One of the most common experiences for people who read a lot is to be asked by someone: How do you do it? How can I read as much as you?
Even though most avid readers can´t quite explain how they read so much, there are very simple reasons behind it, and building this habit is not nearly as difficult as one may think it is.
In this article, written by someone that lives and breathes books, we will be analysing how to develop a consistency when reading and what you should avoid doing during this process. Beginning to read more is pretty much like starting in the gym: if you try to force yourself to drown in the things you hate, it wont last longer then a week.
So, in order to help you achieve your reading goals, we will be following some simple tips:
1- Stick to your topics of interest:
The most common mistake when beginning to consume more literature is sticking to the misconception that some genres are more “intellectualised” than others. In the same way that a child who just learned how to walk won’t run a marathon, a person that just began in the literary world will not be instantly reading Homer (even though I personally couldn’t live without the Iliad).
Reading, no matter what, can improve many aspects of daily life, from intellect to empathy. Is easy to fall into the lie that reading fiction or any other “simpler” topic won´t aggregate in your life as much as academic or denser books, but that couldn’t be more mistaken. According to Dr. Maryanne Wolf, neuroscientist, in her book Proust and the Squid: The Story and Science of the Reading Brain, “Reading complex narratives helps improve memory, attention, and the ability to interpret social interactions, which is particularly important as we age.”.
The benefits of reading fiction, from romance novels to fantasy books, don’t end in the improvement of language and cognitive improvements, but can also impact your social relations. Keith Oatley, Professor of Psychology at the University of Toronto, in Psychology Today, stated that “Reading fiction enhances our ability to understand the emotions and intentions of others, an ability that is crucial for developing emotional intelligence and social connections.”.
So, if you had doubts if reading that Bridgeton book would be a good use of your time: it absolutely is!
2- Discover your favourite genre:
There are thousands of genres in the literary market nowadays, which makes it basically statistically impossible that you won’t find a single one that intrigues you. Some of my closest friends that came to me wanting recommendations to launch them into the reading habit have preferred reading romance books or thrillers.
If you are a rom-com lover (aren´t we all, deep down?), reading has the potential to become your favourite hobby. In the same way cinema brings breathtaking love stories to our eyes, novels do it to our minds and hearts. The long pages of yearning and hoping for that first kiss will not let you put the book down, making reading much easier.
But, if romance isn’t quite your thing, thrillers are the way to go! Even if you can´t stand horror movies (I certainly cannot), plenty of books focus on the suspense and the plot twists other then the terror itself. Surrounding yourself with the expectation of finding out what actually happened is absolutely the way to becoming obsessed with reading.
3- Set reading goals:
Humans are competitive by nature. It is clear to us that a goal is way more achievable if we´re being challenged to complete it. So, if this aspect is stuck into us, why not making it useful?
Reading marathons have become quite a thing in social media, most especially in booktok. With thousands of people reading the same book and expecting to finish them so they´re able to talk about it, those runs have the potential of motivating thousands.
You don’t have to read 100 books a year to call yourself a reader or to indulge the benefits of it. Many successful people, authors included state they value the experience of reading more than the number of books read.
But setting reading goals can be very beneficial to your journey. If you challenge yourself to read 6 books in a year, and buy them in the begging of the year, you are way more likely to finish them then if you haven´t set that challenge to yourself.
Choose as many books as you feel you´re comfortable with reading and convince yourself you can read them in the chosen amount the of time.
4- Fight against the thought that reading is boring:
Every single person that reads a lot actually enjoys the process of reading. It seems pretty simple to understand, but many still think they will be able to convince themselves to read while hating it. Spoiler: they won´t.
The school system and our society in general made a great job in turning reading into an obligation. If you have to read a certain book for a test, independently of how great it is, it’s unlikely you will actually enjoy it. It goes the same way with forcing yourself to do it.
Choose the right books and separate a time in your schedule in the same way you would with a movie your eager to watch. Convince yourself it can be fun, because it really can.
5- Try reading graphic novels:
Many people have no problem with reading captions while watching movies, but can´t stand sticking to words only. A great solution to that is graphic novels. I know, we might have some prejudice and think reading those can´t actually be good for us, right? Wrong. If you need a reminder of that, come back to topic 1.
Many comics nowadays have the most variable topics you can think of. From action to academic texts: you can find it.
You can read them quickly and enjoyably, without any suffering. Beginning with them is amazing to increase your tolerance of separating time to read. Like everything in life, beginning the hardest part. But it gets better, and its truly wonderful.
6- Follow book influencers and literary blogs.
Last, but not least, full yourself with book content. Social media has an incredible power when it comes to influencing, that’s a known fact. The algorithm will bring you more of the things you show interest in, so research and engage in book content until it finds you without you trying.
Book influencers will recommend pieces of literature every single day, making you curious and eager to read more each day.
All of us are capable of loving reading, even when everyone convinced us we couldn´t. By following those simple steps and keeping ourselves focused on the benefits that books can bring us, the habit will be simply solidified.
Read things you think you can love, set reading goals, separate time in your routine to spend reading, surround yourself with book lovers and, in an instant, you will too be a truly bookworm.
Thanks for reading this till the end and don´t forget to check my bookinstagram for more rapid recommendations and content.
