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If you have landed on this page and wonder how some people can read so much while you might struggle to read a few books a year, I am happy to reveal this secret.
I am Daniela, an avid reader who “consumes” between 35–50 books a year.
I have always enjoyed reading and over the years, I find myself reading more and more. CRAZY, right? How do I do it? By applying some tricks I have developed over time. I know Internet/Social Media makes our productivity lower but with some adjustments, books can become part of your daily routine as they are part of mine.
Let’s dive in…
1. Schedule Time To Read
Do you schedule a time to go to the gym or to meet friends? I bet you do because these are important activities. If you are serious about reading more, then you have to make time for it in your day.
For example, I often read in the morning and before bedtime. This does not have to be your way but I suggest scheduling about 30 minutes a day, typically around the same time.
2. Have a Book With You at all Times
How many hours do you commute every week? — Perhaps not as many as before COVID. If I had to guess, you have at least 2 hours of commute time per week. There are many ways to leverage this downtime, most likely by watching news, social media, or others. Why not by reading a book? If you commute by train or metro, it is easy to read a few pages of a book.
3. Say NO to Electronics for a Day
This has been the best decision I made in 2022: Saying NO to electronics once a week. If you ever decide to do this, you will find your day is much longer. When I first started doing this, I would read a book in a day.
I understand this might not be possible for everyone, I suggest starting with 2–3 hours away from your phone.
4. Read a book with Your Partner/ Friend
At first, I found this idea quite absurd. Then, I learned that many of my friends were reading with their partners. I almost got jealous! Finally, I embraced the idea and tried it with a friend. I enjoyed the experience of debating and discussing a book with someone else. You develop so much critical thinking when you can articulate yourself and the other person has the context to challenge you with the right questions. And of course, reading together can be motivating especially, if you schedule weekly debating sessions.
5. Read/ Watch Videos about Book Recommendations
I occasionally get recommendations from friends which tend to be great given that they know my taste very well. But 90% of books I read come from people I follow on social media.
I enjoy scrolling through videos and listening to book insights/ learnings. Some influencers I like for their book recommendations are: Chelsea, Gloria, Cidinha, Ali, Tina, Nate, and Camila (the order does not dictate my preference)
6. Go to Bookstores
Being surrounded by books always makes me feel like reading and learning more. Thus, I find going to bookstores not only to buy but to read a book, is a great social activity and something that we can use to leverage reading time. When was the last time you went to a bookstore?
Openbooks is my favorite bookstore in Chicago — I dream of owning a spot like this in Lisbon
7. Create a Goodreaders Account
Accountability is crucial when you are trying to create a new habit. Social Media has been a good tool for making people accountable for what they say. Goodreaders is sort of like that. I usually use it to share the books I am reading. Feel free to check it and let me know what you think
8. Read Several Books at the Same Time
I always read 2–3 books at the same time. You might be thinking: “I struggle to finish a book if I add several, I will never finish any.”
Although it is important not to fall into the trap of starting many and not finishing any, I find reading several books helps to assimilate/ digest information.
For example, I usually read finance topics in the morning while at night, I rather have something lighter like fiction or a self-help book. I suggest 2–3 books at a time.
9. Read What You Enjoy
Often friends come to me asking me for book recommendations. My rhetoric question is: What are you interested in at the moment? A good book is only good if you are ready for it and open to receiving it and acting on it. If you only read about a topic you like, you will easily read a book a week.
10. Trade Phone/TV Time for Book Time
Last year I was trying to hit 40 books a year. Towards the end of the year, I was trading phone time per book time.
It is easy to browse the internet for 1–2 hours after work. It is! And I do it all the time, especially after a long day at work. What if you allow yourself to surf the internet for 30 minutes after you have read a book for 30 minutes or finished a chapter of a book? This is a more intentional way of reading. It might not work for everyone but I find it helpful at times.
Congratulations — You have successfully finished my tips to read a book a week. Now, it is time to act on what you learn.
Need book suggestions? — The Go-Giver was the latest book I read.
I completely loved the simplicity of it and the number of learnings I gathered. The book is just over 100+ pages and takes you through the story of a young salesman trying to break through in his career. He will learn success often comes from simple gestures he had not even factored into the equation of the business world.
Thanks for reading and engaging with my articles. If you have any other tips you use to read more, let me know. I would be happy to incorporate them in my next article.
-Daniela
