How To Read More: 4 Proven Methods To Succeed

“Reading is still the main way that I both learn new things and test my understanding.”

-Bill Gates

This post is for you if you are someone who struggles to pick up a book -or finds yourself distracted after reading a few pages. A lot of people wonder how to read more and get more out of books. But they fail to address the basic obstacles that stop them from doing so.

Successful people like Bill Gates and Steve Jobs have spent their entire life learning and figuring out numerous ways to find solutions to problems faced by humanity. There are thousands of people out there with a similar level of success in their respective fields. These people have squeezed their hard-earned knowledge and turned it into books, digital products, and podcasts. It will be criminal not to take advantage of these resources available to us at such nominal prices.

Read further if you want to learn how to read more and make the best of the time you spend reading. Here, I have listed 4 proven methods to help you read more.

1. Put reading in your daily schedule

When you write something down on a piece of paper, it becomes official. By adding this habit to your list of things to do, you are more likely to take it seriously. Most successful people start their day by reading newspapers and magazines related to their field. In fact, this is the best way to prep yourself up for the day ahead.  

Morning is the best time to read for people interested in self-help and personal development. It is great to consume motivational and inspirational content at the start of the day. By doing so, you can implement the lessons you have learned in real life throughout the day. This is the reason successful people spend more than an hour reading books early in the morning. Everyone needs a dose of motivation every now and then.  

American businessman and investor Mark Cuban reads for 3 hours every day. He attributes his reading habit to his success in business and life. Reading gives him confidence and assurance to deal with any problem that comes his way. Of course, not everyone is going to have 3 hours every day just for reading. For the average person, even half an hour is a good start.

2. Read about your passions

By reading about your passions, you can fuel your mind to succeed professionally. Some people find it difficult to finish a book or get bored after reading just a few pages. Reading about something you like is the best way to avoid feeling fatigued. By doing so, you can go on reading for hours and won’t feel tired.  

Finding your passion is not easy. What if you don’t yet know what you like? It’s true that passion is not something that can be found in books. But reading gets your creative juices flowing and helps you unpack the hidden potential within.

You also gain more confidence and attain an air of certainty by reading about your passions. Confidence is very important in every area of your life. In my opinion, it comes from knowing the right way of doing things and having done it several times. In conclusion, if you are curious about how to read more, start by reading about your passions.

3. Choose the right environment

Libraries and reading halls are ideal places for people who can’t read in loud noisy places. Because you are required to put your phones on silent, as to not disturb yourself and others, you truly can read distraction free. If your home is a place with not much noise or distraction then that’s the perfect place for you to read in. If you can create a tiny reading nook in your home, then you will find yourself returning to the reading spot often. This is one of the reasons why people create comfortable reading corners in their homes.

That being said, many people who are just starting out their reading journey find their home environment too distracting, especially when there are people around always. If that is the case with you, then you can go to reading halls and libraries. If you don’t have access to places like those, then cafes work great too. There are cafes everywhere, so it is convenient for many. Just make sure that you don’t visit during rush hours. Our goal here is to find a peaceful environment. Rush hours will make it difficult for you to concentrate on your reading.

If you are unable to find a quiet place to read, there are things you can do to avoid getting distracted. If there is a lot of noise in your surroundings, just use earplugs or noise canceling headphones. They can easily cancel out 20-30 dB of noise. I use Bose QuietComfort 35 II. Best money I ever spent.

To avoid getting interrupted by your roommate or a family member, you can put up a “Do not disturb sign” on your door. There are many ways to create the ideal reading place. So don’t let distractions like external noise or other people around be an excuse.    

4. Switch to audiobooks

Sometimes we put off reading the books on our reading list due to a shortage of time. Not everyone can put aside 30-40 minutes a day for reading. Some of you might be working more than one job or losing a lot of time in the daily commute to work. This can cause tiredness; which is a big obstacle in picking up a book and being able to read it mindfully.

With audiobooks, you will be able to consume more content than you would from a paperback or ebook. You also feel deeply connected to the content because of the human touch. Hence, a better learning experience.

Another benefit of audiobooks is that you can listen to them while commuting to work. Most people spend at least two hours every day commuting. You can easily finish 4-5 books per month. Moreover, listening requires less focus and concentration than reading. So, you don’t have to worry about fatigue. So, just put on the headphones and enjoy the content.

So, if you are still wondering how to read more, download this mobile app called Audible. You own all the books you purchase, even if you decide to unsubscribe later. Moreover, you don’t have to worry about return policy. If you don’t like any book, just swap it for another; that too for free.

I hope these methods on how to read more will provide a boost to your personal development journey. I feel like, the biggest takeaway from this article is to read about your passions. Most of us are told what to read by social media or friends. But ideally, our goals and desires should lead us to the kind of books we read.