Why I Added Book Reading To My To-Do List

A chapter or two a day keeps the burn-out away.

“You never read anymore,” my wife said to me one day.

“Huh? I read a lot.”

“I hardly ever see you with a book anymore,” she said.

“Well, I don’t have a lot of time these days to invest in a book. I read a lot of short-form now on my tablet. Articles, and stuff.”

And I do, but when I took some time to think about it, even my short-form reading tends to be quick and fleeting. It’s more than skimming, but it’s a far cry from immersing myself in someone else’s work.

Surely, as a writer, that can’t be a good thing.

And it’s probably not. I spent November and December tearing through a lot of work. I wrote a lot, but even I have to admit that a fair amount of it was by-the-numbers work a monkey could have done. And a lot of the time I spent reading was actually more along the lines of research. Some of it was quite interesting, but it was all still part of my work hustle.

No wonder I was getting so stressed.

The Catalyst

Then the holidays rolled along. We’ve always been a book family — our living space a constant war for room between its living, breathing inhabitants and the ones residing inside pages. It was no surprise that Christmas featured a fair amount of books as gift items.

A week after Christmas, I found a short lull in my work as my main clients were all on holiday break. I also managed to get a new pair of reading glasses. I’d needed those, but there were some Covid-related delays.

With time and vision on my side suddenly, I started to crack open some new books. I had almost forgotten how much pleasure I got from sitting on the couch, by my favorite lamp, with a cup of coffee and a good book. I got a good start on the new Beowulf translation by Maria Dahvana Headley — a far superior work of art than Seamus Heaney’s translation — although my preferred edition is still the Tolkein translation and commentary that came out in 2015. I’m a long-time Beowulf nerd.

I also cracked open the abundantly amusing P.G. Wodehouse omnibus A Bounty of Blandings, and The Futurians by Damon Knight, a look back at the early history of the science fiction fandom scene in New York City.

Eventually, clients came back from the holiday break, and work started coming in again. But that week of having a lighter workload and more time to read had a remarkable effect on me.

I was a lot less stressed. And, I think, having a lot more fun inside my head.

I missed reading for fun.

My To-Do List

I live and die by my to-do list. It’s my number one productivity tool, and it doesn’t need to be charged. About once a year, I have to buy a new pen and notebook, but otherwise, it’s a pretty maintenance-free system.

The thing is, a lot of times if something doesn’t get put on my to-do list, there’s a high chance it won’t get done.

For a few days, reading didn’t make the list. And my stress started to poke its head out again — maybe looking for its shadow. But my week of extra reading was still fresh in my mind, so I, with great purpose and forethought, added “Read for an hour” to my to-do list.

I didn’t say which book. I figured I’d pick up whichever unfinished book struck my fancy or was within easiest reach. The first night it was the Beowulf book. The next night was the Damon Knight book.

An hour out of my workday to read paid off. As I shifted from reading mode back to work mode, my brain seemed to realign and engage with my work differently. I ended up feeling more refreshed and, dare I say, creative when it came time to get to the paying work.

Now I won’t claim that I’ve managed to get my reading time in each and every night. I rarely hit every item on my daily to-do list.

But I’ve taken time to read for at least an hour each day, more often than not.

And I have no regrets.

And I might actually be a little taller now. I don’t know. But I am sure about not having any regrets.

One Month Later…

It’s been a month since I decided to spend more time reading, and I don’t see any reason I should stop.

I’ve even included the odd book on professional development like Seth Godin’s The Practice. It’s there sitting on top of This Is Not My Memoir by Andre Gregory and Yes Please by Amy Poehler.

I recommend all three highly.

So far, so good. I should also mention that January was one of my best months ever as far as work and productivity went. And I feel a lot better about things overall and a bit less stressed out by life.

And maybe a little taller.

Just a little.

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