I have always enjoyed reading books for pleasure but it wasn’t until high school that I made it a routine to read every day. My commute to my high school would take an hour, which was a lot considering that I was so busy all the time, especially when the time of college applications came around. I remember I used to be frustrated because I couldn’t get any work done on my way to school since it was so early in the morning. Instead, I decided to start reading every day. It was such a fulfilling part of my day. No matter how busy my day was, having time to read made me feel like I accomplished something for myself. It made me feel like even in those chaotic times, I still made time for self-care and development. High school years passed by, and I got to college.
Living on campus makes it so easy to get to my classes. While convenient, nowadays I do not have that built-in time in my schedule to read as I did in high school. Because of this, I neglected reading as I prioritized schoolwork and explored my new home. However, it got to a point where I realized that I should find ways to incorporate reading into my schedule. I made a few adjustments to my reading habits to make this attempt successful:
Start with short chapter books
I know that every college student is extremely busy. I find it hard to read books that have very long chapters that are connected. This is because they take longer to read and require a higher degree of focus. Instead, to make sure that reading every day is an achievable goal, I started with shorter books or even essay books. Two that I would highly recommend are “The Mastery of Love” by Don Miguel Ruiz and “101 Essays That Will Change the Way You Think” by Brianna Wiest.
Be flexible with your reading time
I would suggest making time for reading based on your schedule. Either start your day by reading a few pages or read some before you go to sleep. You can also do it in between if you can make time. However, do not set unrealistic goals because not accomplishing them will make you feel worse. Start with smaller goals first!
Now, why do I read?
Reading brings me joy. It introduces me to new ways of thinking (especially because lately I have been reading books about building a strong mindset) but that does not mean that I agree with everything every author says. I view reading as engaging with smart minds and as I go through the pages, I am having debates in my head. Furthermore, I enjoy annotating and underlining quotes that stand out to me. I would like to go back to them more often than I do, so I have been trying to create notes of quotes on my phone for each book that I read because it is easier to access them that way. With that being said, start incorporating habits that will make reading more enjoyable than it already is for you!