I would love to read, but I don't have the time.
I get it, but let's think about how to remedy this problem. Here are my steps to get more books off the TBR (To Be Read list) and into your "finished" column. If you have no TBR list, I would LOVE to help you build one.
1. Don't make it a competition (unless that is your thing).
Never put yourself in a situation where you feel that you have to compete with someone on the number of books read. Challenge yourself to finish one book every two months, or one book a month.
You are the only one that knows the number that is right for you.
2. Fill idle time.
One of my secrets for reading more is to fill that idle time. It is so easy to kill time with the TV, the phone, or the computer. I have channeled that wasted time to reading. On my phone, I have limited social media to one hour a day. Don't even get out the computer! Don't do it, you know those funny memes will never let you go!!!
The same goes for television, put down the remote or pretend the TV doesn't exist so that you are not distracted. We all know what will happen if you touch that remote. You will binge watch that new show on Netflix or Disney+ and again, you will never escape. NEVER!!!!
3. Use audiobooks.
Yes, audiobooks count too!!! For me, the experience is all about the narrator. Some of the best audiobooks I have ever listed feature the talents of Jim Dale.
Here is a list of times you can try an audiobook:
- On the commute to work or traveling
- In the shower/bath
- While cooking dinner
- While it is quiet in the office
- While cleaning the house (pop in some headphones to make this easier)
- While grocery shopping
- While working a puzzle or crafting
While walking
- At a little league game (shhh, we all know these things last forever)
I always recommend audios to folks that think they hate to read too. You may get sucked in by the story and decide to do more by the same author or even that same narrator.
Try it tip: I can't test this theory, I have heard that Alexa will read books to you if you have them in your Kindle account.
4. Use the extra or stolen moments.
Take advantage of any moment you have to wait on someone or something. You can squeeze in a few pages here and thereby practicing this tip. Yesterday I went to the dentist and got 10 pages in while sitting and waiting.
5. Set a goal!
Not a goal to compete against anyone (unless that is your thing), but a goal for yourself. " Write down that goal and use tick marks to count or a journal of the books you have read.
6. Just say NO!!!
If you have started a book that doesn't grab you, or have started one that you aren't feeling, put it down. I don't care how many people say, "this is the greatest book", it is for them, but not for you. Don't torture yourself with a book you don't like. Set a rule for yourself. I practice a 50/5 rule, if, after 50 pages or 5 chapters, if I am not gripped by the story, I will close the book. I put the book on a virtual shelf labeled "abandoned". In 2020, I abandoned twelve books.
7. Set aside an assigned time and make reading a habit.
Set aside a time every day and say I will read at such and such time. I have carved out an hour every morning. I am on top of my game and enjoy what I am reading more during the morning hour or so than any other time during the day. You may be an evening reader, I know that I am not so I made my reading time start my day. Use this time every day for your reading time. Some people call this "alone time", I call it "Kindle time".
8. Paper or electronic?
I thought this was a no brainer (paper wins) until I discovered the eInk e-reader. This device changed my reading life. I went from reading 20 or 30 books a year to hundreds. I admit that the digital platform is the reading life for me. I can carry all my books with me at all times. I can read in varying light, or after my husband has gone to sleep. My friend is the opposite, she prefers the paper book and gets more reading done with that physical book in her lap.
9. Read what you like.
I mentioned this when I talked about a bad book, but also think about what you are reading. If you like YA, read YA. I like historical fiction and books on the President of the United States. I try other genres of books, but I always come back to these. You might like to try celeb bios or westerns, there are so many genres out there that one will fit your likes.
10. No negativity.
Don't say I wish I could, do it. If you want to do something, prioritize it. Carve out that time and make it important to you. You got this!!!
