With online learning still going strong, many of us have started new hobbies and begun learning new things. What have I done? I returned to an old hobby, reading.
After years of telling myself I would pick up a book and read it but never following through, I finally did it! Well, sort of, I picked up my phone to read books online.
I know I am not the only person who has wished to return to their past selves, who could read a book in a single day, and ask them how they did it, but we also want to know where one finds the time to sit down to read.
Well, it’s not complicated.
Firstly, you have time. Trust me. It may be hard to believe, but everyone has pockets of time in their day that could be used to revive a reading hobby. Think about the time you spend after waking up when you scroll through your phone, or the time before bed, still scrolling through your phone. Think of the moments when you are bored and looking for a Netflix show to watch. You have time, you just need to find out where it’s disappearing to. Try commit to reading five pages or a chapter a day and before you know it, you’ll be closer to finishing that book you never thought you’d even start!
Now where do you even begin? A great tip is to make a list of books that catch your eye, and always start easily with the shortest books. There’s nothing to kill your motivation like starting a 600-page novel when you haven’t touched a book in years. Start simple, with books under 200 pages, and work your way up as your reading habit starts to stick.
After this you need to establish what mode of reading suits you best. Are you an e-book lover or do you prefer a good hardcopy book? If you are into e-books, you need to know where to find good books for free! I found a great site (is https://www.openlibrary.org) that runs an initiative of an ‘open library’ that allows you to borrow a book online for a time period without paying. You just need to sign up and no fees are paid! If you love hardcopies, you need to figure out how to get a constant supply of books. Can you afford to buy books regularly at stores or have the time to find great bargains at second-hand stores? Is there a nearby library that stocks updated novels? Knowing how you will get access to books will make the reading process much easier, and you’ll be less likely to give up because of lack of access.
One mistake I made was feeling obliged to finish a book even though I had lost interest in the story. No one should have to do this. Pushing through a book that is boring will only make you feel lazy about reading and kill the hobby you just worked so hard to form.
I also found it helpful to follow content creators that create content on reading. This was the big push I needed to start reading again. I watched a few Youtubers, like Jack Edwards and John Fish, who left me craving books again, and eventually I caved in and started reading again.
I hope these tips and tricks will get you closer to starting that reading journey again. Happy reading!