Why Reading More Is Worth the Effort
Books remain one of the most effective ways to learn, think critically, and expand your perspective — yet most people read far fewer than they'd like. The barrier is rarely desire; it's usually habit, attention, and time management. The good news: reading more is a skill you can deliberately develop, and it doesn't require hours of free time each day.
Step 1: Set a Realistic Goal
Before strategizing, decide what "reading more" means to you. Is it one book a month? One a week? Don't set a number based on what sounds impressive — set one that genuinely fits your life. Even finishing 12 books a year (one per month) puts you well ahead of most adults.
Use a simple tracker: a notebook, a spreadsheet, or a free app like Goodreads to log what you've read and what's next. The act of recording progress is itself motivating.
Step 2: Build a Dedicated Reading Time
The single most effective strategy for reading more is scheduling it like an appointment. Even 20–30 minutes daily adds up significantly over time. Consider these natural reading windows:
- Morning: Read before checking your phone. A calm, quiet mind absorbs material better.
- Lunch break: Even 15 minutes with a book beats scrolling social media.
- Before bed: Reading replaces screen time and many people find it aids sleep.
- Commuting: Audiobooks or e-books on public transit can add hours of reading per week.
Step 3: Always Have a Book Ready
Reading happens in the margins of the day — waiting rooms, queues, between meetings. Always carry a book or have one loaded on your phone. An e-reading app means your library is always in your pocket. Remove the friction between you and the next page.
Step 4: Read What Genuinely Interests You
The fastest way to abandon a reading habit is to read books you think you should read rather than books you actually want to read. Start with topics that already fascinate you — history, science fiction, biographies, true crime, cookbooks. Engagement beats prestige every time. You can always expand to more challenging material once the habit is established.
Step 5: Give Yourself Permission to Quit
One of the biggest obstacles to reading more is slogging through a book you're not enjoying out of a sense of obligation. Life is short and your reading list is long. If a book isn't working for you after 50–100 pages, put it down and move to something else. The "50 minus your age" rule — popularized by librarian Nancy Pearl — suggests subtracting your age from 50 to get the number of pages you should try before quitting (after age 50, feel free to quit any book at any time).
Step 6: Reduce Competing Distractions
Phones and streaming services are engineered for maximum engagement. When it's reading time, put your phone in another room or use a "do not disturb" mode. It sounds simple, but removing the option to check notifications makes deep reading dramatically easier.
Step 7: Mix Formats
There's no rule that says reading must mean physical books. Mix formats to suit different moments:
| Format | Best For |
|---|---|
| Physical book | Home reading, retention, note-taking in margins |
| E-book | Travel, late-night reading, carrying multiple books |
| Audiobook | Commutes, exercise, household chores |
Step 8: Join a Reading Community
Accountability accelerates habit formation. A book club, an online reading group, or simply sharing what you're reading with a friend creates social motivation to keep going. Discussing a book also deepens comprehension and retention.
A Final Word on Speed
You don't need to read faster — you need to read more consistently. Skip the speed-reading gimmicks; research suggests they tend to sacrifice comprehension for pace. Slow, engaged reading beats fast, superficial scanning every time. The goal is not to consume books — it's to absorb them.