14 tips for cultivating a reading habit

June 29, 2007

Do you actively work towards fostering a reading habit? Are you one of those people who always has their face in a book?

I don’t read anywhere near as much as I would like to. I admit that I really enjoy spending time in a good book and I’ve got shelves of good books at home waiting to be read.

If I love reading so much, why do I do so little of it?

I suppose it has a lot to do with cultivating a habit of reading. I’ve always been a competent reader but I don’t ever remember being encouraged to read books when I was growing up. That means that I don’t naturally gravitate to spending huge chunks of time between the pages.

One of my fondest holiday memories was spending a week on my own in a small country town. I read seven or eight books during the week. There was nothing I had to do so I sat around and consumed the words and thoughts of a variety of authors.

The problem is fitting reading into the normal daily schedule. How does it fit around work, family and the dozens of other committments that make up our daily routines?

I was so pleased to read a recent post at HisMethod which suggested 14 tips for cultivating a reading habit. Bruce took the list from this very helpful post at LifeHack which goes into some more detail for each of 14 tips points.

1. Set times.
2. Always carry a book.
3. Make a list.
4. Find a quiet place.
5. Reduce television/Internet.
6. Read to your kid.
7. Keep a log.
8. Go to used book shops.
9. Have a library day.
10. Read fun and compelling books.
11. Make it pleasurable.
12. Blog it.
13. Set a high goal.
14. Have a reading hour or reading day.

What do think? Do you think that those tips could work for you?

What are your reading habits? What are some of the ways that you’ve cultivated a habit of reading?

Rodney Olsen

Technorati Tags: Books - Reading - Habits

Category Posted in Books

14 Responses to “14 tips for cultivating a reading habit”

sarah said:

June 29th, 2007 at 7:35 am

I try to read about half an hour every night in bed before I go to sleep. If I’ve had a particularly late night though, I just go straight to sleep. And I try to read a variety of stuff.
My reading schedule goes something like this:
* Mornings before work - bible and devotional book/bible study guide.
* Lunchbreak - secular book.
* Before bed - Christian book.
Sometimes I mix it up and other times things crop up and I have to give reading a miss. But I find setting aside a regular time to read is essential to ensure I keep reading. I enjoy it a lot but it’s hard to do unless I set time aside.
My advice is:
* Persist (even if you slack off a bit during extra busy times keep trying to read consistently).
* If you’re not into the book after a few chapters, quit and start another. If a book hasn’t engaged me by then, then it’s going to be a boring and unenjoyable slog trying to finish it.
Happy reading (from a librarian)
Paul said:

June 29th, 2007 at 7:38 am

Great tips. But maybe I need some time to do something else than reading and writing (I’m a publisher). I agree with tip 5 when it comes to watching TV (often a waste of time and a very passive way of consuming information). But using the Internet can also be a way to read information. But I have to agree, there’s almost nothing as relaxing as sitting down in your lazy chair with a good book. Oh yes, and I also like to sleep (very relaxing)
Wayne said:

June 29th, 2007 at 9:39 am

I do about three or four of these but I’m still not reading enough. Thanks for the reminder Rodney. I’ve emailed this to myself for later reference.
Panhandle Poet said:

June 29th, 2007 at 2:30 pm

I read every chance that I get. I read at breakfast, at lunch, before bed — when I travel I always have books with me. Many years ago I read a book called “The Readings of a Wandering Man” by Louis L’Amour. In it he mentioned that he kept a journal of what he read. I have kept one ever since. The journal can be as simple as a list of what you read — including title, author, genre, etc. — or it can be a journal that includes your impressions and thoughts about what you have read. I like to go back and see the variety of books that I have read. Am I keeping a balanced list, or is it getting a little heavy in a particular area? Sometimes I have multiple books going simultaneously — something heavy, something light, a daily devotional, etc. I also try to get through the Bible at least yearly. I find that I can never get enough of it. I guess you can tell that you hit a chord of enthusiasm with me on this post. Thank you for it.
kezza said:

June 29th, 2007 at 3:23 pm

..to quote a good movie, ‘back in my day, television was called books’.

I tell you what, when I was in Zambia with one low-quality tv station, no internet and a whole YWAM base of christian books, yeah, the whole ‘finding time to read’ thing wasn’t really a problem.

Work takes up time too. We should all just not work and read instead.
Grafted Branch said:

June 29th, 2007 at 3:44 pm

Just surfing through from my sitemeter; though I don’t see that we have any common blogrolls, but anyhoo…

I’ve always had trouble finding the time and concentration to read. I think it started in childhood when one of my parents constantly told me, “You don’t like to read.”

The best way for me to read is to homeschool children. Mostly I’m reading aloud children’s fine literature, but it’s very enjoyable!
hazelblackbery said:

June 30th, 2007 at 11:35 am

I used to be a big reader and then I just didn’t read for a long time. I don’t know why. Now I pretty much read on my bus trips to and from work (which each take about half an hour, so that’s a good block of reading time) and in the 15-20 minutes before bed, just to wind down.

As a kid I found lots of books un-put-downable. It’s rarer now but more exciting when it does happen.
just me said:

June 30th, 2007 at 12:37 pm

Am practising number 2 that you mentioned
Scott Parker said:

June 30th, 2007 at 1:34 pm

I’m not a big fan of reading. I read through the TV week mag once a week, & my favourite blogs & try reading the Bible, but for some reason, reading does nothing for me.
Rita said:

June 30th, 2007 at 7:55 pm

I always have a book on the entertainment center which sits close to the door. When I take my dogs out, which is 3 or 4 times a day, the book goes with me and I enjoy a few minutes (sometimes it’s 10 minutes; sometimes as much as 30 minutes) sitting in the back yard reading. Also, when I’m going anywhere where there might be a wait, like at the doctor’s office, I put my book in my bag on the way out the door. Reading while I’m waiting makes the waiting time pass easier for me.
sarah said:

July 2nd, 2007 at 2:05 am

‘back in my day, television was called books’

Ah, The Neverending Story of course
kezza said:

July 2nd, 2007 at 4:06 am

I was thinking more “The Princess Bride”, but a big shaggy dog that can fly always entertains me…
sarah said:

July 2nd, 2007 at 8:52 am

Dammit got it wrong
But the old bookshop dude in The Neverending Story says this
“The video arcade is down the street. Here we just sell small rectangular objects that are called books. Require a little effort on your part and make no b..b..b..beeps”
Lon said:

July 7th, 2007 at 3:33 pm

good tips rodney, i find just sharing it with friends or my wife keeps me going as i read.. they always want to hear what else i’m learning and holds me accountable.. also makes it more fun!