Forming a Reading Habit

Years ago, I decided not to buy books till I finished reading the ones I bought! I would start reading intentionally, and stop halfway through. 2023 was a special year for me because I could actively form a reading habit. It was not easy, and I have been wanting to do this for years. How did I do it?

First, I wanted to read. Second, I asked the newspaper agent to deliver a weekly news magazine, and stop the newspaper. And I read books instead of the newspaper. In the beginning it was difficult. I would start thinking on a tangent, and progress was slow. As days went by, the distracting thought processes subdued. It also helped that I read productivity books first, like “Focus”. I also try to listen to podcasts by the author when I read a book. It helps to be immersed in a topic, in different mediums.

When I started reading, I was reading like a student preparing for his exams. I took notes, wrote down action items, and underlined text with the intention of a quick revision. But after I read a few books, I built up the pressure. I went on a buying spree, and bought enough interesting books to last two years. This changed my perception of #reading. I wanted to read faster. The text highlighting was taking time, so I replaced it with parentheses, and vertical lines beside interesting text. And reading new books became more interesting than a second reading. Slowly, forced attention gave way to a relaxed and enjoyable reading. I started by setting a target of 10 pages a day, but as I started to enjoy the reading, I forgot about this target. After a few weeks, reading truly became a habit. It became effortless. And the thought that I formed a new habit is very satisfying.

The most useful book I read this year was “The Circadian Code”, by Dr. Satchin Panda . (After reading this book, I started reading in the morning sunlight. I guess it also helps with vitamin D !) I hope to start the new year with Mustafa Suleyman's book - “The Coming Wave”.

By the way, I never got to read the weekly news magazines !