How to Read More Books: 10 Simple Tips for Busy People
Even for the most motivated reader, it can be hard to find time to read while living a busy life filled with lots of other commitments. As a busy person who is also an avid reader who reads at least 52 books on average a year, there are several techniques I use to make time to read more books. Your goal may not be a whole 52 books a year, it might be one book a month, but these tips should help busy people to read more by making reading a regular part of your day.
Why read more books?
Before launching into the tips to reading more books, I like to think about the why. Think about why you want to read more books. Reading more books could be for enjoyment, relaxation, escapism, for information, for inspiration. Reading enhances creativity, improves focus, and builds empathy through storytelling.
For me, reading is the shortest, most established path to learning and self-improvement. It expands your world- reading something outside your field of expertise or experience can help create new ideas by making unexpected connections or analogies.
How to read more books for busy people
1. Rise early
Carve out time first thing in the morning to read for half an hour or an hour. Make a cup of coffee or tea and wake up by reading your book. I particularly like doing this on a weekend morning.
2. Read before bed
At the other end of the day rather than watching TV or scrolling your phone, wind down in the evening by reading before you go to sleep.
3. The 50 page rule
If you aren’t engaged with a book you are reading after the first 50 pages, put it down and try another one. Trying to push yourself through a book you are not enjoying is a recipe for slow reading and loss of motivation.
4. Read anywhere and everywhere
Big readers will read in all sorts of places - on the train, standing in a queue, while eating lunch, on the sofa, in bed, while walking (via audiobooks). Carry a book with you everywhere to use pockets of free time for reading.
5. Disconnect from distractions
Like with any deep work activity, remove distractions while you are reading to support your focus. Put your phone out of sight and on do not disturb or aeroplane mode. Turn off the TV.
6. Skim non-fiction
It is ok to skim a book particularly non-fiction, as it is more important to understand the concepts and ideas. Skim for understanding and focus on reading in depth the sections of the book of most interest and relevance to you.
7. Read diversely
Don’t just stick to only fiction or only non-fiction. Switch authors, eras, genres and topics. Read contemporary books as well as classics. Read about what you don’t know - it’s more fun and keeps you motivated.
8. Read in themes
While reading diversely is important, it can be fun to read a few books on the one theme, topic or author to develop your knowledge. For example, don’t stick to one book on Ancient Rome, read a few of them.
9. Multi-media reading
Reading using different mediums - physical books, audiobooks, e-books. This creates more opportunities for reading throughout your day such as audiobooks while walking or commuting. Try using different mediums for different genres - for non-fiction I prefer physical books, biography I like audiobooks, and e-books for fiction or history books.
10. Read books simultaneously
Voracious readers always have several books in progress at the same time. The trick is to vary them. I am often reading one non-fiction, one fiction and one biography at the same time. Reading using different mediums also helps with this.
Final thoughts
In a world filled with distractions, it’s easy to push reading to the bottom of our priorities list. But the rewards of building a regular reading habit are a powerful route to self-improvement. Applying these tips should help make that a reality.