There are certain things I will forgo when I’m busy, but reading is not one of them. Reading often falls to the wayside for many in favor of TV shows, happy hours, chatting on the phone, and so on, but it’s essential to growth and success. Most entrepreneurs and successful people have one thing in common: they read frequently and have a perpetual thirst for learning and knowledge. Reading is essentially self-administered continuing education. I consider reading like exercise, eating healthy, and sleeping -it’s vital to keeping my mind healthy and strong. And, like exercising, it’s easy to make up reasons why we don’t have the time. However, if you start prioritizing reading the same way you do other important activities or hobbies in your life, you’ll find the benefits far outweigh the time cost. Here are 6 simple ways to read more -even if you’re busy.
Savor The Experience
Instead of making reading a chore or something you “have” to do, savor it and turn it into an indulgent experience. Make a bubble bath, pour a glass of wine, or just get really cozy in your bed with lots of pillows and a cup of tea. Make the experience enjoyable and relaxing. By associating reading with good feelings and de-stressing, you’ll really look forward to cracking open those books frequently.
Listen To Audio Books During “Down Time”
Audio book subscriptions like Audible
make it possible to listen to books in audio form, so it’s easy to “read” on-the-go. Whether you’re driving, showering, on the treadmill, on a plane or just walking down the street, you can listen to any book from your cell phone or mobile tablet. Audio books make it convenient to use any idle “down time” to listen to a book. Subscribe to Audible
Join a Book Club
Joining a book club combines socializing with reading, so you get to discuss, recommend, and brain storm about books among friends and members. Book clubs add a social factor to an otherwise solitary activity, making it fun for people who want to combine their social life with their love of reading. They also make you accountable, so you have to read every week to keep up!
Join GoodReads
GoodReads is a social networking site for book lovers. You can follow friends, review books, explore titles, and see what your friends are reading. It’s a great site for discovering new books and it has a progress tracker that keeps tabs on each book you read, so you can always tell if you’re slacking off. Join GoodReads and don’t forget to friend me!
Get Kindle Unlimited
Kindle Unlimited is a digital library where you can download thousands of books on your tablet device for just $10 a month. You can read up to 10 books at a time and switch them out as often as you want for new titles. It’s a great way to read tons of books affordably without the inconvenience of a library or toting around a book.
Read Before Bed
This is obviously one of the most common times people read because it’s the most convenient and relaxing at the end of a long day. Reading can help you de-stress and ease you into a good night’s rest. It’s also great to read an inspiring, positive book right before you sleep, so that you go to bed on good thoughts. What we see and hear right before falling asleep affects our dreams and quality of sleep. So, it’s wise to read something you would actually want to dream about!
