Benefits of habit “Reading”
✓ Enriches your vocabulary
✓ Gives you more conversation topics
✓ Offers a broader world view
✓ Enriches imagination
✓ Increases focus
First step:
Read one page per day
Progress:
1. Start with 1 page per day. Do this for a week
2. Increase the number of pages to 2 per day for another week
3. Keep increasing the number on following weeks until you feel happy with results
Helpful tips to make it a habit:
✓ Same time of the day. One important factor is getting used to reading in general. Try setting yourself some time before going to sleep for a few good pages.
✓ Set a trigger. Keep the book you are reading on your nightstand so that you don’t forget about it;
✓ Set a reminder. You can use this app to remind yourself you are about to start your nightly routine of a reading a good book.
✓ Make it a challenge. Use the app to openly challenge your friends to develop same habit OR make your own goal public with consequences in case of failure. Make up your own consequences, something that you wouldn’t want to do no matter what.
✓ Reward yourself. In short term, after every time you consciously chose this habit, pat yourself on the back and tell yourself how awesome you just did. In long term, once you finish a book, see if the movie lived up to the fame. Or check out another book’s adaptation to help you pick your next read.
✓ Find a routine. Think of your daily routine and chose a habit you already have that reading can follow naturally. For example, every night before going to sleep, instead of watching TV or looking at your phone, read a book instead.
Tips for beginners:
✓ Decisions, decisions… Try figuring out what you would like to read. Do you prefer reading about a world where magic reigns, where science has advanced beyond your wildest dreams, or something for the soul?
Movies are great but not the whole picture. A lot of screen adaptations are out there, but they don’t always reflect the author’s vision. If you find it difficult ✓ to imagine characters and events, watch the movie to kick-start your view of that world
✓ Popularity is earned, not given. There is a vast amount of reasons why certain books are popular, and these reasons can apply to you. Before you get a taste for reading, go through the most popular lists
✓ Ask it shall be given. Ask your best friends for book recommendations. Friends tend to have similar tastes
✓ Browsing helps. Go into a bookstore and browse what is on offer. Most bookstore also show best sellers that might be interesting for you
✓ Quality over quantity. Don’t rush reading. It’s ok to stop and check what certain words or expressions mean. It’s all part of the process of enriching your vocabulary.
