The Advice ‘Read a Lot’ Makes Reading Too Hard
By: Taylor Foreman
Tags: Creativity, Motivation, Habits, Life, Reading

The Advice ‘Read a Lot’ Makes Reading Too Hard

Photo by Thought Catalog on Unsplash

I’ve read more than 50 books in 2020.

You know what makes me want to quit? The motivation to finish books to brag to you how many books I read this year.

I read “Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance” yesterday and caught myself motivated by the trophy of having finished the book. That would be fine, I guess, but I had totally zoned out of what I was reading.

What’s the point of having read a book if it’s done from a place of wanting to be finished?

The book is not at all what I expected, and it’s incredible. When I allow myself to sink into the experience of reading the book, I take my time, re-read sentences here and there — suddenly I look up, and it’s 3 hours later. That’s the juice.

You don’t get in that place if you’re following the advice “read a lot,” given by the otherwise excellent advice giver, Naval Ravakant.

It got me thinking — how do you get to that place? It’s one of those all-too-common life paradoxes: How do you get good at anything? Try without trying.

How do you try without trying?

Get Really Specific About Time and Place Triggers

When and where? Those are the most important questions.

In a study, people who were asked when and where they were going to perform a new habit were much more likely to actually perform the new habit.

For me, I read in several ways. Some of the ways are totally automatic, and some are newer habits I want to more fully ingrain. I listen to audiobooks automatically. I love them. Driving, cooking, running, or cleaning? Audiobook. No problem.

I read my Kindle app when I’m waiting. In line, waiting for a friend, or killing 20 min before a meeting? Kindle app. No problem.

Each of these queues is a specific time and place in which I have trained myself, over time, to pull out my books and start reading. I only ever have to read as much as I want. I started with as little as 20 seconds. It didn’t matter as long as I did a little bit every day. Now, I reap the benefits of those slowly built habits. Sometimes I can’t stop!

I want more physical book time. They are more sensory and rewarding than digital reading. But they are harder to fit into my schedule. The solution is to think of a good time and place.

Right after I finish dinner, I usually want to watch TV. That’s a good place to look.

I set my current book near the TV remote. But how do I make an old book more enticing than TV? That’s a tall order.

Read as Little or as Much as You Like

I want to read 80+ books in 2021. That means I will have to spend a lot more time sitting down and reading physical books.

The temptation is to force myself to read for 4 hours a day. From experience, I know that will burn me out in no time.

Instead, I need to read every single day, and that it needs to be at a specific time and place. How much I actually end up reading is not as important.

When I sit down to watch TV after dinner, I’ll see that book. If I was forcing myself to read for hours, it might be a scary sight. Instead, I know that I will get the reward (TV) if I just dip my toe in. Not very scary.

I open the book. I can read just one sentence if I want to. I can keep going if I want to, too. Either way, I get the reward of the TV.

Never punish yourself for starting a new habit. New habits are like baby birds. They need plenty of food (reward) to grow up strong. If you are too hard on them too fast, they will die.

Read What You Really Want To

No one cares if you read Dostoevsky. No one will judge you if you read Harry Potter.

Personal opinion time: They are equally great literature.

Even if they weren’t, you need to read what truly interests you — not what you want to seem like interests you. That convoluted motivation just won’t last!

Read what makes your heart sing. Read daily. Eventually (maybe — who cares?), you will dig into deeper and deeper stuff.

It ain’t a race.

Read How You Want To

In an exchange with Todd Brison, I argue that audiobooks are just as good as physical books.

I appreciate where Todd is coming from, but this is my argument in a nutshell:

If you’re like Todd and love reading physical books and can’t pay attention to audio, don’t listen!

If you’re like me, you might love audiobooks. Don’t let anyone get you down, man.

Audio

Long before we could read dark stains on white sheets of fiber, we told stories around a campfire. We’ve been doing this for 10s of thousands of years.

Audiobooks aren’t exactly the same, but they unlock similar areas of the brain.

That certainly explains their extreme popularity.

Not everyone jives with them. Some people lose focus and have to rewind all the time. If that’s you, no worries! You have 2 other formats.

Physical

The smell. The feel. The trophy. You can’t beat that.

I will never stop reading physical books, no matter how much the other formats capture me. There is just something magical about paper books.

Also, you can take notes. Not only that, but we remember things better when they are rendered in 3D. Suck it, digital.

Digital

Not so fast, romanticism.

Digital might hurt your eyes, disrupt sleep, and not have the romantic feel of physical books. You also can’t (safely) read them while driving.

I recently got the Kindle app, and I have to say, I love it. The ability to highlight passages and find them by search is life-changing. Not to mention the ability to read anywhere. I got my oil changed recently, and I would have been twiddling my thumbs otherwise. Instead, I read the 48 Laws of Power.

The look and feel of the Kindle app is cool, too.

Reward the Hell Out of Reading

No matter what format you are reading, if you want the habit to stick, reward the hell out of it.

Every time I read my physical book next to my TV remote — even for a minute — I consciously reward myself with TV. Or food. It’s a mini celebration!

No amount of reading is too small to celebrate, especially in the beginning. This is a life-long habit you’re building!

It will pay for itself long into the future.

Talk About It With Friends

Talking to my friends about what I am learning is a great habit. There are a few benefits:

Better retention

Good conversations

Solidify my identity as a “reader.”

Extra reward

If you don’t have a habit of talking to your friends about books, go slow at first. Always make sure to say, “I read about this!” and don’t pretend like you thought it up.

Check for signs that you are boring people. Watch for interest! These are all signs of integrating what you have learned into your lifestyle!

There are places designed for these sorts of interactions, by the way. I believe they are called book clubs. Perhaps join one after we finish this whole global pandemic thing?

If you don’t eventually integrate what you learn, what’s the point?

Conclusion

Want to “read a lot?” Here’s how you actually do it:

Specify reading triggers Read as little as you want — daily. Read the stuff you actually want to read. Read the formats you actually enjoy (audio junkies, unite!) Reward the hell out of the smallest improvement Discuss it with friends

Comment with your favorite book format! Let’s start a war!