A year ago I started reading again.
I say “again” because, just like the countless friends and colleagues I have spoken who have also been swept in the reading Renaissance who is currently reforming the book industry – the American market is expected to grow from $ 40.5 billion in 2024 to $ 51.5 billion by 2030 parenthood.
Reading too long was banned to vacations – and even then I would be lucky to get through a full book.
But something shifted last year. Twelve months later I read more than 100 books and listened to much more about audio. I sleep better, emphasize less, have a better balance between work/life and – for the first time in years – have a real hobby that is purely for my personal pleasure.
Small but strategic changes
How did I do it? Call it a perfect storm: I entered the world of booktok, eventually succumbed to the siren call of the Kindle and I brought a few small but strategic lifestyle changes that opened a whole new world of reading. Below I have included five of the tactics that helped me to make a priority (read the other ten on my substit, Two truths).
My method will not apply to every person or be conducive to every career: I am primarily a parent of two young children who work at home in the margin of my “free” time as a writer. But it is my hope that some of what worked for me will also help you find more free time – whether it is to read one book, 100 books or do something else.
1. I usually read three different books at the same time. This may sound chaotic, but hear me. Here is how I split my method with three books. . .
- One book is on my childWho travels with me everywhere, so that I can fill all the free moments (waiting for the doctor’s office, sitting on the pick-up of the school or standing in line in the supermarket) by sneaking on a few pages. This is also what I read at night when the books of my children is ready before going to sleep and I wait for them to brave – the screen of the tablet has a dark mode that does not bother them, and it is a nice way to wrap my day.
- One is a hard copySomething from the library, or something that I want to annotate (I appreciate the aesthetic nostalgia of markers and sticky tabs). This is how I read most of my non -fiction, which I prefer to keep in my hand. Since these books are often for work, research or self -improvement, I often read them in the morning (more about it below), during a nap, or while both children play independently.
- One is an audio bookWhat I listen to while I’m driving or working at my house. I notice that I regularly clean up cupboards or reorganize the pantry, so that I have an excuse to keep listening to a book. I usually reserve my audio books for easier to follow, lightly read. That way, when I get distracted and miss something, I will not be completely lost.
2. I stopped watching unintended TV. There was a time when I would end the day by crashing on the couch and looking for something to look before I inevitably ended up at the office (… again). Now I only watch TV if I really want to invest my time in a series, and I really can’t emphasize how much time this is open for me in the evening.
3. I wake up early and read before the children wake up. I never thought I would say this (I have never been a morning person), but having young children trained my body to wake up at 5 o’clock nowadays, they usually sleep up to 6 – but when the house is still quiet when I become, I have the chance to read a few pages of my book before the day starts. It is a peaceful ritual that loves my phone – and away from notifications and brainless scrolling – until I am ready to tackle what is waiting.
4. I keep a walking list in my notes -app for every book I have read, plus a few emojis or keywords to represent how I felt about it. This helps me to remember what I loved or did not like a book, which is crucial if someone asks me for a reading recommendation. I also like the feeling of satisfaction that comes from scrolling through my list.
5. I chose to give priority to reading and then built boundaries around it. Bottom Line: I could certainly do a large number of other things during the extra time I dug out of my days and nights; The unpacked boxes that have been in my basement two years ago since our move would probably want a word. Maybe I miss a number of great series or films that I would have come across, and I could always tackle my overflowing inbox in that open hour at 5 hours, but for me reading offers a pretty difficult and accessible escape from the news, noise and inevitable dilemmas that appear every day – and those moments of peace.
#read #books #working #mother #year