Reading a book a week may sound overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be a chore. These six tips will make the book a week goal much more realistic, and will make your reading time your favorite time of the day.
1. Schedule Your Reading Time
We make time for a lot of things in our day. We make time for work. We make time to eat. We make time to watch three episodes of a show on Netflix. We make time for laundry, and dishes, and friends, and family. If you want to read a book a week, you need to make time for yourself. Sometimes that means reading five or ten pages on the bus. Sometimes that means using your lunch break to get to the end of the chapter. Still, the most effective way to read a book in a week is to set aside an uninterrupted chunk of half an hour or more every day to be alone with your book.
Source: Unsplash
2. Do The Math
Make sure your goal is realistic. You’re not going to read In Search of Lost Time in a week. Depending on the level of difficulty, a 350-page book a week could be a realistic goal for most people, at 50 pages a day, or around an hour of reading time each day. Plan out your week by the numbers. If you know you’ll have more time on Saturday, plan to read more pages. If you know you won’t have a spare moment on Friday, knock out a few extra pages earlier in the week.
Source: Pinterest
3. Set Up A Reading Nook
If you’re distracted by poor lighting, too much noise, or an uncomfortable pillow, you’ll lose your focus and lose precious reading time. Make reading a reward at the end of a long day by setting up a reading nook that makes you want to spend more time with a book.
Source: Tumblr
4. Unplug Your Wi-Fi, And Put Your Phone In The Next Room
The temptation is strong. Don’t make a Facebook status about a great quote in the middle of a chapter; bookmark it to share later. Don’t look up a word on your phone and end up replying to three emails and a text; get out a physical dictionary. Our devices suck up a lot of time, and we’re not always aware of how long we’ve been using them. It’s best to just put them away. You might miss them at first, but once you get in the habit of letting them rest, you’ll be able to focus on your book with fewer distractions.
Source: Unsplash
5. Pick A Book That Really Interests You, And Abandon Lost Causes
Even a tiny novella can seem a thousand pages long if you’re just not interested. If you love young adult novels even though you’re well past your high school years, read them! If depressing 19th century Russian lit is your jam, go for Goncharov. If you’re not feeling it after 50 pages, you’re probably not going to get into the book at all, so donate it or pass it onto a friend who might find it more interesting rather than trudging through to the end.
Source: Tumblr
6. Ban Television
I’m not saying you should ban television forever. I love TV. But when you’re getting back in the habit of reading, sometimes it helps to be bored, and it’s difficult to be bored when you have fifteen shows you still need to binge watch on Netflix. When you limit your entertainment options, reading feels like a welcome escape.
Source: Unsplash
What are your reading goals? Let us know in the comments!
YouTube Channel: Bookables
Featured image via Mystery Readers Inc.
h/t The Verge
