Do you want to read more books this year? If so, this post is for you. When it comes to reading books (especially longer ones), I was always told the best way to eat an elephant is one bite at a time. So here are 5 "small bites" I take every year to help me read 52 books in a year.
1. 45 Pages a Day
That's it. An average book has around 300 pages. Reading 45 pages a day—which, for an average reader translates to about 30-40 minutes each day—can knock out one book a week.
2. Audible is Your Friend
I have a 35-minute commute to work each day, an iPhone—better known as the best phone on the planet, and a pair of awesome iPhone headphones. I found that I could maximize my time in the morning by listening to audiobooks.
Here's the best part. Amazon has a partnership with Audible, called Matchmaker. It allows you to buy the audio version of your Kindle book at a discounted rate—there are a ton of titles available at around $1.99. Using Amazon's Whispersync for Voice technology, you can switch seamlessly between your audiobook and Kindle, and it picks up right where you left off.
Yeah, you're welcome.
3. Include Some Variety
If you browse my reading list, you'll see I have biographies, Christian classics, books on leadership, books on apologetics and evangelism, and books on other topics I'm interested in.
I do have a few fiction titles, but for the most part, I have a good cross-section of Christian titles that help me mix things up every week.
4. Cut Meaningless Activities
I try to check Facebook three to four times a day when I'm focusing on a goal like this. Admittedly, I used to check my timeline 30 times a day. I guess I couldn't get enough of random memes and article links.
I had to get that under control. It took away from my productivity. I also cut out other meaningless activities (goodbye, 8043 cable channels) to help me reach my goal. These are small, subtle changes, but you'd be surprised at how much it increases productivity.
5. Tell Somebody Else
I accomplish more of my goals when I let others know about them. It's like having an accountability partner at the gym. It's amazing how a quick "How's the reading plan coming along?" can keep you motivated.
That's why I'm inviting all of my friends to take the GoodReads Reading Challenge with me. Have you joined? Are we connected on GoodReads? If not, what are you waiting for? I'll give you that nudge you need to keep reading this year.
That's it. Trust me. It's something you can achieve. Even if you can't do 52 books, I encourage you to read more this year.
Questions: Do you plan on reading more books this year? Were any of these suggestions helpful?