When I was younger it was nothing for me to finish a novel in less than a week’s time. Even with all the reports I was working on or the tests I tried to study for. But these days I allow myself to become preoccupied with other tasks I feel are more important than getting lost in a novel.
What’s the best way to squeeze a bit of time to read a book? Well, there are different methods for everyone. Some people make sure they have their book on them 24/7. While others schedule in a bit of time for them to do nothing but read. Thankfully,there are several ways for you to get through a new book.
1. Read right when you get up/right before bed This is the easiest way to make sure you get those pages of your latest book completed. If you’re like me, mornings are a little bit of a rush with time because there are so many tasks to complete. But if you are simply sipping at your morning coffee, then you might be able to read a couple pages of the book, right? If mornings aren’t your thing, you could read a couple chapters at night rather than watching TV. Relaxing with your book before bed is very nice.
2. Make it a challenge There’s nothing like giving yourself a challenge to find the motivation. Simply put a bookmark in a position in the book and tell yourself you’ll read all the way to the marked page by the end of the day or even by the end of the week. Humans are competitive. Even when it comes to challenging yourself.
3. Brag about it How many of you have your own blog or another site online? Use those sources to announce the book you’re reading. Bring attention towards the book you’re starting and tell everyone about it as you read. That way if you never finish the story they can call you out on your slacking off. When you finish, then you can brag how great of a book it was.
4. Read smaller Holding a busy schedule means you don’t have a lot of free time. So instead of picking up that 300 page novel, why don’t you read that collection of short stories you got for free on Amazon? It’s better than nothing!
5. Always have your book available How many times are you sitting around doing nothing in your day to day life? Probably not a whole lot, but you aren’t busy every second, right? Make sure your book is always in easy reach for you to pick up. Put a good book in your purse or have a novel on your phone. Which brings up another tip…
6. Get into the digital age I know a lot of you love holding your books in your hands and flipping through the pages. It’s sort of a therapeutic feeling for some. I understand, but it’s not always possible. There’s nothing wrong with reading a book on your phone. It’s much easier and I’m willing to bet you could tell me where your phone is this very second.
7. Make sure it’s interesting This is pretty obvious. While I love fantasy, romance novels you might enjoy murder mysteries with a deep, dark secret. There are a lot of books out there and sometimes you simply can’t stand a genre or even an author. If you know there’s a chance you might not enjoy it, then don’t waste your time buying the book. You could check it out at a library, but there’s not a whole lot outside of school or work that forces us to read something we won’t enjoy.
8. Step away from those “should read” lists This falls in line with the previous tip. A lot of people have their own opinions on books. I read those lists from time to time and more often than not, I’m disappointed. I don’t take those lists to heart and you shouldn’t either. Focus on what you enjoy and forget about those foolish recommendations.
9. Get together with others who read It might be a good idea for you to join a book club. Then you can talk about whatever story you’re reading freely with others. You could step into a club with some people you may see for only a brief time at your library or maybe you gather some friends who also enjoy reading. Placing yourself into a group will give you that extra dash of motivation to read more books. And you might find a new novel you never knew existed.
10. Borrow books you want to read If you borrow a friend or relative’s novel then you will feel obligated to finish it so you can return the pages to it’s rightful owner. Although, this might not work out as well as you think. I have around 10 novels I borrowed from my mother over a year ago and I’ve only touched two of them. It might not be the best way to read if you don’t have someone who’s going to pester you about returning them.
There are many ideas and ways to get through your next book. It’s all in your hands and if you truly want to get lost in a story. I’m sure you’ll find a way.
How do you motivate yourself to squeeze in a bit of time to read?
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