Art of reading books

Reading is a habit that needs deliberate attention. Today I am going to share 15 points with you that will help you out in easing your reading habit at the start.

1. Make reading a habit. Use Microsoft Todo, Todoist, etc., or some journal or calendar to track your habit. Do not just make goals. The problem with goals is that you forget goals after some time. Habits are here to rescue.
2. Buy books. Visit bookstores and book fairs. Seeing other people buying books will excite and inspire you to buy books. Like this year, on 23rd March this year, I was very happy to see a family buying books for holiday reading at Readings.
3. Download books in EPUB format from the genesis library and use the Eboox app to open those files.
4. If you are new, use assisted reading. Almost every book is available on YouTube as an audiobook. Listen to the audiobook on YouTube premium or on your laptop while reading it on the mobile.
5. Start with books of your interests. Like I personally read the book of authors that I hear through word of mouth on YouTube or I appreciate their work or they are the best books in my topic of interest.
6. Start with short books. So that you get the incentive very quickly. That quick reward will motivate you. Like if you find three really good books that you can read in an hour or less, then after three hours you will have read 3 books. For example, there is a really condensed book named “Steal like an artist” that is also available on YouTube as an audiobook. It is 50-60 minutes long and there are 10 chapters in it. That means, even if you just read/listen 5 minutes daily completing one chapter each day, you will have completed a book in 10 days, and also you will have gained a habit of daily readings. Then, gradually, you can increase the time you spend reading and start reading long books as well. At the start, early rewards are the key to hacking a habit. Don’t set goals; instead, make habits.
7. Take notes. Make bookmarks. Share favorite parts on social media statuses and tweets. If you are reading something on chrome you can use this feature for sharing.
8. Track your book progress on Goodreads. There, follow people who read. Follow authors and readers of your interests.
9. Let your social media algorithms learn that you are into reading. Surround yourself with people who read, on social media and YouTube. Facebook reading groups and people on Twitter are also worth following. For example follow Naval on Twitter, Ali Abdal, John fish on YouTube, Zeeshan Usmani on Facebook, etc.
10. Share what you read with others. Arrange weekly calls, Google meets, etc. with readers and share and discuss the stuff you have read. Motivate others to read.
11. Listen to or read summaries before you read a book. The summary will give you an idea about what you are going to read. Watch a YouTube video about that book or read about the author or watch a ted talk about that author if he has any.
12. Don’t worry if you can’t finish a book. Books are not made to be finished completely. Just get the amount of knowledge that you take from them.
13. Always have a book with you - in your bag or near your reach. When you will have it near you, you will start reading it whenever you are bored or are waiting.
14. Read when you are bored. Keep a book with you when you are traveling. You can read a complete book in 4-6 hours of traveling. We spend a lot of time waiting for things. If we have a book in hand we can read a leaf a two while waiting.
15. Gift people books. Recommend people books or buy them a book, on a birthday or some occasion or even if you met someone new.