Plenty of people want to read more. They make New Year's resolutions, they set goals, they even buy new books. Then they don't read them.
Part of this is how busy our lives our, but we still manage to watch TV, play video games, listen to podcasts, and go to the movies.
If we can manage all of this, surely we can read a few extra books! All it takes is a change in mindset. Here are some helpful tips to help you do more reading this year.
1. Listen to Audiobooks
We'll leave the argument of whether listening to an audiobook is actually "reading" aside for the moment.
You've probably seen or heard Audible advertisements before, where you can get high-quality audiobooks for many books. There's also Audible Plus, which is like Netflix for audiobooks—listen to as many as you want for a monthly fee.
Free Trial Deal
Sign up for a 30-day free trial of Audiobooks.com and you'll get to pick THREE audiobooks to keep forever. No strings attached.
But this is far from the only way to listen to audiobooks! There are plenty of sites online where you can buy audiobooks.
Personally, I listen to audiobooks whenever I can fit them. I actually look forward to monotonous tasks like folding laundry because they give me more time with my current book.
Listen to enough of these and you can easily double your number of read books in a year.
2. Focus on One Book at a Time
If you're easily distracted or don't think you have the best memory, it may be best to stick to reading one book at a time.
This way you never have to decide what to read, as there's only one book you're reading at a given time. This may also help you enjoy a book more as you can truly immerse yourself in it.
Don't worry about how fast you're making progress, just make your way through the book at a natural pace. Remember, it's about the journey, not the destination.
3. Read Multiple Books at a Time
Maybe reading one book at a time slows you down.
Personally, I usually have three books going at any given time: a printed book, an ebook, and an audiobook.
I usually mix up the genres too. Maybe a non-fiction audiobook, a sci-fi novel on my Kindle, and a history book in printed form.
If your tastes change with your moods, this can keep you reading because you'll always have something of interest regardless of your mood. You'll always have a book for any situation.
Three isn't a magic number. You may prefer more or less; find the number that works for you.
4. Give Up on More Books
Unless you're an editor, literary agent, or professional book reviewer... reading just isn't your job. Don't treat it like one.
If you're not feeling a book, toss it. Struggling through a book you aren't enjoying isn't going to help you read more—it's going to make you resent reading and you'll end up reading less.
That's opposite of what we're going for.
You can always come back to a bad book later if you want, but for now, drop it and don't let it hold you back. You'll read more books if you intentionally focus on the ones you enjoy.
5. Plant Books
This is an interesting idea I haven't personally tried, but I've heard it recommended by a few people.
The idea is to encourage reading by strategically placing books around your home or workplace. Whenever you go there, it's easy to start reading instead of idly staring at your phone.
Is there a spot you have breakfast regularly? That's not a bad place to put a book.
Even better, plant a book in a place where you often have time to kill. Popular spots include the oven, dishwasher, and washing machine. You may not read the entire book, but you can get a few pages in every time.
All of these tips will slowly but surely help you increase your book count year over year. As long as you're able to find a steady supply of new books to read, you'll be set!