Here’s How to Read Everyday
Reading is a personal favorite pastime and one that should become a regular part of everyone’s daily routine. Reading is a way to put your phone down and get off of social media, unwind before bed, learn something new, or even let your imagination run wild.
Adding reading into your everyday routine is a decision that takes conscious effort. It means exchanging your alone time, or an early bedtime, for time with a book.
Here is How to Read Every Day
First things first, you need books of interest.
Get Book Recommendations From Friends
This is a great way to start reading and get ideas for what is popular amongst your peers. In addition, you can see if they will loan you the ones they recommend (a great way to avoid purchasing books that you are unsure if you’ll even like).
Set Aside Time Each Day To Read
Reading regularly doesn’t mean that you must read a lot. It just means you do what you can each day to get through it. Progress is progress, no matter how fast or slow of a reader you are. My preferred reading time is 30 minutes to an hour at night before bed. If that’s too much, then opt for less, but be intentional about doing it.
If you find it challenging to sit still and get into a book, consider incorporating other elements of your life that you love that you equate with relaxation. For instance, make a cup of herbal tea, change into pajamas and curl up with music playing in the background. These steps create an environment that facilitates reading and hopefully some relaxation.
Set Reading Goals
Setting goals is an important part of getting into the “how to read every day” mindset. For some, a novel is a way to escape reality; for others, it’s a way to learn something new.
Whatever your purpose is, find it, and use it as motivation to get through the books you want.
Always Have A Book List
Have a list on your phone and keep adding to it. Don’t let that list finish. The best way to continue reading every day is to constantly have a “next book” to pick up. Aside from asking friends, ask the internet. For instance, Bill Gates puts out a list of great books every year, and there’s a Forbes list that usually goes out with best sellers and intriguing reads. Plus, there is the New York Times bestseller list and Amazon recommendations for popular reads.
There is no shortage of options and resources out there to help you build your list.
Tell Friends What You’re Up To
Let your friends and family know about your reading goals. See if anyone is interested in taking up the challenge as well. In this case, you can borrow from each other! It’s also a great way to have accountability for what you tell everyone.
If you find enough interested people, you can start book clubs and read together.
How to Read Regularly & Stick To A Budget
A hurdle when trying anything new is knowing how to pay for it. Incorporating reading into your everyday routine means somehow obtaining books, which aren’t always cheap. The more you read, the more the cost can add up.
Here are some resources to help you start incorporating reading into your everyday routine and not break the bank.
eBay
You can purchase used books in bulk through eBay. Its an efficient way to buy a bunch of books on your list at once!
Amazon
For anyone who doesn’t know, Amazon got its start by selling used books.
Amazon Kindle
Use technology. If you have a Kindle, the Kindle edition of books (ebooks) is generally cheaper than the actual book version. Plus, you can download a sample of the book and read a chapter or two for free. This can give you a sense of how it’s written and if the topic is really engaging. It’s a great way to try before you buy!
In addition, if you’ve ever wondered how to read while traveling without dealing with all the extra weight, check out a Kindle. This is their new generation version:
Alternatively, there is the Amazon Fire Tablet. On it, you get Kindle capabilities and random other online benefits, such as checking your email and access to Amazon Prime and movies! Another excellent all-in-one tool for travel.
Thriftbooks
Get almost any book at affordable prices. If there are books you don’t like you may be able to sell them here as well!
Choose Your Editions Wisely
Instead of purchasing a brand new book each time, look for older editions of books and also paperback versions. These alternatives are generally cheaper than hardcovers and new editions. So, specifically, look for those when shopping.
Borrow From Friends
There must be someone you know with at least one of the books you’re looking for. Start asking around and see what you can get!
Get A Library Card
Remember the days when you had to go to the library for school research projects or because the Internet hadn’t taken over your lives yet? Remember when everyone used to have a library card, and we all learned how to read by practicing on books we checked out??
The library may not have the newest books, but they’ll definitely have something you want. All. For. Free. Just don’t lose track of your return dates; library fees can add up, which would defeat the purpose of using the library in the first place.
Goodwill & Salvation Army
People donate books all the time, and often they are in good condition. Check out your local donation stores and see what they have available. The selection will be limited, but if you’re open to suggestions, this may be a great place to start! This may also be an especially helpful place to go for children’s books if you’re trying to build up a library for them as they learn how to read.
Some TFP Book Recommendations
If you need further inspiration or a starting point, below is a list of books that are easy to read, insightful, interesting, and fulfilling. Each one is highly recommended.
For business know-how, read these back to back. They are a perfect comparison of what to do and what not to do. You can probably guess which tells you which, but no matter what, make sure you read them both. Fascinating.
If you want to be mind blown by how some people can pull off some of history’s biggest hacks, this next one is for you. Read it and see how one person siphoned money away from a country’s government, Saudi princes, and had Hollywood fooled.
These next two are for anyone and everyone practicing in healthcare. Both are so important and so relevant. For anyone not in the medical field, there’s still powerful information in both of these books; you can’t go wrong by giving either of them a shot.
Leadership. These books were written decades apart, but both are relevant and so helpful.
These next books give you some life perspective and teach powerful lessons. One of the best ways to learn is through the experiences of others. These two do a great job of opening the doors to a different kind of life.
If you want a perspective on the human race and how we got to where we are today, you must read this next one. So much of history and human behavior is explained. This is how it should be taught in schools.
Other Booklists
To make it easier for you to start your journey, below are links to some book lists that I like to check out myself. Hope it helps you get started!
- Bill Gates
- New York Times Best Sellers
- Books recommended by Shark Tank entrepreneurs
- Amazon bestsellers
- Time magazine must read books
How To “Read” Without a Book: Alternatives Available
Audio/video options
For those who can’t find or make the time, and those who hate reading, there are so many other options out there for you. Reading is one great way to obtain knowledge and submerge yourself in a story, but there are alternatives.
For instance,
- Listen to books on tape
- Download audio versions of Kindle books
- Listen to/follow podcasts by authors and speakers
- Watch Ted talks (these aren’t based on books, but still a great way to learn!)
I personally don’t like listening to a story, I prefer to read the words; however, I can see how incorporating these alternatives into your lives can be much easier. You can listen to anything when you’re in your car or listen through headphones while you complete household chores, and watching quick videos can be easier than focusing on reading.
For families trying to get their kids into reading or learning how to read, audible technology can further help with pronunciation, phonetics, and fluency. Plus, reading aloud with the narrator can help improve their vocabulary by learning new words and elevate reading comprehension.
Short Stories/Articles
If you do like to read, but just don’t have the attention span or time to devote to an entire book, then another route is to pick up articles of interest or blogs with topics that you enjoy. Going through one article a day is still a great way to incorporate reading into your everyday routine.
One example of where to look is Medium.com, which hosts articles from various writers on a large selection of topics. Online newspapers and journals are another good starting point.
In Summary
We are lucky we live in an era with so many options for how to read every day and learn. It’s up to you to figure out what works for you and then actually do it! Good Luck!
Happy Reading!
