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So you’re amongst the millions of people out there who want to explore the amazing world of books. Or you understand very well the immense educational and intellectual effects of reading. But you just can’t seem to get around it. For some people, the pressures of everyday life, the stress involved in making a living and keeping up with their social lives while also having to find time to spend with friends and family leav,m drained out.
Every year, most people set goals for themselves as regards book reading. They yearn to develop a consistent book culture. Unfortunately, they fail at the end of the year, because they were not fully dedicated to it from the start. Besides sharpening your intellect, giving you a reason to think critically, and exposing you to new worlds and territories, books are invaluable assets if you are intentional about personal growth and development. One of the first and pertinent things to cultivate is the willpower to stay consistent. If you are someone who isn’t much of an achiever like in the smallest things, you need to recalibrate your mind. Below are a few pragmatic steps that can drastically improve your reading.
● Set a Time-Bound Goal
How many books do you aim to finish in a month? Three months? A year? Let your book goals be specific, realistic, and time-bound. Give yourself a powerful motivation by thinking about the growth consistent reading can bring for you.
What area of your life do you want to develop? Your career? Academics? Relationships? How can you grow in these areas? Why do you want to grow? What books can assist you in developing? These are critical questions that require you to introspect. But everything becomes more apparent once you can find your answers.
Once you have answered these questions, set your book goals. Do you want to read 12 books in a year? That means you must read and finish up a book per month.
● Divide That Goal
Now that you have decided what your ultimate annual goal is, you need to divide your goal into chunks. Smaller bits and pieces. What will be your daily goal?
Would you prefer to set aside a certain number of pages? Or have a scheduled timeframe between ten to forty minutes daily. Dividing your goals helps you stay organized and fit effortlessly if you have a busy schedule or routine. The best part is that it keeps you focused and accountable to yourself. A causal effect of unparalleled focus is efficiency. Consistency also breeds habit, and that soon becomes a part of you.
● Make A-List
If you’re done penciling down a schedule, then you need to find books to read. For instance, if you are trying to improve your relationships. What books would you read? Do your research and make a list of the most amazing and powerful books related to that field. Ask for recommendations and get a notepad or a spreadsheet that helps you tick off books you have read, and others you intend on finishing. The best part about having a list is that it keeps you focused. You don’t have to be jumping from book to book or exploring too many at once. Write out an excellent list of books that can help you grow in a specific sphere and seek them out.
● Equip Yourself
Get the right tools to help you stay consistent in your pattern. Would you rather have an office-enjoy reading position? Or do you prefer to curl up on the couch or your bed(the bed isn’t recommended because it can lull you to sleep)? If you would like to curl up on the couch, would you prefer to do it with a tablet, smartphone, or device? Or a good old book? Some people operate in the digital stratosphere of the world through their gadgets – tablet, iPhone, laptop, etc. These days these devices have ebook readers that can make it easy for you to read.
Others still prefer leafing through the pages and inhaling the scent of a book fresh off the shelf of a bookstore.
Find what works for you.
● Block Distractions
Being intentional means that you have to exhibit deliberateness in every aspect. Be dedicated to your reading days or time. Would you prefer to read daily at specific times or weekly on specific days? Depending on whatever time you choose, be
deliberate about it by removing all distractions. Put off the TV. Log out of your computer. Press pause on that video game and let Netflix be for a while. You’ll be back but read first. It’s also a great way to spend time with you. Read in a relaxing manner. Don’t read when you are agitated, anxious, or downright angry. Read in such a way that your mind can grasp the information and interpret it flawlessly later on, without the presence of the book.
● Stay Accountable
Goals need to be subjected to constant accountability. There are times you would feel unmotivated and tired of trying to achieve. But when you have a book partner or belong to a book club, you have others on the same path with you who are motivated and willing. It keeps you in check and gives you the strength you need to soldier on. Meeting up once a week with your partner or your club gives you tremendous benefits. You’d be able to discuss your thought processes and brainstorm on ideas, and your intellectual prowess will thus emerge. No man is an island. Being solo in your reading goal is not likely to yield the best results. You’re just one infallible person. No matter the context, always remember that there is true strength in numbers.
Conclusively, everything we need is always on the other side of consistency. This is one of the most powerful and profound thoughts I have ever known, and it doesn’t just apply to reading alone. It is one formula of all-round success.