It may seem difficult, but I promise with daily discipline, reading can become routine
I loved to read as a child. But as time went on, other hobbies began to occupy my time. The practice of reading was unfortunately neglected.
This changed at the end of 2017. I told myself I wanted to read more and made it my goal to read 12 books, one for each month. Some months I finished two and some months I finished none. By the end of the year, I read eleven books, I was proud. This was 11 more than the year before.
In 2019, I increased my goal to 24 books. This was challenging. I just missed the mark, I only finished 22. But hey, I doubled my number from the previous year and I see that as a success!
My goal for 2020 is 50 books.
When I set my goals, I don’t pick specific books to read or follow a list. Rather, I read what I am interested in at the time. That said, this year I do have a few specific books that are on my list — Confessions by Saint Augustine, The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoyevsky, Celebrations of Discipline by Richard J. Foster, The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey.
I began this journey to read more because I wanted to become a proficient writer. I wanted to gain knowledge and wisdom from past and current writers, but the benefits of reading are endless.
I encourage you to read. It may seem difficult, but I promise with daily discipline, reading can become routine — a splendid one at that. Pick a specific environment, maybe it’s the bus, The Bullring, a cubicle in the library, wherever you are comfortable and set aside 15 to 30 minutes a day and just read. Make a quantifiable goal, give yourself a deadline and remember to reward yourself — perhaps with a new book. Aim to win. If you miss the mark, don’t beat yourself up. Look at where you came from and look to where you can go. Keep going, keep reading.
Photo by Alex Vialette
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