Harper wanted to read more often. But she never seemed to have the time to do it. When the topic came up at her local PTA meeting, another mom passed along a few tips she’d learned that allowed her to read forty books a year or roughly 3.33 books a month. Here’s what she shared…

Create a Daily Page Goal

The first way to begin reading more is to set a daily page goal. In the beginning of your journey, start small. It’s good to aim for five to ten pages if you don’t regularly read as this will get you into the habit of picking up a book daily.

As time goes on, you may find that you want to challenge yourself even more. You might set a new goal to read twenty, thirty, or even fifty pages a day. A good reading goal should stretch you but not overwhelm you.

Choose a Reading Routine

Besides knowing how much you’ll read, it can be helpful to know when in the day you’ll get your reading in. For example, you might decide that instead of checking your email on your phone in the mornings, you’d rather take those 20 minutes and reading a few pages.

Some people opt to read before bed. But be careful with this approach. It’s easy to fall asleep in the middle of your reading and if you prefer to read horror or other disturbing content, the book may negatively impact your sleeping patterns.

Take Advantage of Wait Times

Thanks to the rise of electronic readers, it’s easier than ever to carry a book (or five) with you. Pay attention to wait times during your day and use those to get a few pages in rather than mindlessly scrolling social media.

Harper’s friend from the PTA shared that she loves to read her cozy mysteries while she waits for her kids in the carpool line. Not only does she get more reading in but she’s less stressed about traffic this way.

Keep a TBR Stack

If you’re not familiar with the expression, a “TBR” stack or pile is a “to be read” catalogue of books you plan to read. You can create a special category for TBR books on your bookshelf or add a few books you can’t wait to read onto your tablet in a special folder.

By keeping material around that you’re excited to read, you’ll look forward to snatching a few minutes here and there. In fact, you may find yourself reading more often and for longer periods of time.

Reading is a wonderful hobby but don’t fall into the trap of thinking you need to spend hours on it every day. Even reading for as little as 15 minutes can be a fun and relaxing escape from everyday life.

CTA: Discover the exciting world of audio books when you download your free workbook!