Take The First Step of Your Reading Journey
It is easier than you expected
Disclaimer: A short version of this post has originally been published on Medium.
In this new year, are you planning to cultivate a reading habit and “become a reader”?
Do you always hope to pick up a book but can’t make the time?
Let’s change that today.
A few changes of mindset are all that it will take to bring about this change in your life.
You Are Not Trying But You Are
This is the first change you need to pursue. Simply put, shift your perspective from “I want to become a reader” or “I am trying to become a reader” to “I am a reader”.
Changing your beliefs can go a long way in developing a reading habit. We become what we believe in. Just as you’re more likely to make your bed in the morning when you “believe” you’re a tidy person, you’re more inclined to pick a book when you identify as a reader.
Believing you are a reader will push you to make aligned choices. You are more likely to visit your library when you think of yourself as a reader. You are more likely to make time for reading in your daily routine when you start portraying your image as a reader.
Reading Is About Consistency And Not Quantity
Get rid of the notion that you need to read 100 pages per day, or read every day before you can call yourself a reader. That’s not true. You are a reader if you read consistently.
For example, a daily visit to the gym is not required to be mindful of one’s health. If you exercise and eat healthy regularly, you are a health-conscious person. Similarly, you are a reader, as long as you regularly incorporate reading into your routine.
Don’t let anyone convince you that you must read 100 books in one year, or read from certain genres before you can identify as a reader. Reading is personal, and your choices are as valid as the next person’s. So, read at your own pace and read from your preferred genres.
The important thing is that you pick up a book. How quickly you finish it or what genre it belongs to doesn’t impact your identity as a reader.
Reading Is A Privilege
Stop looking at reading as a chore that you HAVE to do. Start thinking about reading as something you GET to do.
You get to read all the awesome stories that are available in the world. You get to know the different worlds authors have built with much love and care.
Once you stop treating reading as a tick mark on your to-do list, you can start making reading an enjoyable activity. Reading can be an activity that relaxes you after a stressful day at work. Reading can become a part of your slow mornings. Reading can also be treated as reward for making a deadline at work.
From the moment you start taking delight in reading, the pressure to read will evaporate and you will find yourself making excuses to pick up a book.
Take Pride In Reading
Start taking pride in your “reader” self. When someone asks about your hobbies, announce that you read loud and clearly.
You cook more often when you are proud of your culinary skills. You are more likely to keep your desk tidy when you take pride in your organizational skills. On the other hand, you are less likely to invite people over if you are unsure about your hosting abilities.
On a similar note, when you pridefully embrace reading as one of your personality traits, reading and making time for it will come naturally. You won’t find yourself making excuses for not being able to read. Rather you’ll end up looking for opportunities where you can fit in some reading time.
Reading is a wonderful activity. Trust me, I have been doing it since I was a school-going kid. Knowing the story of a random character can bring immense joy and satisfaction. You wouldn’t know of this pleasure unless you pick a book.
There will be times when you do not like what you have read. That’s ok. You do not enjoy every movie you watch or every song you listen to. Don’t give up on reading just because of one bad experience.
Find the reader in you. Trust that reader and pick up your first book. Comment and let me know if the tips above helped you begin your reading journey.