The Only Way to Develop a Reading Habit

Every new year, new month, and a new week,  you pledge and set yourself a goal: "Read more books."

But:

You struggle to achieve your goals.  You easily get bored and distracted.  Reading feels like a chore to you and you would rather do something else.

So, if you are keenly interested to answer your questions like, 

"How can I make reading, not a chore, and instead enjoy the book? 

"How to make reading a regular habit?"

then, this post is for you. 

Okay, let's dive in!

"Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going." - Jim Ryun

Firstly,

As the quote suggests, if you want to develop a reading habit then the first thing that you wanna do is to motivate yourself to read. And, to motivate yourself, you have to know the factors that motivate you. 

Confused?

Okay, let me simplify it for you. Just stay still, think through, and answer this question. 

"Why is it that you want to develop a reading habit even when you feel bored and dislike it ?" 

A few minutes later:

I hope you got your answer because that answer is your motivation behind you trying to develop a reading habit. 

Now, your motive can be anything. But, if it's not powerful enough to be backed up with your determination then you will fail. For instance, if you are trying to get into reading just because everybody around you enjoys reading, then sooner or later you will definitely give up. 

Because:

"Developing a habit is about following what you wanna do, not following what others do." 

Now, if I have to be honest then YES, I did start reading because most of my friends used to read. Does that mean, I didn't wanna feel left out so I joined my friends? NO.

What actually got me into reading was not because of the herd mentality but because the benefits of reading were so incredible that I could clearly witness it among my friends. They had an amazing vocabulary and their writing skills were outstanding. So, look at the irony. I used to easily get bored and distracted and I disliked reading. But, because English is my second language and I was so desperate to learn and improve, I immediately got into reading. 

That was my motivation factor. I know it might sound really cliche and vague but, just think of it.

Why do you go to the gym even when you know its a physical torture to yourself? To be fit and healthy. Right? Yes, it's the same concept with reading as well. What I'm trying to say is, other people, can give you the inspiration to read but to actually develop a reading habit, you need to motivate yourself. It should come from within. 

I started merely with the hope of developing my writing skills and vocabulary. But, along my reading journey, there were much greater and life-changing benefits that I experienced myself.  I even wrote a whole post on the incredible benefits of reading. If you haven't read it yet then I strongly recommend you to. This is because human beings have a tendency to work only when there's a benefit attached to it. So, if you aren't motivated enough to start reading yet, just understand it's benefits and imagine the way it can change your life. 

But again, as I mentioned earlier, your motivation factor can be anything. As long as it's powerful enough to drive your determination, you are good to go.

And, thus, I conclude: "Motivation is the key"

Share this post: