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How to Make Reading Part of a Busy Lifestyle

Hi everyone, Beauba Fett back for another blog post. 

Are you someone that has a nightstand stacked high with books that you’ve been meaning to get to, but just haven’t found the time? Is your schedule booked from dawn to dusk? Do you have some time in the day to pick up that book, but just aren’t able to get yourself to start? Do not fear, here are 3 tips that will help you maximize your time so that you can move titles from “Want to Read” to “Read.”

Schedule Reading Time

We all have 24 hours everyday, and it’s up to us how to spend that time. Getting ready for work, commuting, working, commuting again, making dinner, family obligations, etc. take up a large chunk of said time, so much so that it can feel like we have no time for anything else before it’s time for bed to start the process over again tomorrow. This is where the power of scheduling can be your best friend. If you’re someone who doesn’t write down their schedules everyday, I can’t recommend it enough. I noticed such a boost in my productivity, focus, and prioritization once I started blocking out specific times in the day for my obligations and goals. If you already plan out your days, I challenge you to go through your schedule and analyze each block of time you have so that you can find time to pencil in even just thirty minutes of reading time. By setting a time each day to read, you’ll create a new habit and start to look forward to it. 

Double Up

“What if I went through my schedule and genuinely found no time to spare?” “I have other hobbies and interests that take up my free time, but I still want to read.” No worries, that’s where my second tip comes in. Reading is the best form of entertainment because you are able to pick up a book anywhere you want. No WiFi? No problem. Books don’t need to be charged, and they take up a relatively small amount of space. What’s stopping you from reading on your subway commutes instead of scrolling through Instagram? What about your hour lunch break? You might even be able to steal a couple pages in between assignments at work. If you drive to work, why not listen to the audio book of that title you’ve been wanting to read for years? How about when you’re taking the dog for a walk? Plain and simply, by poking holes into your obligations, you can find the time to double up and create more reading time. 

Pick Books That Interest You

This one might sound obvious, but I think this is the single most important factor that will differentiate you from finding the time or not. Why read something if it doesn’t make you want to turn the pages? I think a lot of people get caught up in what they feel like they “should” be reading, or just grab popular titles without considering whether it’s about something that will interest them. Forget about top charts and conventional picks, think about topics and/or themes that interest you and go find a book that will deliver that for you! Reading is supposed to be fun, never forget that!

Best of luck on your reading journey! 

-Beauba Fett

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