From Zero to 20 books a year in 5 steps

I have struggled with reading for most of my life. I have always envied those who read regularly. During one of my attempts, I discovered my love for reading science fiction and adventure books, but I could never make it last.

Now, I have finally hacked the system! :)

First step: Commitment.

I knew the benefits of reading, but my commitment was triggered by having my first baby in 2020. I wanted my daughter to enjoy reading. Being a Spaniard living in Finland, I needed my daughter to read to keep up with both languages. I wanted to be a role model for her.

So, I made a new year resolution in 2021: I want to read at least five books this year.

Second step: Convenience.?

I love gadgets. Santa Claus brought me an e-book reader for Christmas. Yay! I was so happy that I did not know what to read first. I decided to start with something light to read: Harry Potter. All my friends loved Harry Potter when it came out, and I watched the movies, so it was easy to imagine that whole magic world. I think I read the first three books in six weeks. I was already at 60% of my goal.

Third step: Create a habit.?

I once read that Bill Gates reads over 50 books a year. That is roughly one book a week. I have always thought that was impossible. When do they have time to read??

I started carrying my e-book reader with me everywhere. Everywhere inside my house, I am talking about COVID times. Whenever I took my phone to check social media, I told myself: You should read instead.

I was trying to find that relaxing moment with a book we see in the movies. I should mention that in 2021 I had a daughter under one year old and was starting my dream job at Google. So, I was busy.?

I found my movie moment at night when my kid was sleeping. I should confess that some nights, I forced myself to read one chapter to feel I was getting closer to my goal.

Now it has become part of my nighttime routine. Sometimes I read for 5 min and sometimes for 2-3 hours.?

Fourth step: Read many books at the same time.?

Yes, you read it correctly. Two years ago, I would have thought this was impossible. I noticed I need different genres in my e-book reader because I read based on my mood. It is the same with music. I listen to different types of music based on my emotions. This discovery rocketed my reading speed.?

When I was reading only one book at a time, there were nights when my mind was so tired of thinking I desperately needed something light and funny to make me feel good. If my book in progress was not what I needed, I had to compel myself to read. That took away all the fun.

Also, read in 3 languages: Spanish (30%), English (60%), and Finnish (10%). Each language requires a different amount of effort.?

Now I read 4-6 books at the same time. Crazy, huh?

Currently in progress:

1. Love the brain by Ali Hazelwood
2. Will by Will Smith and Mark Manson
3. The light we carry by Michelle Obama
4. Star Trek Fanfiction (If you like fan fiction, you can convert Fanfiction.net stories to epubs!)
5. Start with why by Simon Sinek

Fifth and last step: Read books you enjoy.?

Never feel guilty for liking a book.

Don't feel embarrassed about reading a book. I read a lot during my work hours about Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine learning (ML), but you will not see me read an AI/ML book before bed.

Read what you want to read.

Following these simple steps, I have read more books in the last two years than in the past twenty years. And I am not counting all the children's books I read to my now almost three years old daughter. That would significantly increase my yearly book count.

How did you become an avid reader?