How I went from 2–3 books a year to 18 books in 6 months?

I have always thought of myself as an avid but a sporadic reader. Reading is something that I have always wanted to get better at. But I never built a consistent routine or a habit to sit down and read. I procrastinated most of the time (no sugarcoating there LOL). Despite making a new year’s resolution every year, I would end up reading just 2–3 books by the time a new year approached. And I would find myself making the same futile effort all over again.

At the start of 2020, I made a commitment to change that. I made a commitment to prioritize reading and dedicate just 30 minutes a day to books. I planned to read at least one book a month, a manageable but definitely a daunting task considering where I stood at that time. “If I can read 12 books in a year, that would be quite a feat,” I thought to myself. And I put that goal in my iBook app to help me track my progress.

Where do I stand after committing 30 minutes a day to reading for almost 6 months?

I finished reading my 18th book a couple of days back.

How did I do that?

Honestly, by taking it one day at a time. Once you learn to do that, those 30 minutes pile up. And you find yourself achieving what you had considered impossible at one point.

Of course, committing 30 minutes a day is not a walk in the park. I had to constantly struggle to carve out 30 minutes and make myself focus every single day. However, reading is contagious. Once you get into a rhythm, the lull of other distractions and things you usually consider important (they are not) starts to dissipate. And of course, WFH helps too.

A few things I have learned along the way:

First, life is mostly made up of mundane things. Not flashy stuff that we usually tend to flaunt in public. Building a habit of reading over the past few months has helped me build my routine around things I enjoy doing; no matter how monotonous they might seem. At the end of the day, those are the things that make up your every day (and hence, your life).

Second, you can achieve any goals that you put your heart into, you just need to have a strong “why”. My “why” at the start of 2020 was that I wanted to be a better reader than I was the day before. And that “why” has kept me going for 6 months and will continue to drive me in the future.

Third, it is super important to build a system or a set of principles that helps you move towards your goals. Smartphones and social media, or any other piece of technology, can be super distracting. All you need to do is realize that these platforms thrive on your time and attention. They are built to crack your psychological vulnerabilities. Make sure that you build a system where these platforms, whatever they might be, serve you. Not the other way around.

Fourth, building a habit takes time and patience. You cannot expect for everything to go smoothly. There will be days that put you down. And that is okay. The key is to brush off any of those days with a smile and get back up. Such days are necessary for your growth.

Last but not least, start reading. If there is one thing that I would recommend to anyone who wants to grow intellectually, it would be learning from other people. People who are either experts in their domains, have already been through experiences you find yourself in or people you find inspirational. Just pick up that book you have always wanted to read. Start with just 10 minutes a day. You will be surprised how far those few minutes can get you.

I think that’s enough wisdom for now LOL.

For me it is time to get back to find the next 18 books for the rest of my year!