How To Read More
I’m so excited to share my tips on how to read more! I never thought I’d be here because these are the tips I’m usually googling for myself. But I’ve gotten the hang of it the past few months so I wanted to share what’s worked.
First, I’m not a “reader”. I’m not yet able to whizz through books or great at retaining the information. I wasn’t good at school, ps. Not sure why I wanted to share that but I feel it paints the picture. Books, tests, retaining information, learning Arabic – not good at it.
But there’s an incredible amount of invaluable information from reading! Not to mention, it’s a skill I wanted to master. I started thinking, it has to be good for our brains to scroll through sentences & put them together in our brains. I like challenging myself, I never want to be good at everything in my life. How borning. And mastering reading sounds fun.
How to Read More:
Switch Your Genre:
I’ve always enjoyed nonfiction. If it’s real, I can relate & imagine it better. Well, I stopped being able to get through books quickly when they were all true stories. Because, they didn’t give my brain a chance to create & use my own imagination – which I noticed made my reading habits slow down. Fiction is incredibly special & I’m finding important, we don’t use our creative minds enough in our day-to-day activities, fiction allows our imagination to go wild… & you’ll notice it’s addicting.
Put Down The Phone:
This is my number one tip, every time you go to scroll through your phone, pick up your book instead. Even if it’s only for 5 minutes, or 1 page! TRUST. This also includes picking up the remote to your TV, grab a book instead & tell yourself: just 1 page. Before you know it, you’ll have completed an entire book!
Bring A Book Everywhere:
This is another major key to reading more. These days we grab our phone & start scrolling anytime we’re in a waiting room, at a meeting, waiting for food, in a line, or have a few extra minutes. This happens ALL THE TIME. Instead of picking up your phone to scroll, grab your book. Men, keep a book in your car! Everywhere you go, have a book with you!
Keep A Collection of Books:
I always have 4 or 5 books laying around the house that I want to read. They motivate me to continue picking them up to read. Anytime I hear a book that sounds interesting I really quickly order it from Amazon, then leave it around my house until I’ve caught up the waiting list. If you’re always looking at 5 books you’ve heard good things about, trust me, you’ll be more anxious to get to them.
Always Read Before Bed:
Watching TV right before bed isn’t a good thing, remember when I told you my bad habit? Don’t do that, honestly the fewer electronics the better. Find a good FICTION book to read right before your eyes shut. If you’re used to reading intense, business, self-help, nonfiction books – save those for another time. Find a book as good as a sleep story you used to listen to as a kid, one you can truly get lost in, then read a few pages each night. Sweet.
I hope that helps you get through your reading lists! Once you get started, you’ll realize how powerful books are & you’ll be even more motivated to continue reading & creating that habit.
If you’re already a huge book person, share your favorites below so we can add them to our list! PLEASE!
Have a great weekend everyone, love you.
Be thoughtful
MissBassmaster Book Club: