Edify Write

What gives you the desire to read? Maybe it’s the overall intellectual growth that it brings. It might be that it gives you a chance to escape and enter a different world for a while. Perhaps, it’s simply the cozy feeling of sitting by yourself and letting words speak to you.

No matter why or how much we enjoy reading, we all struggle at times to actually sit down with a book. Life gets busy. Some stories just aren’t our cup of tea, and we get tired. If this is something you struggle with, then here are five tips to help you read more this year.

1. Make a yearly or monthly reading list

When you don’t know what books to choose, reading feels overwhelming. Oftentimes, picking a book or short story can use up more of your free time than actually reading. This is why creating a reading list at the start of the year or month, instead of randomly choosing what to read throughout the year, can help you read more.

When creating a reading list, I prefer to include a diverse range of genres, such as fantasy, nonfiction, and romance. This helps me broaden the scope of my reading. Additionally, if I find that I get bored with a certain genre, like nonfiction books, I know that I can find a different genre, like fantasy, for my next story to read. You could try using this approach, or if you already know you love a particular genre, you could choose to have all of the books on your reading list be a part of that genre. If you need some book recommendations to add to your reading list, you can find some here.

2. Make an attainable reading goal for each day

By now, we’ve all heard the phrase “consistency is key.” If you exercise for just fifteen minutes every day, after a while, you will see results. The same applies to reading. Even if you can only read one page a day, by the end of the year, you’ll have read two short novels. It is better to make realistic reading goals that you can keep than make lofty goals that will only last a day.

My reading goal is to read at least one chapter of the book I’m currently reading each day. Sometimes, I’ll exceed that goal and read five chapters in a day. Other times, I struggle to read just one chapter. Nevertheless, this small reading goal has helped me stay consistent in my reading journey.

Your goal will probably look different from mine. Maybe you’ll read three chapters a day, or you’ll make a goal to read for at least fifteen minutes a day. You can identify what works best for your schedule and personality by trying different goals and seeing which one is most effective.

3. Read short narratives like novellas or short stories

On a similar note, choosing to read novellas and short stories rather than long novels can help you feel more accomplished and strengthen your motivation to keep reading. While I personally enjoy reading novels, I know that sometimes they can feel difficult to finish and lead to reading slumps. Short stories can be read in one sitting, and novellas can usually be read in about two days, which helps you check narratives off your reading list faster. This will help break your reading slump. As I discussed before, small, realistic goals help maintain consistency, and consistency leads to growth.

This past year, I began reading more short stories, and not only did it make me feel more accomplished in my reading journey, but it also taught me a lot about writing short narratives. If you want some short story recommendations, you can check out my post, “5 Short Stories for the Readers Who are Short on Time.”

4. Spend time reading instead of scrolling on social media

I know. I know. After a long day at work, we’re tired, and the first thing we want to do is scroll on social media for hours. It relaxes us and gives us that dopamine boost. But it also steals our time: the time we could spend reading. To spend more time reading, identify how much you use social media. Then exchange at least some of that time with reading.

When I use my free time reading instead of scrolling on my phone, I find that I’m more productive throughout the week and less irritable.

5. Read for a reason

Lastly, I want to return to the question that began this post: why do you read? Like anything in life, when you have a reason for it, you will have the motivation to do it. This sounds obvious, but it’s easy to forget.

Reading teaches us about ourselves and the world around us. It releases dopamine. It helps us become better communicators, and the list goes on.

Personally, I read for enjoyment, to become a better writer, and to develop my critical thinking skills. When I remember the gifts reading brings, it makes picking up my book a lot easier.

Conclusion

Not everyone has all of the time and motivation to read one hundred books each year, but if you read just one more story than you did last year, that’s progress. Don’t be discouraged when comparing your reading life to others, and remember that reading is supposed to be enjoyable.

I hope this post gave you some helpful tips that you can use in your life. As always, I love hearing from you, so be sure to let me know which of these tips you’ll be using. What helps you read more? What are some of your favorite books?