Bibliophiles have no problem reading books they love because they find solace in it. Other people, on the other hand, struggle to retain their attention no matter how interesting the book is. Just like losing weight, training for the Olympics or deciding to follow a healthier lifestyle, learning to read a book a week takes discipline and determination. But that’s not all. If you want to learn how to read a book a week, you’re on the right page because we have tips on how you can achieve this feat.
Read Where You Relax
One way to make a habit of reading is to keep a book where you relax. Placing a book in a relaxing area removes any friction. You “don’t have to” read it just because it’s there. Once you start reading in a relaxing area, your brain will begin to associate the reading with the area and the action will begin to become automatic. Over time, your brain will begin to see reading as relaxing and you will find yourself reading whenever you want to relax.
Break It Down
People who love to read cannot get enough of the book especially if it’s a good one. Non-lovers on the other hand will find themselves sweating when faced with a really thick book. You can stop the sweating by committing to read 10% of the book every day. So if it’s a 1000 page book, commit to reading 140 pages or so and you’ll be done in a week.
Another way to break it down is to commit to time. If you want to read a book a week, set aside a specific amount of time and read uninterrupted during this time frame. You can set aside 45-60 minutes per day to read a section of a book before going to bed. If you can spend 40 minutes per day reading your newsfeed, you can do this by reading a book.
Read What You Want To Read
There are readers who want to read biographies, others non-fiction while others love their romance novels. It doesn’t matter what you read as long as you read what you want to. Don’t be pressured by other people. Reading should be an enjoyable experience and not all people experience a book the same way. For example, there are people who do not find non-fiction books interesting. There are also people who love to read adventure books because it allows them to go on an adventure vicariously. By reading what you want to read, you are creating your own enjoyable experience and learning things that you find interesting.
Explore
Yes, thrillers are exciting but they can be boring if you read one after the other. Don’t be afraid to explore other genre like the classics, horror, biographies, non-fiction, documentaries and others. Find out what’s on the New York Time’s Best Seller’s list and see what’s the top book for fiction, non-fiction, e-books and challenge yourself to read these books. Exploring will help you identify the different kinds of genres you like and help you find topics that you find interesting.
Keep Distractions At Bay
One of the reasons why people find it hard to read is because they are distracted. Once their phones ping to herald an email or social media notification, they instantly stop what they’re doing to check their phones. TV shows, responsibilities and children are also good distracters. However, if you really want to read a book a week, find a setting that does not have distractions to let you read uninterrupted. By choosing a distraction-free setting you will be able to stick to your goal of reading a book a week. For example, you designate one hour before bedtime for reading. Make sure that your kids are already asleep and chores are already done before starting on your reading.
Reading a book a week enables you to read 52 books a year! Isn’t this amazing? Books are not only relaxing, they are also empowering. You can learn new ideas, cultures, ways of thinking and explore faraway places by reading a book. All it takes is commitment and you can explore the world of books without having to leave your home.
