Tips to Keep you Reading
I hear it from friends and strangers all the time. I’ll be sitting quietly with a book: in a coffee shop, at the mall, in the break room at work, or on a random park bench and they will approach. They will observe me with a sense of curiosity and wonder; they will survey the book in my hand and read the title. And finally they will ask, “Is it good?” I will lift my head and nod, perhaps I will reply, “Really Good.” They are usually fascinated by this, “Really?” They ask. “Yes.” I’ll reply. “You should read it.” And they always say the same thing as if reading from the script of a movie. “I really do want to read more, but I never seem to find the time.” And then they usually say, “And I never really know what to read anyway.”
Like clockwork, we people, yes I say we because I have been guilty of it too. We come up with every kind of excuse we can as to why we cannot do something we want to do. This is all encompassing in our lives. We excuse ourselves out of our workout in the morning, excuse ourselves out of eating the salad instead of the hamburger, we even excuse ourselves out of leaving the job we loathe. Well, what if I told you there was no excuse for not reading at least (seriously AT LEAST) a book a month? What if I told you, that if you really wanted to do it, you could even read a book a week or even a day? I know, I know, I’m pushing it right? Ok so let’s just work toward the book a month, deal? Below is a list of FOUR TIPS on how to Keep You Reading More that I’m sure will help you achieve this one goal of many.
Keep a Book With You at ALL TIMES!
You probably also want to make sure it’s a GOOD book. But seriously, if at the very least you commit to this first tip, you will find yourself reading more simply because the option is available to you. Find yourself waiting for a friend who is running late to your lunch date? Boom, READ. Sitting at the nail shop waiting to be called for your pedicure? Boom, READ. Don’t want to talk to the technician while she’s painting your toenails? Boom, READ. Sitting in an overcrowded waiting room at your child’s doctor appointment and all they have are tattered mommy and me magazines? You get the idea. Before you know it, you will be seizing these spare moments all over the place, and voila your book will be fini. And guess what? You’ll want another one.
And before you say, Eww, I do NOT want to carry a book around with me everywhere I go. Let me remind you that with portable electronic readers like the Nook and OMG CELL PHONES you can download books and read them anywhere your phone goes, which is quite frankly EVERYWHERE.
Keep a “To-Read” List.
Remember how I said you’ll be finished with that first book in a flash and wanting for another one? Well, if you don’t have another one, you’ll just go back to reading tattered magazines and refreshing your newsfeed on Facebook and you don’t want that, do you? So, to avoid that travesty from occurring, you make sure you are prepared. Create a book list of books you want to read in the future. How the heck do you do that, you ask? Well that easy peezy, beautiful. If you are like me and don’t care to tote around a journal or pad with you at all times, I would suggest you go ahead and sign up for Goodreads.
This site is pretty darn awesome in that you can add friends and see what they are reading ( I utilize this feature all the time to find cool books to read), and you can keep track of all the books you have read, as well as save books that you want to read. An added bonus is that you can send suggested books to your friends to encourage them to read as well. Keeping a book list is a sure fire way to avoid running out of options on what to read. (Check out our very own Goodreads list at the bottom of this page!)
Keep Reading Time Sacred
Plan your reading time and stick to it. Period. If you don’t prioritize reading, no one is going to do that for you. Your husband isn’t going to stop himself from asking you to do something because he realizes you would rather be reading at that time. Your kids aren’t going to not ask you to make them a snack or help with homework because you have a book to read. They are going to prioritize themselves, so it is up to you to create a specific time that is sacred for book reading. You can even create a space that is specifically utilized for this task. Some even create reading closets or corners that are super posh and cozy and they make you just wanna live there. Seriously, I want one. *Writes that down on to-do list* Anyway, reading time is a relaxing, self-indulgent, self-enriching time for you. Make it sacred. Stick to it. Binge read if you want, and enjoy.
Keep Reading What You Love
So, my first tip clearly suggests that you keep a book with you at all times. But the important thing is that this book you are toting around is actually something you want to read. There’s no use in carrying a book with you that isn’t interesting and keeps you motivated to turn the pages. A book like that will simply become a paperweight on your desk and a burden to your arm. You have to find out what keeps you enthralled. Are you into a certain type of TV show or programming? If you love a good talk show with expert advice, I’d say you should bee line it to the self-help section of the bookstore. Obsessed with documentaries? Try out a biography or autobiography. Stuck on shows that are filled with drama? Check out some murder mysteries or fantasy fiction. And the best part of it is that all of these books are written by authors of different cultural and socio-economic backgrounds so you can find the type that best suits you or venture out to something new and foreign. Just make sure you LIKE what you’re reading, that alone will keep you turning the page.
That's it, that's all! I promise, if you stick to these FOUR easy tips, you will be reading like a wizard. Well maybe not a wizard, but like the fierce Sistah you are with an unlimited aptitude for success and a unwillingness to succumb to excuses. #SistahsREAD