Place books all around your area so you feel inspired to read. Put a book underneath your pillow so you feel the book you want to read before bed. Bring a book with you everywhere and read whenever you get the chance.

Become the reader who finds time to read.

Read what YOU want to read (Follow Curiosity)

10 years ago, I was reading a finance book that was explaining how to create a spreadsheet. At that moment, I wanted to chuck the dang book out the window. I was bored out of my mind.

I continued to read it for a week. However, the only thing I gained from that book was a disinterest in reading that lasted two years. I lost my passion for reading.

When I started again, I decided to pick up a book that I was interested in and my love for reading sparked again.

To become a reader, you must pick books that you’re curious about.

You get told to read all these different books by influencers and peers, but you may not be interested in these books. What someone else likes may not be something that you like. And that’s fine!

You may be into drama or love stories that stir emotion within you. You might like Science fiction or Astrology. Whatever you’re interested in. Read that. Don’t listen to anyone stating that you must read a type of genre or author. Read what ignites your interest.

And don’t be afraid to stop reading a book that you aren’t enjoying either. Move on and read something that you want to read instead. We have 4,000 weeks, on average, in our life. That is too short of time to read what doesn’t interest us.

Your determination to always finish the books you start may end up hindering your love for reading. That’s not to say you shouldn’t challenge yourself, but sometimes you don’t want to read a challenging book, you just want to read a story that’s easy to read.

Reading does not have to be challenging all the time.

But what if you want to finish a book, but it’s long and you’re getting bored of it now?

Read multiple books at a time.

Keep multiple books going at a time. Reading multiple books at a time doesn’t mean you’re reading multiple books at a time. It’s like having a backup plan for when you inevitably get bored with a long and challenging book.

We’re humans. It’s hard to focus on 700 pages of human nature and how fundamentally we are lost and confused, yet narcissistic and have a dark side. (I was reading “The Laws of Human Nature” by Robert Greene while writing this.)

We may need a break and read some Harry Potter because that’s light and fun. And it’s starting to get cold, and Harry Potter is amazing.

The process goes like this. You read a book, you get bored, but you’re still interested. So, you pick up another book. BOOM simple. You’re still reading and keeping the habit alive.

Once you feel inspired to read the challenging book again, pick it up and begin. Repeat the process if necessary.

Find your medium.

There seems to be a never-ending battle within the reading community between the “holy Trilogy” of physical books, E-books, and audiobooks. The truth is, there should be a fourth contestant — Hard-cover books.

They suck!

They’re clunky, the sleeve is annoying, and they’re overrated. They do look good though… I digress. The truth is it doesn’t matter.

What’s the goal of reading? To acquire information, verify knowledge, and dive into the lives of others. To have empathy towards characters, and to live inside their stories. To be mentored by master thinkers, and to be entertained by brilliant artists. (Wow, I’m getting woo-woo again.)

It doesn’t matter how you get the information if you get the information.

I prefer paperback books, not hardcovers because I like to destroy my books. I write in the margins, underline, star, and mark the information that may be useful to me later. Physically holding the book and turning the pages gives me a sense of enjoyment, and visually the books around me inspire me to read.

I have recently gotten into audiobooks. Audiobooks are nice for commuting and working out. I enjoy listening to biographies. However, I prefer reading fiction, non-fiction, and history in the paperback format.

My girlfriend on the other hand reads her Kindle. And loves it! Ever since she got her Kindle, she has been reading consistently every day. Kindles are her “vibe” as she puts it.

I have heard people enjoy Kindle because they have kids and they’re easier to hold while holding their children. (Wholesome)

Also… Traveling with books is a terrible experience. The corners and pages get messed up, and they’re heavy.

But find what suits you best. And stick with it. Maybe try paperbacks later down the road. Try listening to an audiobook while you exercise. Experiment.

Schedule your reading (build a system)

If you want to become a reader, you should consider scheduling your reading. This way you know you’ll read every day. Maybe read fiction before bed, or during your lunch break at work. Schedule time every day to sit down and read.

Let me paint you a picture.

You get off from work, you’re tired, hungry, and upset at what someone said to you. You sit down, take your shoes off, and think to yourself “I can read, or watch a show and nap.”

What are you going to pick?

Probably a nap and a show. Let’s be honest. We’re human.

This is the importance of creating a reading system that can hold up against the worst days.

What is a system? It’s simply a habit. More specifically, it’s the action of a habit. Let’s build a reading system right now.

The target is to read every day. Check.

Busy at work. Check.

New to reading. Check.

Start small. I’m talking 10 minutes a day. Can you give yourself 10 minutes a day to sit down and read? Probably. Will you read more than 10 minutes a day? Probably. Do you have to read more than 10 minutes a day? Nope!

If you hit your target of reading 10 minutes a day, you’re good. You hit your target. Congratulations. So, let’s write this out.

Every day at lunch, I will read my book for 10 minutes.

or

Every day before bed, I will read my book for 10 minutes.

There you have it. You built a reading system.

The simple act of reading for shorter sessions will likely lead to reading for longer periods over time. Starting small will jumpstart your love for reading.

You’ll find authors and topics that you’re interested in. You’ll eventually read a book, or more a week because you enjoy reading, not because it sounds cool.

Check out the video I created to supplement this article!

Thank you for reading!

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