Tips for Building a Daily Reading Habit

Want to read more? Try these 3 things to reinvigorate your reading habit: 1) Put down books you're not into One of my biggest blockers to sustaining a reading habit was getting stuck on books I didn't really like. They'd sit next to my bed, go with me on trips, occasionally opened and then quickly set down, and the habit would grind to a halt. If you're not into the book, release yourself from the pressure of needing to FINISH it. Put it back on the shelf and instead... 2) Reread books you LOVE This one has been a *gamechanger* for me. For some reason, there's this idea out there that rereading books you've already read is a waste. After all, there are so many books! Why reread? But I've come to discover that, for building the HABIT of reading, rereading (especially fiction) is a FANTASTIC way to get yourself back into it. When rereading, you're not reading for comprehension, but for enjoyment. When you already know the story, instead of trying to follow key plot points, you can savor all the little details, the memorable moments, the character development, etc. This year, I've gone back and reread some old fantasy and sci-fi favorites from my youth and early adulthood and found myself DEVOURING these books in days or even hours. Suddenly, I'm filling time that might have often been spent just mindlessly scrolling with something more engaging and enriching. I'm reestablishing a habit that had gone dormant and doing so in a way that's FUN. It's gotten me to WANT to read again and made it easier to introduce new books too. Which leads to... 3) Have multiple types of books going at once Pair different genres: e.g. a fiction book and a non-fiction book. Or something familiar and something new. Having OPTIONS makes it much easier to switch books if you're not feeling one when you sit down to read (vs. switching to your phone). If I'm feeling too sleepy to give the American history book I'm in the middle of the attention it needs, I'll switch to the fast-paced fantasy series I've read before. Or if I'm feeling especially curious and ready to learn, I'll pick up the neuroscience book I'm currently fascinated by. Having multiple things going also helps prevent your reading habit from stalling once you finish a book and are trying to get into the next one. Audiobooks are also an excellent way to mix things up and give yourself additional reading options for when you're in different contexts or moods. Reading is such a vital habit to maintain, but in today's digital age of social media and short attention spans, it can be so easy to let it slip. I've at times gone months or even years without reading consistently. But these 3 tips have helped me reestablish this habit this year, and I'm so glad for it. What are your best practices for reinvigorating or maintaining your habit of reading?

How I started flossing and how you can build a new habit I disliked flossing. Every time, I visited the dentist, I was told that I should floss. I would try flossing for a day or two and then give up. I could never build a flossing habit. I came across BJ Fogg's book Tiny Habits. He introduces the Fogg behavior model: B = MAP B = Behavior, M = Motivation, A = Ability, P = Prompt A Behavior happens when Motivation, Ability, and Prompt come together. He gives an example of how to build a flossing habit using this model: After I brush my teeth, (to wire the habit into my brain), I will immediately floss one tooth. The focus is on the automaticity of the habit and not the size. He further adds that - People change best by feeling good, not by feeling bad. I loved the idea of flossing one tooth. I started by flossing one tooth after brushing, and I felt great that I was flossing — I didn't care that it was only one tooth. I started with one tooth and gradually built to more. In a few weeks, I was flossing all my teeth daily. I have rarely missed flossing my teeth since. If I ever felt like not flossing, I would switch back to flossing one tooth. I was able to translate this approach to other areas like reading. For reading, my trigger was — after I get in my bed, I will read one page. This has worked and helped me build a daily reading habit. The last thing I do now before going to sleep is read. Try this to build a new habit! #habits #habitstacking #tinyhabits

5 simple (yet effective) ways to read more books: To set the stage, I became a voracious reader in 2009 after I was laid off from my first job out of college. Suddenly, I had time on my hands — and I felt like I was free from the boundaries / reading “requirements” set during grade school & college. I began to notice how often the books I was reading were helping me think clearer, build new relationships, & and develop deeper connections. Since then, even though my time is more limited (young family, busy career, etc.), I’ve committed to continuing to find ways to read more books. Not just for the sake of reading more books or “flexing” how many books I’ve read — but because I genuinely believe reading more books makes me smarter, happier, & more connected. So, without further ado here’s 5 simple (yet remarkably effective) strategies I use to read more books — despite being busier than ever: 1) Read multiple books at one time I typically read 3-4 books in parallel. Having different books to read always keeps it interesting. If I’m not in the mood for one book, I pick up the other. 2) Give up if I don’t like it after 50 pages If it’s not a school assignment & you don’t like it — give up. My rule of thumb is to give any book I start at least 50 pages to hook me. 3) Keep books everywhere I typically keep an active book I’m reading on my nightstand, in the family room, in my car, & my backpack. That way, I can read in the “edges of time”. This is a phrase Polina Marinova Pompliano uses to describe how she *wrote* her book — I use it to describe how I read books. Pro tip: Having a book in my car is a great way to get reading in over the weekend in between carpools & kids activity runs. 4) Highlight & underline I read with a pen nearby & underline things that are interesting to me. This is mostly for non-fiction but I will highlight quotes I want to remember in fiction too. Having the notes is a great way to increase the ROI on your reading — you’re more likely to remember & weave what you read into your daily life. It also makes it easy to refer back to books you read in the past. 5) Share your love for reading I’m constantly quoting books & sharing ideas in business meetings, podcasts, & conversations with friends. I often recommend books to clients & friends that I think they’ll enjoy. Sometimes, I even mail a book with a handwritten note. Most importantly, I’ve tried to instill a love for reading in my young daughters. We’re constantly reading together, talking about what they find at the school library, & browsing bookstores on the weekends. For example, this picture is from this weekend. I took my younger daughter to the bookstore while my older daughter was at a birthday party. It’s great daddy/daughter time — and makes my love for reading even more rewarding. *** If you enjoyed this, please share it to inspire others & follow me Andrew Moses for more in the future!