With summer in full swing, it's time to contemplate how our resolutions have fared in the new year. For those of us who resolved to read more, now might be the moment when we must come to terms with the fact that we read one novel really, really quick — and let the rest of the year swallow us whole. Life, we might be feeling, is just too busy to read more. Au contraire, friends. Life is busy — totally true. Still, there are always ways to squeeze more time out of the day, and when the purpose of that squeezing is reading, I bet you'll be up for the corseting.
You can sneak more reading into your day starting ... now.
Before you make any change (and remember, tiny changes amount to bigger changes when they gain steam via repetition), be sure you're clear about your goals. Specificity is your friend. If you want to read more poems, fantastic. More novels? Terrific. More personal essays? Rad. The point is not to limit yourself to one genre or another but to have a sense of what you're after. Ask yourself why you want to read more each day — and then don't let yourself forget what's driving you.
Ready for the practical stuff? Here are 10 ways to put the squeeze on your day and turn more pages.
And Be Sure To Keep A Book Under Your Pillow
Or on your nightstand. (But don't stay up all night, because weird things happen to your body.)
Read Everywhere
Do you need to look at your phone while you're in line for a coffee or waiting to pick up lunch? Not unless there's reading on your phone.
Read What You Care About Reading
If you have a NYTimes addiction but your goal wasn't to read more news, be careful that you don't default to your current reading habits.
Talk To Other Readers
You know — people you want to impress! Talking to them will get you excited about what's on your TBR list — and it'll most likely inspire you to add a few more titles.
Treat Yourself
Sure, mimosas and leather goods are good, but so are books. If you're trying to read more, keep yourself in titles you'll want to pick up!
And Prioritize
Respect reading for the gift that it is. Give yourself the time and space to finish that book. Schedule your reading time. Make it a part of your time, instead of something you do when you can squeeze it in between other activities.
Don't Be Afraid To Say No
Because you're never gonna swim in that book club, if you can't turn down some non-reading invitations.
