Hello book lovers and potential book lovers (side eye), welcome to this column where I will be sharing everything on books, tips to read more books, reading hacks, interview with authors and all the good stuff. You are in good company and here for a good ride.
Today, I will be sharing tips that will help you to read more books. I enjoy reading and I read a lot; books, articles, blog posts, long Instagram captions. I average one book per week and I have done three books in a week in recent times all under a tight schedule but it is never about the numbers for me. For books, I want to always engage in something I enjoy doing, something that educates me, keeps me informed and helps to become a well-rounded individual.
Reading more should not be about the numbers, I don’t think that is a good motivation. Here are 9 tips to read more books:
Understand Your Why:
People consider reading to be noble. A parent would be happier if he/she learns that his/her child has been reading than if the child was playing video games for an hour. So, growing up, reading was presented as something that is noble and what people had to do. While I think reading is important, the mindset used to approach it is important also. Even though the title of the post is ‘9 tips to read more books‘, it does not mean that the tips can be applied to other areas related to reading. Why do you want to read more books? Knowing ‘why’ helps you do more.
Try Audiobooks:
This is a great way to get more books especially if you realize that you are not reading as many books as you want. You can plug in as you go, listen and enjoy your favourite books. I use Scribd for my audiobooks (you can get unlimited access to Scribd for 60 days by signing up my link) Audible and Kobo are other platforms you could try.
Make Use of Your Downtime/Sneak in Time:
You know those times you spend waiting for someone, or all those downtime you use to scroll through Instagram, you can use that time to read some chapters and maybe finish the whole book. Stop waiting for the perfect time to read, do you wait for the perfect time to scroll through Instagram?
Read What You Like:
One of the often ignored tips to read more books is this. Perhaps you are not reading as much as you want because you are not reading what you enjoy or haven’t explored other genres you will enjoy. The people around you might be reading self-help or non-fiction books, who told you that it has to be the same for you? Try something else and keep exploring.
Carve out Time to Read:
Yes, you can use downtime to read but you can also make out time to intentionally settle in to read. It could be 30 minutes, 20 minutes in a day or an hour. Look at your schedule and carve out something that works for you. If you fail once, keep trying, keep showing up.
Set a Reading Goal for Yourself:
Apart from making out time to read, set a reading goal. Mine is to read at least four books in a month. I don’t have a particular time I read in a day. I just make sure I am averaging a book per week (at least).
Buddy Read Books:
Buddy reading involves reading with someone, you can find someone that has similar reading interests as you and read together. I don’t mean sitting together to read, you could be in different places but read the same book at the same time. Reading together helps to have great book conversations.
Reward Yourself:
To encourage yourself to read more, you can reward yourself for every book you finish. You could reward yourself with ₦500 for every book you read. Then use this money to buy other books you want to read or something else you need.
Carry A Book Around:
You have to design your environment to facilitate reaching your goal. If you want to read more books, carry books around, keep them close. It helps greatly as you reduce fiction and solves the problem of ‘starting’.
I hope you find these tips to read more books useful and you keep on reading.