Making Time for Reading
As an avid reader, I often get asked how I manage to read seventy-five books a year. My response is simple: I prioritize my time carefully. With a busy schedule, a long honey-do list, and three energetic kids, it’s easy to get bogged down and neglect reading. However, I’ve found that by investing small pockets of time throughout the day, I can make significant progress on my reading goals.
Finding Time in the Margins
I don’t have a lot of free time, but I do have moments throughout the day that I can dedicate to reading. I read over breakfast, during my lunch break, and before bed. I also take advantage of unexpected moments, like waiting in line at the DMV or sitting in traffic. By being intentional with my time, I can squeeze in a few extra pages here and there.
The Math Behind Reading
Let’s do some quick math to see just how achievable reading seventy-five books a year can be. Assuming you can dedicate sixty minutes a day to reading (broken up into smaller chunks, of course), that’s seven hours a week. At an average reading speed of 250 words per minute, you can cover over 105,000 words per week. That’s equivalent to completing more than one book per week, or around seventy books per year.
Overcoming Obstacles
Of course, finding time to read isn’t always easy. Our schedules can get busy, and other activities can compete for our attention. But the biggest obstacle to reading is often our own minds. We may feel too tired, too stressed, or too overwhelmed to pick up a book. However, by cultivating a love of reading and making it a priority, we can overcome these obstacles and make time for what matters.
Killing Idols and Prioritizing Reading
In his research, Robert Lee found that modern Americans have significantly more leisure time than their ancestors. However, this extra time is often squandered on passive entertainment rather than meaningful activities like reading. To make time for reading, we need to be intentional about killing idols like laziness and self-indulgence. By prioritizing our time and focusing on what’s truly important, we can make room for reading in our busy lives.
Cultivating a Love of Reading
So how do we cultivate a love of reading? Start by researching and finding great books that interest you. Ask friends for recommendations, and explore different genres until you find what you enjoy. Once you’ve found a good book, make time to read it, even if it’s just a few pages a day. As you progress, you’ll find that your love of reading grows, and you’ll be more motivated to make time for it in your busy schedule.
Making Reading a Priority
To make reading a priority, we need to be clear about our goals and intentions. Why are we reading? What do we hope to achieve? By defining our purpose, we can stay focused and motivated, even when life gets busy. We should also be willing to stop doing other things to make time for reading. Whether it’s cutting back on TV time or saying no to social invitations, we need to be intentional about prioritizing our time.
Reading with Purpose
Finally, we need to read with purpose. This means being intentional about what we read and why. It means setting goals and tracking our progress. It means being willing to adjust our schedules and habits to make time for reading. By reading with purpose, we can make the most of our time and achieve our goals, whether that’s reading seventy-five books a year or simply enjoying a good story.
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