How to read more

I wanted to implement good habits in my life.  I wanted to eat well, exercise, have routines, work smarter, and read more. I decided that if I could create a routine around reading, the other things would fall into place easier. I was right.

If you want to improve your life, read more, not just because of the reading, and the books you will read, but the act of creating time to read, every day, had a positive impact on your mindset, which made it easier to make commitments to the other things I want to do as well.

You are what you do

I knew I wanted to read. To get into the habit of reading. I wanted to be a reader. So I bought Atomic Habits and Daily Stoic. I read 1 page of Atomic Habits and 1 page of Daily Stoic. Then I put Atomic Habits away and didn't come back to it for a few days. I decided that I could handle the 1 page per day that Daily Stoic presented.  I read another page.

I came back to Atomic Habits in a few days - which turned into a 30-minute reading session. I was reading. I don't remember how many pages I read then, but enough to rip a piece of spare paper into a bookmark shape, and place it in the book at the page I was up to. There, I read and I had a bookmark - which meant I intended to come back to where the bookmark was placed. This was a good start for me.

A simple reading routine

So my routine started. I read 1 page in the morning. And 30 minutes in the evening. I read Daily Stoic as soon as I woke up in the morning, literally the first thing I did, while still in bed. And then in the evening, set aside 30 minutes to read Atomic Habits.

You are what you do. Who you are is what you do. I am a reader.

Within a few months, I had read 10 more books.

12 books that made me a reader

1. Atomic Habits by James Clear - the life-changing million-copy #1 bestseller.
2. Daily Stoic by Ryan Holiday - 366 Meditations on Wisdom, Perseverance, and the Art of Living.
3. Longitude by Dava Sobel - The True Story of a Lone Genius Who Solved the Greatest Scientific Problem of His Time.
4. Make Your Bed by Admiral William H. McRavenLittle Things That Can Change Your Life... and Maybe the World.
5. Reasons Not To Worry by Brigid Delaney - How to be Stoic in chaotic times.
6. Man’s Search For Meaning by Viktor Frankl - The classic tribute to hope from the Holocaust.
7. Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert T. Kiyosaki - What the Rich Teach Their Kids About Money That the Poor and Middle Class Do Not!
8. Company Of One by Paul Jarvis - Why Staying Small Is the Next Big Thing for Business.
9. Writing That Works by Kenneth Roman and Joel Raphaelson - How to Communicate Effectively in Business.
10. Letters From A Stoic by Seneca - Epistulae Morales Ad Lucilium.
11. The Adweek Copywriting Handbook by Joseph Sugarman - The Ultimate Guide to Writing Powerful Advertising and Marketing Copy from One of America's Top Copywriters.
12. Rework by David Heinemeier Hansson and Jason Fried - Change the Way You Work Forever.

So, how to read more?

Buy a book and read it. But makes sure it is one that interests you. Then buy another one and read that. Keep reading. What if you don't like the book? Stop reading it, find something you enjoy reading. Keep reading.

• Goal
  Set a small goal. For example, buy a book from Amazon. Or go to the bookstore. Or read 1 sentence. When you've succeeded with that goal make the next goal a tiny bit bigger, for example, read 1 page, read 2 pages, and read for 5 minutes. Read for 10 minutes. Read in the morning and in the night time.
• Dedicated time
  Read for 5 minutes in the morning, as early as possible. You can couple this with creating a bit of getting up early.  Then read for 15 minutes in the evening before bed.
• Dedicated space
  Always read in the same place. A certain chair for example.

How to enjoy reading more?

How to increase your enjoyment of reading? Take notes. Either in the book or in a notebook. I do both, and when I started "active reading" by taking notes, my enjoyment increased, and I feel I retain more information that I read and take notes on.

What books next?

Are you a reader? Let me know what your recommendations are. Or let me know how you started your reading journey. Or what other habit have you started to improve yourself?