2021: WHY YOUR BOOK READING PLAN KEEPS FAILING
10 eccentric ways to read more books this year
The phrase “Readers are Leaders” is already a cliché. But let’s modify the phrase: ‘all readers might not be leaders but all leaders are readers.’ There is no limit to what unrivaled devotion to reading can do for you. It grows your mind, enriches your thoughts and improves your writing — to mention a few benefits. But this piece isn’t about the benefits of reading, so, let’s not be distracted.
I have (you might have) met people who read at least 100 books in a calendar year. That’s an average of one book in three days. I thought that when I finally meet those set of people I call ‘BOOKies’ that they’ll have two heads and five eyes or even be an alien/superhuman. I was disappointed. They were humans like me. They even had more day-to-day obligations to attend to than me. Yet they still managed to pull that off.
Now, don’t get me wrong, the goal of reading isn’t to match someone else’s reading prowess. It is for your personal transformation. However, the competition to read more than your friend is a healthy one, sometimes.
I guess that — with great enthusiasm — you’ve stacked/selected a list of books you intend to read this year, maybe even more than you read last year. But let me sincerely tell you that your reading goals might meet its waterloo if you don’t have an execution plan.
Below are a few — subtle but consequential and eccentric — reasons why you failed to meet up with your numbers last year and why you might suffer the same fate this year — despite your zest to read more.
1. Stop Reading What Doesn’t Interest You
I bought one of the Harvard Business Review books in 300L. It was about innovation and building a system. I bought it with all the excitement in me, hoping to ‘devour’ all the knowledge and emerge a ‘superhuman’ after. Lol. Unfortunately, I didn’t like the book from the first page. I struggled to read the first two chapters before I dropped it. That was the end of all the enthusiasm — at that time — that I had about the book.
Let me say it again: stop reading books you don’t like! If you get tired of a movie, what do you do? You stop seeing the movie, I guess. Do the same with books you don’t like too. Forcing a book that doesn’t interest you on yourself is a self-inflicting punishment. And it’s not your fault. Many factors could be involved.
If this ever happens to you, drop the book. When my Harvard book couldn’t catch my interest at first read, I dropped it immediately and picked up another book. I didn’t return to it until 400L. It made meaning to me and was able to grab my attention this time.
Don’t ever force yourself to read a book. No matter the ‘hype’ the public gives it. You’re wasting time. Drop that book you’re struggling to read.
2. Surround Yourself with Books
This method has been tested and proven by many people around the world. The science is simple: the more books you see around you, the more you’re geared up to read. As you see the book, there is a sense of urgency that mounts on you to pick it up to read.
To the best of my knowledge, I’m an organized person. I like to know where my belongings are placed. However, it is a 99% chance that you’ll not find my reading table littered with books. It’s how I like it. They remind me to read. It is always as if the books are screaming at me to be picked.
People who surround themselves with books will likely read more than those who don’t. Keep books in your sight.
3. Know The Format of Books That Suits You
This is simple. Know the format of books that suits you for reading. There are different ways to read and different formats of books. Electronic books, audiobooks, printed books and video books are some of the kinds of books I’ve come across.
For example, I can’t keep up with reading E-books. I find it very tedious to do. But a close friend of mine finds it effortless to do so. She is a voracious reader of E-books. I also have friends who have scaled up their ‘reading numbers’ with audiobooks. They prefer listening to books than seeing them.
Don’t be a copycat. Know the book format that suits you and stick with it.
4. Read More Than One Book at a Time
This method sounds weird or odd but it works for many people and myself. In fact, it is connected to number three. In part two of this piece, I’ll talk about how to remember all that you’ll read in every book this year. This method will be clearer then.
Reading more than a book — two or three at most — at once will help you increase your reading speed. You can easily pick the second one if you’re stuck with the first. But it will surely increase your speed.
Here’s what I personally do: I pick a book that requires my uttermost attention [mostly a book on personal development], another one that I can read in transit [mostly a book on history], and maybe a third of any genre. My goal is that I am reading irrespective of the place I find myself. This way I’m able to cover more grounds in my reading expedition.
5. Schedule Your Reading Time
One of the most common errors prospective readers/bibliophiles make is not scheduling time to read. Everyone must make time to read, at least for beginners who haven’t gotten into the habit of reading yet. Reading is an activity and you must make time for it if it is what really interests you. Of course, your self-development and growth of your mind should interest you.
There is never time for things that matter to us until we create time for them. If you intentionally create time to read, you’ll read far more than someone who hasn’t or doesn’t do the same. If you commit yourself to read 20 pages of a 100-page book every day, you’ll be done with the book in five days; a 200-page book in twenty days.
No book is too big or voluminous to read. Break the number of pages down and commit to reading each quota daily. For example, I’m committed to reading through the New Testament of the Bible this year before my birthday in March. The simple logic is to read at least three chapters per day. In less than 90days, I’d be done with it. That’s how to schedule a time to read and read books with hundreds of pages. Break it down into bits, do the bits and the whole will soon be complete.
Let me also add that your reading position and the nature of your reading place is something to consider too. I’m not always motivated to read if my room is messy. There are others who feel this way too. Arrange your reading place in such a way that it entices you to read. Make your reading position so comfortable that you are always compelled to stay longer there. Above all, know what works for you.
6. Budget for Books
You might not be able to exceed your reading numbers like last year if you don’t intentionally budget for books. Add buying books to your financial budget. Having your own books will improve your reading habit and reading speed. As you head to the conference, buy a book after the meeting. As you go to that camp, buy yourself a book. Skip lunch, use the money to buy a book. You’ll be gradually growing a library you can leave behind for posterity. The only investment that cannot fail/crash is the investment in yourself.
7. Read with your Fingers, Cut the Inner Monologue
I have observed that reading with your fingers or a pointer will help you read faster than reading aloud or with your inner monologue. What is an inner monologue? It is that voice of your mind that you read with. Most times you even follow through the voice with your eyes. Stop it. It is slowing you down but you might not know. Haven’t you observed that most times — when you read that way — you find yourself/your eyes reading the line you have previously read all over again? Yes. I bet you’re nodding your head now.
How do you avoid this? Read with your fingers! It’ll look childish at first until you get used to it. However, it will help you read faster and minimse the time-taking inner monologue.
Experiment: Read with your fingers or a pointer. Read the same number of words using your inner monologue and the voice of your mind. Let’s say a page in a book. Use a stopwatch to time yourself on both occasions. Compare the time taken and coordination of your eyes. You already know the answer.
8. Join a Book Club/Reading Community
This is one of the most common ways to cultivate a reading habit. A reading club/community will help you read faster, recommend books for you and help you get better at reading and communications. There are lots of reading clubs out there. I’ll be launching one in February/March. You can request to join in advance HERE.
9. Read in Transit
Reading in transit is another proven way to up your reading game. If traffic congestion doesn’t stress you out, you can use that time to read. Often times, I have a book in my bag to make up for an incidence of time loss. Traffic congestion, waiting for the CEO at the reception, delay at the salon or car wash place, etc are all good places to read. Time is a currency. Instead of letting those free time slip through your fingers, use them to read your book. Remember, I told you in point 4 about reading more than one book at a time. So, know the book that suits transit and that of solitude.
10. Be Discipline
All that you just read from 1–9 will be futile if you don’t discipline yourself. Be more than religious with your reading time and reading list. Don’t ‘lose guard’ or entertain unnecessary distractions. Keep mobile phones and other electronic gadgets away. Switch off the TV and internet connection. I know you might need to check the meaning of something you came across in the book. Write it down, mark that place, you’ll check it later. Don’t be distracted. Just read and enjoy it. The author of the book you’re reading will not be able to write that book if he wasn’t disciplined or committed to the masterpiece.
Conclusion
Don’t stop reading. You will not see the transformation instantly but if you look back in three to twelve months, you’d be glad about the investment you’ve made into your life. Grow your mind, one book at a time.
In the second part of this post, I’ll discuss how you can read and retain/remember what you read. Stay tuned and ‘READy’.
