Do you want to increase the number of books you read? I was a painfully slow reader with a serious book problem. I’d walk into a book shop and exit with multiple books, resulting in more unread books than read books on my bookshelf. And the more I had to read for work, the less I’d want to sit down and read at home. Sound familiar? The good news is that if you’re not reading enough, or not reading as much as you’d like to, it may be easier than you think to read more.
Here are my top 3 tips to rapidly change how much you read, based on what’s worked for me.
Tip 1: Set a goal and schedule reading time
While goals can be overused, setting a concrete goal can give you something to aim for and create focus and determination. Challenging but realistic goals energise without overwhelming. Not having a goal at all is unlikely to lead to a step-change in how much you read.
My goal for next year is 52 books. That’s about a book a week, which I know from past experience is doable for me. If the average book takes me 8 hours to read, then 52 books would take me 416 hours. That’s just over an hour of reading a day, or one and a half hours a day if I read most but not every single day. That may be challenging some days, but most days it is doable and could be split between morning and evening sessions, commute time with more extended reading periods from time to time.
Finding an hour a day may seem impossible. But if you are committed to your goal and the benefits it will unleash, you’ll find a way. One example is cut back on tv news, which is so lacking in depth these days you may as well listen to a short news podcast or scan a decent paper. Reading while you have a coffee is another option. Where else can you claw back time?
Whatever is right for you, set aside time in your day for reading. If necessary block out time on your calendar, let your family know not to disturb you at a particular hour etc. Do whatever is needed to make your reading time a sacred habit. It will pay off over time.
Tip 2: Create a preliminary reading list
While I like to leave room for random recommendations and serendipitous encounters, I find it is useful to set out a preliminary reading list. You can do this on paper, using an online wishlist, setting out a pile of books somewhere where you’ll read regularly, or some other mechanism that works for you. It ensures that you’ll never find yourself wondering what to read next.
Personally, I’m putting together a list for next year that is half to two-thirds of the total books I want to read. It means I can be thoughtful and strategic about my choices while leaving plenty of room for new releases, recommendations and in-depth research on topics I decide I want to do a deep dive into.
Use variety to your advantage. Try to balance the 500-pagers such as Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari with the deceptively simple beauty of books such as Salt by Nayyirah Waheed. Remember, some books are short and scannable. Some want to be read in one sitting. Others require more time. Bedside or coffee table books might want to be drip-fed. Others may be inspirational and work best when read in small chunks alongside a morning meditation, before bed or before a contemplative walk where they can continue to unfold and work their magic.
I’ll be including a few poetry books and a handful of novels in my mix next year. Some weeks I’ll read two or more books, and some weeks considerably less. Often I have multiple books on the go at once, an old habit of mine that gives me variety and breeds cross-fertilisation of ideas, though I’ve found that more than three books on the go at once can lead to loss of focus or make progress seem slower. If I’m doing a deep dive on a topic, I’ll gather five or so books on the subject and scan them and then dip and dive as feels useful over a relatively short period.
Play with it and find what works for you, seeking out books you want to read and allowing books to catch your attention.
Tip 3: Find the right medium for you
Reading physical books the old fashioned way takes me a long time. I tried the speed reading techniques, and they work somewhat well for a while, but the effects didn’t last. They also seem to enquire a level of focus that I’m not always wanting to put in at the end of the day when my eyes are tired. However, audiobooks changed everything for me. I can listen to two or three audiobooks in the time it takes me to read a physical book.
In addition to being able to listen to audiobooks while driving, I can listen while cooking, cleaning, and doing things. That means that I don’t need to find additional time to read, but can make the most of the times when I can safely listen and multitask.
I find that when I am relaxed and focused, I can listen to audiobooks comfortably on 1.5x or even 2x the regular speed. In fact, I rarely listen to or watch non-fiction videos on 1x speed unless it’s something I want to savour. Admittedly this high-speed listening approach stresses some people out, so it isn’t for everyone. If you are an auditory learner, it may work for you. And even if you are an auditory learner, you might find that mixing up mediums provides useful variety.
What’s critical here is to find the right medium for you. If you are a visual learner, then reading physical or ebooks may work better. Experiment and find your preferred medium.
Bonus tip: Drop books that aren’t working for you
If a book isn’t doing anything for you, stop reading it. You may come back to it later. You may not. Regardless, there’s no point struggling through a book that you aren’t enjoying or finding useful. And honestly, there’s a lot of books out there that should be shorter and better written. Don’t waste your time on them, scan them and glean what’s useful for you and then move on. Life’s too short not to.
How will you read more books next year?