Spiderman Also Read Books! 7 Easy Ways to Get You Going

Reading books! “No….I can’t”, “Naah, it’s not for me”, “But why?”, “Come on, what’s this fuss about reading books!”

Are you one of them?

We all start like this. Or should I say — We all “don’t” start like this.

It’s easy to run away from a habit which leaves you open to a different world, a world full of perspectives, a world full of learning and a world full of characters.

You wish to get going? Let’s read on.

7 simple and effective way to kick start a new hobby, a new passion, a new habit. Reading.

“There is more treasure in books than in all the pirate’s loot on Treasure Island.” — Walt Disney

Here are seven simple tips to end your apprehension towards picking a book.

One……….Never borrow

The easiest way to find a book on your lap is to borrow. The toughest way to start the reading habit is to borrow!

Your habits need investment. All habits need investment. Borrowing a book is a short-cut. Short-cuts will not lead you to the right destination. BTW there is no destination to this journey!

When you invest, you make it easier for yourself to catch the habit fast.

“Borrowed books and umbrellas are seldom returned” ― Ruskin Bond, Funny Side Up

Two………Target number of pages — May be 10 to start with.

Set a simple target for yourself. At the end of the target your mind would like to celebrate and that will be huge motivation for you to continue with the habit.

Also, this means you are breaking down the book in to manageable pieces. The book in its entirety will feel daunting but chunking will help you to release a lot of pressure and give this habit your required time.

Don’t pressurize yourself to complete the book. Enjoying each page is the key!

Three……….Keep two books

Wow!!! I can’t read one at a time and this guy is asking me to go for two!!

Yeah…..start carrying two books. If possible, keep one fiction and the other one non-fiction. The interest in reading will not fade after 10 pages. The second book will help you keep searching for those special characters and those beautiful stories.

Variety will bring some spice too!

Don’t want to bother yourself with two books? There are solutions. Carry a physical book for morning commute, listen to a book while in the gym and end your evening on an e-book reader. Personally, I am huge fan of physical books and love their fresh smell, so I always carry more than one paperback.

Another great app to listen is Blinkist. Mix your mediums and it will keep this a fun.

Four…….Look for book suggestions

It can be a bookaholic friend or Google or suggestions from Bill Gates/Elon Musk/Zukerberg or some newspaper suggestions. They all become a good source to pick few worthy books.

Download Goodreads. It’s an amazing source of reviews and to learn about a particular book you are interested into. It will also keep your reading history for you to be proud of in future.

“The man who does not read good books is no better than the man who can’t.” — Mark Twain

Five…….Make a schedule

Just decide the time of the day when you will finish your 10 pages. You know your day’s schedule better than anyone else and hence it is easier for you to fit these 15 minutes somewhere.

Getting up 15 minutes early and giving yourself these precious minutes. Reading while on commute (instead of just dozing off!). 10 minutes just before you start your daily work in office. Listening to books while getting back to home. Ending your day with these 10 pages. Just choose.

Once you are committed to this time, the habit becomes much more manageable.

Few suggestions. Start listening while ironing your clothes or while cooking & when no one is around or while at gym or while in the washroom.

Six……..Don’t decide on your “type” at this stage

“I don’t like fiction” or “Those biographies and autobiographies are too self boasting” or “Science fiction are too difficult to understand” or “We should always start with self-help books”.

Put all these apprehensions and assumptions aside.

Pick the book which you like. Don’t judge.

Go to a book store, see around. Move towards the section which pulls you over. The right book will catch your attention automatically.

Why to be afraid of knowledge?

Seven……..Don’t keep a dictionary while reading.

You read to learn different perspectives and not to improve your English language. That may be your one of the great motivation to pick a book but unfortunately the urge to improve your English will kill your potential good habit of reading books.

Make a choice!

For me, it disturbs the flow. With practice, what will happen is that though you will not know the meaning of the word but the flow of the sentences will keep you with the pace of the book.

If this is unavoidable, keep marking or underlining the difficult words and see their meaning (or note them down in your book) after you are through with your reading session.

Finally

If you liked this article, I would request you to kindly hit the 👏 button as many times as you can, so that more people like you can read it. Also, please share this article with your loved ones and hopefully, they will soon catch this beautiful habit.