Reading has been one of the supreme pleasures of my life. I’ve worked over the years to find reading strategies that are right for me. Here are some ideas for you to improve your reading habits.
- Set a daily reading goal in minutes, not pages. You will easily become frustrated if you don’t hit your page number goal, but by reading for X number of minutes per day you won’t feel the pressure.
- Watch less TV and listen to fewer podcasts. This should be obvious for reading improvement.
- If you find yourself stuck or bored with a book, stop reading it and start another. I’ve learned when it comes to finishing books momentum is important.
- Consider the advantages of eBooks and audiobooks. I love the feel of a physical book in my hand too, but recently I’ve transitioned to reading eBooks and listening to audio books almost exclusively. Why? I can read an eBook wherever I go because I have my kindle app on my iPhone wherever I go. eBooks are also cheaper, easier to acquire, and more accessible. In my pocket I have a library of about 1,500 eBooks. Audio books are helpful because you can listen to them in the car or when you are doing the dishes. You can combine all three mediums with most books to increase your reading speed – physical, eBook, and audio.
- Start small and with a genre you enjoy. Don’t set a goal of 100 books in a year, start with 6 or 7 books you know you will like.
- Eventually work towards reading multiple books at once. I currently read six different kinds of books at the same time – (1) A Substantial History or Biography Book (2) Ministry, Theology, or Biblical Studies (3) Interesting History or Fun Fiction (4) Something on Contemporary Culture (5) Literary Fiction (6) A Daily Devotional Book I know this may not work for everyone, but I do recommend branching out and trying different genres even if you read one book at a time.
- Figure out what, when, where, and how. To add to my last suggestion, I have figured out a daily system where I know what kind of book to read when and where during my day and in what medium (physical, eBook, or audio). Three examples. The main medium I use to read substantial histories and biographies is audiobooks. I listen to the audiobook while cleaning up for dinner, running, stacking chairs and setting up tables at church, or driving. I read fun fiction using a kindle at night when I am relaxing with Jessica (usually she is watching Gilmore Girls or The Office) or before I go to bed. And with literary fiction, I only read that genre on Saturdays. The point I am making is to figure out a system that works best for you.
Page Turner Book Blog by Kyle Page 