You are not as lazy as you might assume. Keeping reading in our routine is so much harder these days due to the multitude of distractions from news, social media, Netflix, and so on…
I used to be a bookworm, reading more than 40 books a year. But this year, I found it particularly hard to find the motivation to pick up a book. This change in behavior pushed me to dive into the topic and I found SIX REASONS WHY I was struggling to read more — which I firmly believe will apply to most of you.
Are you ready to unlock these secrets, understand them, and take advantage of them forever?
- YOU’RE READING WHAT PEOPLE TELL YOU AND NOT WHAT YOU WANT
People often ask me: What should I read? What books do you recommend?
And I always respond: What do you like to read? What topics do you care about? How do you feel these days?
A great book is only great if you are READY for it and in the mood for it. What’s more, we all have different tastes regardless of the job, friends, and family we have. The point is that just because I like nonfiction books, it doesn’t imply everyone else around me does.
Bonus Tip: Focus on understanding what you like reading and what book mood you are in at different stages of the year.
2. YOU’RE ONLY READING ONE BOOK AT A TIME
This might sound crazy, but reading more than one book at a time can actually help you to finish more books. WHY? Because we like different things and our brains need different information at different times of the day. Select 2–3 books you would like to read and try reading them simultaneously. I know it will work!
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3. YOU’RE SETTING VERY AMBITIOUS GOALS
We’ve all been there. We start the year by telling ourselves it is easy to read a book a week. Four weeks into the year, we are already behind. Why? Because we tend to overestimate what we can do in a year.
For example, I set myself the target to read 60 books this year — my Goodreads challenge is here, but I barely managed 10 by June.
Bonus Tip: Set more realistic goals so you can easily stick to them.
4. YOU HAVEN’T INCORPORATED READING IN YOUR DAILY ROUTINE
This is a tough one if you are not used to reading. Creating space in your life to sit down and read can be hard in the beginning but it is totally worth it. These days it is really challenging to not jump on our phone first thing in the morning or endlessly scroll at the end of a busy day. I get it! I totally do this more often than I would like to, BUT I try my best to at least read a few pages in the morning and at night before I fall asleep.
Bonus Tip: Put your phone in airplane mode and place it far from your bed. It works for me!
5. YOU DON’T HAVE AN ESTABLISHED READING LIST
Perhaps this was my biggest mistake in 2023. I set a goal to read 60 books but I did not define which ones. There are tons of books I want to read (and I’m sure it’s the same for you), but not having a specific list doesn’t help us stay motivated.. So, for next year, you know what to do!
If you are looking for some book suggestions, feel free to check these posts:
6. YOU DON’T SKIP PAGES
It is OK to skip pages when reading. This recently happened to me! I was reading the 4-Hour Workweek book. Although I was enjoying it, I felt some pages were outdated and less relevant. So I glanced over them and moved on to the chapters I cared the most about.
I have to admit I still feel guilty every time I skim or skip pages but understanding what matters for each one of us is a crucial skill in today’s world.
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-Daniela
