How to finish that book and Develop a reading habit; Tips from a lazy reader

“A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies . . . The man who never reads lives only one.” – George R.R. Martin

Elon Musk, Bill Gates, Oprah Winfrey, Warren Buffet, and other immensely successful people spend a lot of their time reading books and point to reading as an essential factor in their success. Therefore I ask you, “who are you not to be reading and consuming the treasures hidden inside ‘Good books’?”

Reading is an arduous task as it is tedious and complex as it requires imagination and concentration. I understand the frustration of not being able to finish a 300-page book or any book at all.

Reading quality books is essential to self-development as they contain ridiculous amounts of knowledge. You and I are not too different as I used to struggle with reading the most basics of books, but I have been able to develop a healthy reading habit with these simple hacks and practices.

1. Start with easy and short books.

Some books are naturally too complex and take a lot of time to understand, which can be frustrating, especially if you have just started on your journey of reading. To avoid discouragement, find a book that is not more than 300 pages to begin with, then you gradually increase the length of your books according to your speed.

2. Find out what time of the day you read best.

Some people find it easy to read in the morning, others in the afternoon or evening. I, for example, find it very difficult to read in the afternoon, and it takes me twice the effort than if I read at night, which is my preferred time. Try different times of the day to find what works for you by reading in the morning, evening, and night. It’s a trial and error process

3. Find the appropriate venue and equipment.

Reading is serious work even though it becomes fun (more appropriately less boring) as time progresses, but you can’t be a serious reader by sleeping on your couch and casually turning the pages of your book. Get a chair, table, and notebook for jotting down ideas. A silent place is an ideal setting for reading as there is little distraction.

4. The 30/5 rule.

This rule is an essential part of my technique as it is challenging to maintain the same concentration level when reading for an extended period. So I read for 30 minutes, then rest for 5 minutes. Then I go for another 30 minutes and rest for 5 minutes. I do this until I get exhausted.

I believe if you try these simple tips, your reading experience will improve as it improved mine.

Note: The goal is to develop a habit, so give yourself a target of 1hour per day, then gradually increase the length as it will get “easier”.

 

Thank you for reading and kindly share reading tips that have worked for you in the comment section.