Reading has always been a challenge for me. Between being a (very) slow reader, being easily distracted, having trouble focusing, and my Convergence Insufficiency, my TBR (to be read list) was piling up faster than I could keep up! I really struggled with all the required readings in graduate school, and once I finally graduated, I honestly didn’t read much for fun after that. And it’s not just me…
According to literacyinc.com, 33% of High School graduates never read another book after High School! That is a shocking and, quite frankly, scary statistic. Literacyinc.com also states that, “50% of books started are never read to completion.”
If you relate to where I was: a long TBR list, books piling up, and having reading goals but not sure where to start, this blog is for you. A few years ago, I implemented some simple habits and now I read 1-2 books a month. I know this may not seem like a lot, especially when comparing this number to others on social media reporting they read multiple books in a week. I see those posts all the time! But if you like me, have a very busy schedule with little time or energy to read, reading anywhere from 12-24 books by the end of the year is is nothing to scoff at! It’s an accomplishment and you should be proud of yourself.
This post isn’t so much about the numbers anyway. It’s more about incorporting small, actionable steps to get into a consistent habit of reading. Whether you want to read one book a year, or one book a week, I’m sure you will find this post valuable.
I am here to help you accomplish your personal reading goals! Let’s tackle that TBR together!
Determine Your Reading Goal
The first step toward achieving your reading goal is to actually determine what your goal is.
I recommend you start out with a simple, achievable goal, one you know you can reach, and then you can build from there! For me, this looked like aiming to read one book per month. This felt doable to me, and it was an easy entry point after not reading mny physical books for years. You want to set an achiveable goal because once you do hit your goal, you will feel like your goals really are within reach. You will feel that it is possible, you will feel accomplished, confident, and proud of yourself.
Once I determined my goal, I broke it down even further. Once I picked my book (which we will get to in the next section), I divided the number of pages by days in the month. This gave me a reasonable number of pages to read each day. This broke the goal down so much that it didn’t feel overwhelming to read a whole book or hundreds of pages. I knew I could read a few pages each day.
Build Your Reading Habit
When building new habits, it’s essential to remember that one of the most crucial aspects of forming a habit is getting right back to it when you inevitably fall off track. Incorporating a new habit into your daily routine can be challenging. It’s a practice and will get easier over time with consistent effort. Realize that it’s not going to go perfectly, and that’s okay! If your goal is to read every day and you skip a few days or life happens and you stop your daily reading practice, get back to it as soon as you realize you fell off track. Getting back to your goal after falling off is a great way of actually reinforcing the habit.
I loved the book, Atomic Habits, by James Clear, and always recommend it. It would be a great book to start your reading goals with!
Something James Clear talks about in his book is the idea of “Habit Stacking.” He explains that one of the easiest ways to establish a habit is to “stack it” with an already established habit. For example, say you want to get in the habit of taking a daily vitamin. A way to easily establish this habit is to pair it with an already established habit such as brushing your teeth or eating breakfast. Keep the bottle next to your toothbrush and viola…you have established a new habit by stacking it on a preexisting habit.
For reading specifically, I have stacked this habit onto my bed time routine. Every night before I go to sleep, I spend some time, usually between 30-40 minutes reading. I was able to do this because I already have a set bed time routine. I keep my book on my night stand with my reading glasses to make my book easily accessible and visible. I also find reading at bed time a great way to wind down from the day. It’s relaxing and grounding. Reading relaxes my body, mind, and my eyes to make falling asleep easier.
Because we are prone to distractions and all have our phones within arms reach, try to put your phone away. Keep it out of your room or in your night stand. Put it on do not disturb, turn off all notifications, or turn your phone off completely. This also goes for your computer, TV, and any other tech that may be distracting. Resist the urge to check your phone. If you do, put it away and get right back to reading!
An important part of building a habit is staying consistent, which simply means- reading at the same time and in the same place each day.
Do you have a cozy reading nook you can read in? Do you like to read on your couch or in bed? Once you read in the same place at the same time each day, you will train your brain to associate that time and place with reading. You will get your brain used to a reading schedule, which will eventually get your brain to trigger you to read.
One of the most important aspects of having a successful reading habit is choosing books you will like. Think about what kind of books you want to read. What gets you excited? Is there anything you are passionate about? Do you want to learn or engage your imagination?
There are so many genres to choose from.
- Fiction
- Biography
- Auto Biographical
- History
- Mystery
- Fantasy
- Sci-Fi
- Horror
- Self-Help
- Mental Health
- Finance
- Health
- Children’s literature
- Picture books
- Comics/Graphic novels
- Novellas
- Poetry
- Thriller
- Romance
- Young Adult Literature
- Crime
- True crime
- Western
- Classics
The list goes on and on! I have found that I love reading mental health and self-help books. I find these to be the most interesting. I love learning when I read. I even like to highlight my books, so I keep a highlighter with my glasses and bookmarks.
Read whatever gets you excited to read! There’s nothing worse than reading a book you don’t enjoy.
Make Reading Enjoyable
To achieve your reading goals, it helps to make reading an enjoyable practice any way you can. Like I said, I like to read before I go to sleep at night but I also enjoy reading outside. If we are going to the beach or park, I make sure to take my book along for the ride. Think about where you like to read. Do you like to read at home? In your yard? Out in nature? Think about where you feel the most comfortable and where you are most likely to enjoy reading.
Get cozy! Getting cozy can get you in the right mindset to read. Do you want to cuddle up with a fuzzy blanket? Maybe throw on some fuzzy socks, a bathrobe, and make some tea. Lighting a candle or incense sounds lovely. Cozying up with your furry best friend and a book sounds relaxing and peaceful.
I love bookmarks and once I started reading consistently, I started a small collection. I love matching my bookmark to the book I am reading. I have artsy prints, I have a lot of flower bookmarks, I have bookmarks with words of encouragement, and of course, I have cat book marks. I usually buy them from bookstores, Farmer’s Markets, and local events. They always have the best artsy and fun ones!
Keep Yourself Accountable
Hold yourself accountable to your goals. There are a few fun ways you can do this!
You can join a book club! It’s easier now than ever to join a book club. There are in-person book clubs or you can join a virtual one. You can find one through Facebook groups like I did, you can find one on meetup.com, or you can even create your own on one of these platforms or get a group of friends to join you!
You can also find community and track your reading progress on sites like Goodreads or Fable. These are fun ways to connect with others to discuss the book you are reading. You can also rate the book, review it, track your progress, organize your reading list, and discover other books that may interest you! These are fun ways to engage in reading.
These are some of the simple strategies I have incorporated into my days to help me achieve my reading goals. I hope this article helped you in some way, and you are able to take any tips or insights that will help you achieve your reading goals.
I would love to hear your specific reading goal, your routine, and what helps you to achieve it! Let me know in the comments below!