8 Life Tips to Read More

I love to read but I was one of those people who would start a book and finally finish it 6 months later. My “to read pile” was enormous and I felt like I would never make a dent in it. I always had excuses, usually along the lines of being too busy. I am still the same amount of busy, but now I manage to read more without giving up other things that I love.

Over the last couple of years, I have gradually developed tricks and new habits to help me accomplish my yearly book reading goal, which is rising every year. Here are 8 ways I fit more reading into my daily life. If you follow one or more of these tips you could also fit more reading into your busy life.

1. Read While You Wait

Bring a book everywhere with you and I mean everywhere. Put it in your purse or a bag so you can take it out whenever you have a little downtime. Read while waiting for the dentist, the doctor, or getting the oil changed in your car. Read on your breaks at work or at lunch. Even if you only have 10 minutes, READ! You may feel like “Oh, I can’t finish a chapter in that amount of time”, but you never know when that 5-10 minute wait for the doctor will turn into a half hour wait.

Think about all that reading you will miss out on if you keep thinking, “Oh, it will only be another 5 minutes”. This is my most used technique to sneak more reading into my life. All those little 10 minute moments can add up. Even if I can’t finish a chapter I’ll finish it on my next break and before you know it, the book is halfway done.

2. Set a Schedule

If you can’t bring a book everywhere with you, have a hard time remembering to bring a book, or really just need those little breaks to wind down and relax (I get it, I need that too sometimes), try setting a schedule. Pick how many days a week you want to read, how long you want to read for, and a time to start.

Select what works best with your schedule, like an hour before bed every day or 30 minutes after work. Then set an alarm as a reminder and challenge yourself to stick to it. In case you are one of those people who can’t put a book down and will read all night, you can also set a reminder to stop. As time passes, reading at that designated time will become part of your routine.

3. Set a Goal

Setting a monthly or yearly reading goal is also very helpful. I would recommend starting small. It’s good to challenge yourself but if you fall behind you may not feel like finishing your goal. Sometimes it helps to pick your books to read beforehand to keep you motivated and prevent lag time when you can’t decide what to read next. I have a general idea of what I want to read next but I never force myself to read anything because that can take you out of the mood and make you not want to continue.

Keeping track of your goals can be as simple as writing them down on a piece of paper or keeping track of them in an excel sheet. Goodreads is also a great place to set yearly goals and see what other book lovers are reading. Follow me on Goodreads!

3.5 Bonus Tip: Picking a Book

Having trouble picking out a book? Find a book being made into a movie that looks interesting to you. Then try to challenge yourself to read the book before the movie comes out. They don’t make bad books into movies so it should be a hard book to put down and books are almost always better than the movie anyway.

Pick a book you’re excited about. Or, if you have a “to read pile”, pick a short book from there so it’s something you already want to read. Checking it off the list fast will make you feel great and want to read more.

Still not sure what to read? Take a look at the Books page to see recent reviews.

4. Make Excuses to Read

Make up any excuse to read, like the weather. It’s a cold, rainy, yucky day and you don’t feel like going anywhere. Perfect day to make a hot beverage and curl up with a blanket in front of the fireplace to read a book.

Or the opposite can be true as well. It’s a nice, warm, sunny day and you need to be outside in it. Make a picnic, grab a book, and head to the beach, pool, or park. Enjoy the fresh air and your book. Stop making excuses to not read and start making excuses to read!

5. Read with Others

Consider joining a book club to keep yourself motivated to read, if you aren’t part of one already. However, I understand book clubs aren’t for everyone. If you are already a busy person, your reading should be fun; not a stressful obligation like you are in school again. That’s why I would recommend starting with something a little simpler.

Find a friend, family member, or coworker who is already into reading or wants to read more. Then pick out a book together or swap a favorite book and discuss it. This way it’s a much more relaxed environment, you don’t have to go anywhere, follow a schedule, or try to impress anyone but you will help keep each other accountable for reading, all while having a good time.

Looking for a laid back book club? Quill Quotes Book Club is an online book club that’s easy to jump in whenever. See what we are currently reading and how Quill Quotes Book Club works here.

6. Get Off Social Media

I hate to say this one because I’m addicted too but GET OFF SOCIAL MEDIA!  If you are like me, this will free up a lot more time and not only for reading. Think about how much time you spend each day scrolling through nonsense on social media apps.

On most phones now, you can track your screen time each week and see how much of that is wasted on social media. I was on my phone for two to three hours every day! Doing what you ask? Nothing important just switching through different social media apps. I’m sure over half of it was useless information too.

Do you even care about what your second cousin has to say about some distant relative you haven’t even met? Or want to be a part of your “friends” drama. Probably not, so since you are already using that time mindlessly scrolling through the same memes over and over again, why not use it to read an actual book?

6.5 Bonus Tip: Stop Binge Watching

The advice above can also be applied to binge-watching. The TV was always on in my house and half the time I didn’t even know or like what was on, I would just forget it was on or just want the background noise.

Turn the TV OFF! Make reading your go-to activity to wind down, not watching movies or shows. I love TV so I can never completely give it up but set designated times to watch or limit the number of shows you watch.

Swap social media, binge-watching, gaming, or really anything that wastes time and doesn’t bring genuine happiness, for reading. I started cutting social media out for one full day a week and I get so much more done and feel much happier.

7. Listen to Audiobooks

This is my secret weapon for knocking books off my list. Some of you may say “Hey, listening to books on tape is not reading or it’s cheating”. But I say if you’re crossing books off your list quickly and understanding the significance of the book while still enjoying it, it counts. Go for it!

The great thing about audiobooks is you can listen almost anywhere such as your commute to work, at work (if it’s allowed), doing chores at home, or working out. It’s amazing how exciting it can make those dull moments in your life, like being stuck in traffic or riding the stationary bike. There are so many fantastic narrators that bring the book to life as well, it can be hard to stop listening.

I will admit, I mostly listen to longer and more difficult to read books on Audible because I probably wouldn’t be able to cross them off my list otherwise. I absolutely love and recommend Audible! Since I have a 30-minute commute one-way, I get a lot of listening hours in. Check out my article about the benefits and why I love Audible so much.

New to audiobooks and not sure how to get started? See my How to Pick Your Next Audiobook article with a few of my recommendations.

8. Get an E-Reader or Download an App

I completely understand if you don’t want to lug a giant book everywhere with you. But I’m guessing you already carry at least your phone and maybe a tablet or a laptop around with you. Download some e-books and you will always have reading material. Then follow the advice from tip one, read while you wait. Kevin loves his Kindle and is never far from it!

Keep on Reading

These are the tricks I have developed over the last couple of years and my book count has risen significantly. I hope one or more of these 8 reading tips will help you reach your goals! Now go get a book and get excited about the boring things in life, like a long flight, because you might find your next favorite story.

Do you have any advice of your own?  Please share with me, I am always looking for additional ways to fit more reading into my life.