Struggling to Read? Don’t.

Try to do this instead

One of the biggest regrets I have in my life is not starting to love reading books at an early age. As a child, I always struggled to pick up a book.

I can recall my first time finishing a book on my own was just right after high school. It’s not that I instantly turned into a bookworm. It actually took me years to pick up another book to read.

I don’t know about you but there are many times I felt reading a book is too daunting a task.

Why bother starting if I can’t finish?

I don’t get what the author is trying to say.

This book is too long!

Now, more than a decade since I first started reading, I have learned to love reading books. It has become one of my most favorite past times. (And, perhaps, the reason I got into Medium, as well)

However, it is not without struggle. From maintaining a consistent schedule to read books, to simply falling asleep while reading, this activity has never been without occasional hiccups.

Earlier this year I learned something new: you don’t need to actually read a book to get the pleasure of reading and learning something new.

Here’s what you can do instead:

Change Your Format

Consume your texts differently. Maybe don’t try to read at all. Just listen.

If you haven’t done so, try to download an audiobook (I think the most reputable place to get them is from Audible.com), put on some nice headphones, sit back, relax and listen.

Pro-tip: If it’s your first time and you are choosing between titles, I suggest you pick the book that has the better delivery and narration. You don’t want to listen to something that will bore you to sleep.

I recently discovered the world of audiobooks thanks to my boss gifting a month’s worth of subscription that comes with 1 free credit to buy an audiobook to keep for life. Probably one of the best gifts I have had lately.

To my surprise, it didn’t take me a while to finish an 8-hour long audiobook.

And another, 5 hour one.

And another, 6 hour one.

I’m still not done with my one-month free subscription, but I’m already on my fourth audiobook.

I wouldn’t claim I had 100% retention of all the things I listened to, but I can synthesize the same important points as I would have had if I read the book instead. Not only I was more engaged listening to authors narrating their own books word per word, but it also afforded me more time and convenience in consuming verbal information.

If before I couldn’t enjoy reading books while on my commute (I often get dizzy when I try to read books in the car), now, I’m able to get through a chapter or two in my typical hour-long commutes. Times that used to be dead are now more productive thanks to audiobooks.

I must say changing the format really changed the reading game for me.

Why It Works

Each of us learns differently. Reading is an activity oriented naturally to verbal learners the most. Obviously, consuming books by listening to them narrated with passion, emotion, and nuanced delivery is a good way to engage auditory learners (myself included).

What makes this even better for learning is that you can read the books while listening to them in a mixed learning kind of approach. If you dig that.

While not best for learning important and technical material, listening while reading allows you to multitask and do other things like working out, or while you are enjoying some afternoon brisk walking.

I should remind you though that multitasking is never found to be helpful for learning. So if you really must, make sure you aren’t doing as cognitively demanding a task like reading.

What I do instead is I take time to listen on my commute and re-read sections I just listened to on my e-book at home (if I can’t recall them well enough), when I take down notes about the chapters I just finished.

It is Not Cheating

Who says it is in the first place?

The important thing is you can consume books in a format that is most engaging to you. What good do books bring to you if you can’t even endure the hours you need to get through them?

Sometimes, you just need to get to the big idea and listening is just as good as reading in getting you there.

To close, I’d like to ponder on the idea that reading is one of the things universal among the successful and wealthy. You can’t understate the power you unlock from reading a good book — from the rich perspectives you get to the knowledge and wisdom you can act on. It could be life-changing.

I could say that who I am now is greatly inspired by the many texts I have read in the past decade. I feel that I’m more grounded, more thoughtful, and equipped with insights passed on to me by authors who had lived and experienced the world.

I definitely wish to read more books than I read in the past. This year I plan to read one book per month, a total of at least 12 books this 2021. With this newfound format, I’m optimistic I can get through my entire reading list for the first time this year.

If you don’t like to read, you haven’t found the right book. — J.K. Rowling

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