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Many of you might have noticed that I have been posting on social media lately about my reading goals and how to achieve them. As well as discussing a little about wanting a better system to organize my notes on the books I read. In a nut shell, I’m wanting to create better reading habits. Let’s get into this…

Creating habits can be daunting and a struggle in many ways. I believe it varies from person to person. Some say it takes 30 to 60 days to form a habit. Of course, in order to change or create a habit, one must discern their thought process and implement self-discipline. Also, that entails getting rid of bad habits. Psychology plays a central role in this.  

I’ve looked at my reading habits-or lack of-in a number of ways. A hundred books in a year or a book per week for a hundred weeks appeals to me but is it doable with my schedule? Let’s back up a moment. I used to easily read eight physical books a month, or sometimes a book in two days. Those days have been long gone for a while now.

Keep in mind that I’m not considering a number for reading for the sake of how many books I can read in a short period of time. To me that defeats the purpose of reading overall and there is no value in that. I’m wanting to challenge myself because I miss the reading habits I once had and I’ve noticed a vast difference-in several areas in my life- from the lack of…

I will admit I was having a burn-out phase, it lasted longer than I thought it would, but it wasn’t for the lack of interest in reading in itself. The reasons are personal and I know many would understand that.

I decided before I chose a challenge to work with, I needed to form better reading habits and to enhance my knowledge on certain themes of story-telling in the genres I typically don’t read. I have done so and it is working. What am I doing for form my new reading habits? Below is what I’m practicing at the moment to create new habits that is sustainable.

1. Read a few pages in the morning.
2. Read at lunch time.
3. Read a bit after dinner.
4. Settle for the evening an hour or so before bedtime and read.
5. On weekends I do this plus add in more reading time during the day. Especially on Sundays’.
6. Forming the habit to take a book with me whenever I go! You would be surprised how many more pages you can sneak in during the week just by doing that.
7. Taking better notes.

Is this working? Yes! I am pleasantly surprised with how this new schedule has made a positive impact on my outlook of daily reading.

Now let’s get into what I’ve decided my new reading challenge will be. I’m going to work towards completing a books per week. I do read a couple or more books at a time. If I complete more than a book per week, that will be great! However, I’m not going to stress about it. Completing a book per week in my current state is doable and a challenge that won’t be overwhelming.

The next posts related to this topic will be about why reading is important, my note taking process and how I want to organize my thoughts in a Bullet journal for 2021. Other topics include, how to become a better book reviewer. (Not going to deny it, my writing has been lazy in several areas and it is time to change that.) As I discuss these topics, I will include others that relates to confidence building, tips about finding the right book and other pertinent subjects that you might find useful.

My expectation is to encourage meaningful reading habits to everyone. Or if you are not a reader, to consider becoming one. I attest that you will enrich your life in many ways you would have never thought possible.

Stephanie Hopkins