Olawunmi Adegoke: 3 Ways to Develop a Consistent Reading Habit

I know you have heard how reading a book per time is a good habit. From making you appear smarter, reading books improves your vocabulary and even makes you look ‘attractive’ *winks*. Even though people know about all these benefits that come with reading, most people who pick up books to read still cannot finish reading a book in 3 months.

We know what will be of great benefit to us, but we sometimes lack the courage to push through, and do what needs to be done. Some of the reasons why people don’t read could be the following:

• Lack of motivation to read
• Not finding the time to read
• Reading books that don’t interest you

Reading is a learned habit and just like other habits, it can also be developed. Here are 3 practical ways that you can develop a reading habit:

Pick a Book You Would Like to Read

The first step to reading a book is to select ahead of time the kind of book you would love to read. This can be done by looking at areas of your life that you need to grow, learn new skills, or develop habits. Then search (online or in bookstores) for where to get those kinds of books that address your needs. Another good way to select a book is to ask friends and people around for the best books that they have read on that subject matter. You could post it up on your social media status or other social media platforms.

Purchase the Book

A lot of times, what people do is to desire to read the kind of books they want. They often don’t take the further step to purchase the book. After selecting a book you want to read, purchase the book. You can check online to see where to get the book. If you need to save up to get the book, then do so!

Make a Plan on How to Read the Book

This is the final step. Having a set-out plan to read is simple. Usually, I like to advise that reading a book should be done within a definite time frame, say 30 days. To achieve reading  a book within 30 days:

• Divide the total book pages by 30. This will give you your minimum required read per day
• Look at your daily schedule and pick out at least 15 minutes during that day to read.
• While reading, keep your phone away during this period. Discipline yourself to avoid distractions.
• If you’re reading an eBook, please switch off your data to avoid messages popping up and distracting you.
• Jot down the key points you are learning from the book and share on your social media status.

The above-listed steps are not a fixed template for developing a daily reading habit. But it has worked for me and a lot of other friends that have tried it out. Even on days when you don’t get to read, don’t get discouraged, still open your book to read the following day. All you are doing is creating the reading consciousness, and this is what really matters!