As the end of summer approaches, our lives seem to get busier. Work becomes more hectic, and we have less time for leisure activities, like hiking, gardening, and reading.
While reading on a beach, near the pool, or in a favorite spot is a great everyday hobby, life can get in the way of doing so. We’ve compiled some of the best ways to keep a consistent reading habit, no matter how busy your schedule may be. Read on to learn some ways to keep up with reading, speed read, and even sneak in reading in any situation.
Set Goals
One of the best ways to start any habit is to start with an easily achievable goal for yourself. You can outline short- and long-term goals to incorporate reading into your daily life. For example, you can plan to read 15 minutes or pages a day or to read one book a month. Goal require setting aside time in your schedule no matter what your day looks like, so reserving the same time every day, such as in the morning or before bed, will turn into an easy, healthy routine.
To hold yourself accountable to a goal, you’ll want to track it. Use a calendar to record your success. The longer you commit to a goal, the less of a task it will be!
Join a Book Club
Another great way to get into a routine is to do it with others! Book clubs not only help with forming a habit but also facilitates choosing good books, meeting deadlines, and having others to discuss the book with! Anyone can start reading regularly, but if you don’t enjoy what you’re reading or are doing it alone, you may not be motivated to keep going.
Book clubs come in all different shapes or sizes. You can join one that already exists or start one of your own. You can connect with people across the world or meet with others in your local community. You can join a club that reads at different paces — a book a week, month, or year. Whatever fits your schedule and comfort level will, help you meet new people, engage in conversation, and form a reading routine.
BYOB (Bring Your Own Book)
If your schedule doesn’t allow for regular reading time or book club meetings, there are still plenty of ways to read anywhere. Just bring your own book!
Did you know that on average Americans spend over three hours on our phones and over 100 minutes on public transportation? Think about taking some of that time to read and how easily you could form a habit! Taking the bus or train to work gives you extra time to read rather than staring at your phone or letting time pass.
Every day there are many times we could fit in reading that we don’t think about, such as during your lunch break, waiting at an appointment, or standing in line. If you bring a book, you can find time every day to squeeze in a few pages.
Slow and Steady Loses the Race?
Many people don’t read because they don’t have enough time, but by utilizing some resources, you can get the most out of your reading.
The first step in being a better, faster reader is enjoying what you read. We recommend looking up book summaries, deciding whether to read a book based on its length, or putting a book down if you don’t enjoy it. If you don’t feel excited to read a story, it’s probably not for you.
While not ideal, some readers skim pages rather to finish a book quickly without focusing on each word and section. For those in a time crunch, there are many methods to faster reading. Plan what you want to read or skip, stop the re-reading habit, and practice your techniques again. The more you read, the better you’ll comprehend phrases faster without even reading every line.
Whatever method you may choose to read this year, don’t let the end-of-summer reading slump catch you! Keep reading on, because you’ll never know if your next book will be your favorite. To pick out your next read, visit discoverbooks.com.
