How to become a reader
And improve the quality of your everyday life
One person to thank for nudging me into becoming a book-worm is my wife. She was reading regularly when we moved in together so I joined her in reading in bed before sleeping.
Good thing my mom probably isn’t gonna read this because she was the one who wanted me to become a reader and made a considerable but futile effort. She is a reader and remembering her throughout my childhood, there was always a book around. So the positive passive influence of a parent was there. But the constant pestering about how I should watch less TV and read instead definitely wasn’t an efficient strategy. Anyone who has a child should know this doesn’t work: any direct nagging and repeated negative affirmation are fruitless and can even backfire.
The same is with self-reprimand or making repeated impotent New Years’ resolutions deciding on a new better self in the future: it doesn’t work. This behavior might be a subconscious reflection of your own parents’. The result is usually that you only feel bad about not following-up with the resolutions to be a better human.
Reasons to become a reader (in case you need reasons)
If you’re still unclear if you want to invest the time (considerable time too) into reading allow me to dedicate a section to this.
Almost all the people you know, your friends, family, and colleagues, are NOT readers but merely scanners of social media and news portals with an attention span shorter than a goldfish. This is not necessarily peoples’ fault but rather of the unethically designed digital products (social media, clickbait, etc.) and the simple fact that text is a code that takes simultaneous decoding by your brain and therefore much bigger cognitive load than looking at pictures. And who needs more of that cognitive load, right?
1. Reading is good for your health
It’s been proven to lower stress and help with sleep disorders. And just these two are known to be factors for many diseases.
Reading is a workout for the brain, and keeping your mind active can help preserve brain health later in life.
Research shows that elderly patients who read books or play mentally challenging games are two and a half times less likely to develop Alzheimer’s. Reading is also associated with lower risk of developing dementia. The study found that it didn’t matter if people began reading or other mentally engaging activities early or late in life, there was a slower rate of decline either way, so it’s never too late to pick up a book. But one thing that might be news for you is that it gives you a competitive advantage in your professional field. Read more…
2. Reading can actually make you smarter
There are many studies done that prove this statement in one way or another. This entertaining article contains some examples.
3. Reading gives you a competitive advantage
Most of us are in the workforce and no matter the industry there’s massive competition. And guess what– the majority of them are not readers either. Simply by becoming a book-worm you are gaining an advantage which you can exercise by mentioning good references from books, quoting authors, and having a collection of insights to help your thinking and creative processes. People get impressed or even intimidated by readers which can be used as an advantage as well.
4. It’s the most entertaining activity
When you become ‘addicted’ to reading it becomes the most fun way to spend your time. You are never bored and there’s never enough time to read all you would like.
5. Reading builds empathy
This means you will improve your emotional intelligence and be nicer human overall. Naturally, this applies to reading fiction.
Tips on how to accomplish this
So if you want to become a reader you need a strategy that works. This comes from decades of me experiencing struggle to finally become a full-blown reader, a devourer of books. Some of the tips might work better than others.
1. Reading is not going to just happen — create dedicated time for it
Think about it, you can read a book in public transport, before sleeping (how I started really), while you are waiting for something/someone, in the toilet, but most importantly — replace the TV time, social medial infinite-scroll time and other inefficient time-wasting behaviors with a book.
2. Read about something you are interested in
Some of you probably have a whole list of books waiting to be read. Some of those you tried to read, that were recommended or well known. Instead, try to think of a topic or a genre you are passionate about and search for recommendations on Goodreads. Forget other people, find a book YOU want to read. And once you find an interesting topic or a theme, pursue it and find further reading.
3. Don’t be afraid to quit a book
You are struggling with a book and it feels like a chore. It’s not because you are a shitty person, it’s because it either isn’t a book for you or it’s not the right time for it. So if it keeps being no fun after 40 pages just leave it for later and try another book. I often find myself starting a book that I leave for later and some of them I simply never finish.
4. Read two (or even more) books in parallel
I occasionally find myself reading two books or even three at the same time, which I rotate depending on my mood. Ideally, one is fiction and the other a non-fiction book so you don’t confuse the stories. Some people read even more but for me, three can already be too much.
5. Get an e-reader
Since I got my e-reader several years ago I quadrupled my reading volume. These electronic books are containing libraries so you can easily switch between the active ones, bookmark, and note. They contain convenient dictionaries and Wikipedia definitions for clarification of unknown terms. They are so convenient to hold with one hand that I get annoyed when reading a printed book. I have it always with me since it’s so light and portable.
Since spreading the good word on e-readers I have repeatedly heard the following reasons not to get one: ‘But I like the smell of books!’ or ‘I like to hold a book…’ and more honest ones like to admit ‘I like to have it on the bookshelf after I finish it’, so kind of an intellectual trophy I guess. The whole point when reading a book is to ingest the thoughts and knowledge into your brain, the physical aspect of reading should not really matter. Not to mention that printed books are not eco-friendly in comparison and they take up physical space in your house (and collect dust!). They do look cool as interior decoration, I admit! So when I read a truly amazing book I like to honor it by buying a printed copy for my “trophy collection”.
Besides, you can find and download many great books legally for free online, after 70 years all the Copywrite expires.
The more you read–the faster you get at reading. When you are not a reader a 500-page book can seem intimidating, but after you become one there’s no book that is too long (if it’s an interesting read off course). At one point you will stop looking at the page number and sometimes actually be disappointed when the book is done!
Hopefully, this article is going to motivate and help you with practical tips to become a lifetime reader of books. Let me know if it did!
