How do you find time to read everything?
A provocative question!
Short answer: you should never read everything. Just like it’s
not a good idea to eat and drink everything, say everything, think everything,
or do everything. Why not? Because that’s not the best use of your time.
Because you only have a limited amount of time in your day. And because you
should be WAY more strategic with what you ingest,not only for your body but
especially for your brain.
Let me explain:
I don’t read everything. And I don’t want to. I realized that
in order to fully focus on one book I need to devote time to it and bond with
it. And I want to focus on quality (how well written the book is,
how much I respect the work of the author, what a positive impact it can have
in my life, even how happy I feel while reading it) rather than quantity
(how many books I can read per week or per month, which to me seems like
having a consumer attitude towards books). In addition, if I followed up on
every book list and each recommendation I get, it would take over my day and I
wouldn’t have time for other things. Like writing. Or painting. Or preparing
dinner with people who are closest to me. Or thinking and digesting the things
that I do read. Because all of this takes time.
So maybe it’s better to rephrase this question to:
How do you find time to read what’s important to you?
And here are some things to think about:
·
Always ask yourself why you want to read something,
for example a book or an article.
Maybe someone
recommended it or you found it on a reading list on a website you visit
regularly. For now, leave other people’s opinions aside and focus on your own
reasons. Is the book written by someone whose work you respect? Are you
intrigued by the book title? Do you find the subject matter fascinating or
particularly useful to you? Whatever your reason is, it’s important to make the
personal connection with the reading material.
·
Create the reading habit.
Set aside one
block of time every day (it can be anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour or more
if your schedule allows it) when you know you won’t need to rush to your
classes, meetings, work responsibilities or errands. If you can sneak in some
reading time in the morning before your day gets hectic, do it; otherwise,
leave it for later in the afternoon or just before bedtime. It helps to plan
ahead so that you finish up what you need to do so you don’t risk missing out
on your reading time.
·
Turn reading into a ritual.
Make it
something you can look forward to each day and not a chore. When your scheduled
reading time rolls around, get away from your computer, make yourself a cup of
coffee or tea, get some good chocolate or a snack to go with it (or read over
breakfast if you’re doing it in the morning), pick some relaxing music to
listen to, and have your headphones ready so you can read in peace.
·
Download the Goodreads app.
It’s the
fastest and easiest way to stay consistent with your reading habit. This app
will help you discover new books and authors based on your personal reading
preferences (either by genre, topic, or writer). It will also give you useful
and short summaries of each book so you can check if it’s something you want to
read. You’ll also be able to keep an up-to-date status of what you’re reading
and what you placed on your “want to read” list.
·
Find a quiet place where you won’t be disturbed. If you’re
studying or working from home, it can be your bed, a comfortable couch, or a
big armchair. If you’re working at the library, it might be a table tucked away
in the back, next to a wall, so you’re not disturbed by people passing by. If
you prefer to read right after work, it could be a bench in a nearby park or a
small coffee shop close by.
·
Get away from distractions.
Identify how
you typically get distracted, then eliminate each source. Set your phone to
Airplane mode to avoid getting calls and text messages, or turn off
the volume and put it away. Set expectations with people around you by letting
them know you are taking some downtime to read. And don’t multitask: to really
focus on what you’re reading, don’t check your email, browse the Internet,
listen to news, watch a soccer game, or occasionally engage in small talk with
someone close by. This is your private time and you should fully enjoy it.
·
Keep notes on the important stuff.
When you’re
reading, always have a notebook and pen ready to write down anything you find
interesting, thought-provoking, or to add a personal note how you can apply the
ideas you learn to your own life. It can be just a brief bulleted list similar
to an outline. The benefit? Having notes makes it much easier to boost your
memory and recall details later on what you’ve read and why you thought it was
important enough to write about it.
·
Nela Canovic, Been reading them all my life, and sometimes in
my dreams.
FROM QUORA
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