Four Effective Ways for Falling in Love With Reading
By: Erwin Leonardy
Tags: Self Improvement, Life, Education, Books, Life Lessons

Nerd is the moniker that we give to those people who read voraciously. Some of us might even consider that these people lead a lacklustre life because they spend most of their time reading books. Little did they know that some of the world’s high achievers are avid readers.

When was the last time we pick up a book? Was it a month ago or a year ago? What makes those people who read routinely get an edge over those who don’t read? How do we learn to be like one of them and reap the benefits of reading?

Reading could benefit us in multitudinous ways:

• It helps us gain a new perspective

Reading allows us to get a broader, and often antithetical, view from the author. Although we don’t have to agree with the writer’s point of view, it will raise the awareness that differences do exist. This will help us to be more reflective and show more empathy towards the people around us.

• It serves as the source of information and inspiration

My mother used to tell me that the only thing that other people can’t take from us is our knowledge.

Reading is one of the best ways for us to get new information. This information could be a catalyst for a new business idea or a guide to help us with the challenges that we face.

• It is a way to relax

A good book can teleport us to a tranquil alternate universe. It is one of the ways to relax ourself after a long day of studies or works. It might be a substitute for a holiday in Bali. At least, that’s one of the habits that would greatly benefit us in the long run, and it’s cheaper than a trip to Bali.

Diagram by James Clear

As the olden adage goes, “Many a little makes a mickle.”

The purpose of building a good habit is to transform a seemingly monotonous task — reading in our case — into something more enjoyable. If we could just get 1% better every day, we would technically be 37 times better after a year! We shouldn’t regard reading as a chore, but as a way to improve our quality of life.

Here are some of the methods that have helped me to get into the habit of reading:

1. Ingrain Reading as One of Your Routines

Firstly, we need to create cues to inculcate the habit of reading to our daily life. When I first started reading, I put my book and Kindle on my bedside. This simple act will remind you that you are attempting to foster the habit of reading. Make it clear to yourself that “instead of roaming my social media aimlessly, I will read my book for at least 5 minutes before I head to bed.”

You could start with the genre that you love, be it fiction or non-fiction. I started off reading Young Sherlock Holmes as I love detective and mystery stories. Although I then slowly expanded the types of books I read once I got comfortable reading every day.

Have you ever felt guilty for not continuing reading the book that you really wanted to finish? Before I started my reading habit, it could take me a whopping 2–3 months just to complete a 200-page-long book. The key to overcoming the lack of motivation is to start with small goals.

James Clear, in his book, Atomic Habits, proposes this concept called habit stacking. Intrinsically, it is a method in which we stack our existing habits with the new routine that we want to pick up. In our case, it would be something along the line of “I will read for 5 minutes after I take my bath.” This will actually serve as a cue to remind us about our new reading habit.

“Until you make the unconscious conscious, it will direct your life and you will call it fate.” — Carl Jung