Are you looking for new ways to develop a reading habit that sticks?
Many people want to make more time for themselves by reading for pleasure, but some struggle to make it a recurring habit. And because there are so many benefits to habitual reading, it’s important to make it a priority just like you would with anything else that’s essential.
Some benefits of consistent reading include:
- Enhancing your vocabulary and knowledge
- Reducing stress and anxiety
- Strengthening creative thinking
- Boosting empathy
- Advancing writing skills
Building a lifelong reading habit is good for your mental, emotional, and even physical wellbeing. If you want to develop a lifelong habit of reading, here are 3 ways to help you get started.
Create a Reading Goal
When you aim to accomplish something new, it’s crucial to set goals. Without goals, you dont have a clear objective or steps to follow, which only leads to failed attempts. It’s important to have a game plan so you have a way to attain goals that are realistic.
When creating a reading goal, it’s important to be as specific as you can. Narrowing down your goal allows you to track your progress so you can motivate yourself to keep going and see it through to the end.
Think about the goal you want to achieve. Do you want to reach a specific number of books in a year’s time? Would you rather break it down into a weekly or monthly goal? Everyone has a preferred method, so you can play around with the time frame as you go and choose what works for you.
Read What You Like
When choosing what books to read, do you pick genres and topics that interest you? Or have you mostly read what others like and you think you should like?
When people say they don’t like to read, that’s usually not the case. In most instances, they’ve read material that didn’t interest them or spark their imagination. This would cause anyone to struggle with forming a daily reading habit.
If you aren’t sure what you want to read, it helps to explore different authors, genres, and writing styles to see what you enjoy the most. It won’t be long before you find the content that speaks to you and encourages you to keep turning the page.
Add Reading to Your Daily Routine
If you don’t treat your reading goal with the same importanct as every other goal you have, it won’t be long until you stop the habit altogether. To ensure that you stick to reading every day, you need to add it to your daily routine.
You want to read every day with the same determination you use to complete other tasks like grocery shopping, selling workout programs, or exercising. A lot of things simply won’t get done unless you add it to your schedule.
Mark out specific times throughout the week to read for fun. A lot of people prefer to read right before bed since it’s quiet and helps them relax before it’s time to sleep. If you have breaks or downtime during the day, this is also a good time to pull out your novel.
Over to You
If you want to become an everyday reader and reap the benefits of doing so, then these tips are a game-changer. Once you have a plan for how you’re going to read every day, it’s easier to stick to it and stay motivated. Reading brings out the best in your imagination and knowledge, so making time for it regularly is essential. How will you develop a lifelong habit of reading?