How to Become a Regular Reader and Enjoy It!

In 2008, I made a resolution to read 50 books by the end of the year. At the time, I wondered whether or not it was a good idea to set that goal for myself -- I always loved reading, but would having a set number of books to reach make it more intimidating, and perhaps less enjoyable? Would it have an adverse affect my schoolwork, seeing as I'm an English major already overloaded with reading assignments? Well, in the end, I was glad that I did it. I felt so accomplished, in fact, that I have embarked on a similar challenge for 2009, increasing my goal to 60 books by the end of the year.

I get a mixture of responses when I tell people of my 60 book challenge. Some are horrified, others amazed, and others downright dismissive, doubting that it is even possible. People always want to know how often I read, what types of books I read, and so on. Most often, though, I think people are curious as to how I plan to finish, and what my "technique" is. In response, I've decided to outline the ways in which you, too, can buckle down and stay on track with whatever your reading goals may be. Whether you have a set number in mind for a certain time period or simply want to read more regularly, here are my tips:

Set aside the time.

For those of us who love to read, completing a reading challenge is really all about having the time to dedicate to it. If you fall behind in an attempt to read 60 books by the end of the year, there's pretty much no recovering from that -- 60 books a year works out to slightly more than one book a week! Take a two-week vacation from work or put aside your books during a final exam period and you're looking at a much tighter schedule. The key is to implement reading into your daily schedule rather than setting aside "extra" time to read, which can cause it to fall down on our list of priorities.

As a college student involved in a lot of extracurricular activities and leadership positions on campus, I know it can be hard to change anything in your schedule to fit another "regular" task. This is not necessary! There are plenty of ways to make reading a regular part of your day without putting aside other activities. Try reading on the bus or the train -- it's not like there's much else to do aside from listening to your iPod. Get motion sickness? Grab a book while eating breakfast or on your lunch break. Eat breakfast in the car? Then carry a book in your bag throughout the day -- you'd be surprised at how many opportunities there are while you're standing in line or waiting to meet up with a friend. Even if you only get a few pages in here and there, it adds up at the end of the day.

Send yourself reminders.

Yet another problem with keeping up a regular reading schedule is that many of us are simply forgetful. We start reading a book regularly each night, but put it aside during a particularly busy day and suddenly forget about the story we were so enveloped in. Before you know it, you have to reread all of it in order to catch up to where you were. Don't fall into this trap! Keep your books on your nightstand and write yourself reminders. Another option is signing up for dailylit.com, a website that allows you to sign up for a particular books and receive installments of it in your e-mail or via RSS. The best part about this website is that you get to decide how frequently and when you receive these installments, down to the minute of the day! You can sign up for one e-mail a day, opt to skip weekends, or choose whatever is best for you. If you're having an easy day and want more, you can request the next installment immediately, so you're never limited to one short segment a day, either.

We all procrastinate -- use it to your advantage!

Let's face it, getting work done is never our favorite thing to do, and as driven as some of us are, we all fall into this trap. As I mentioned in my last point, time can be a big issue for many of us. When people inquire about my book challenge, they are often curious as to how I get anything else done during the day, usually saying something along the lines of "I procrastinate so much to begin with, I can't imagine how much worse it would get if I had that to do, too." There's an easy solution to this problem: use reading to procrastinate. I know it sounds like a dangerous idea, perhaps because it may give you a somewhat legitimate excuse to forget about your other obligations, but I've found that the opposite is true. Instead of watching television or playing video games, my "easy" time during the day is not only more productive and useful, but it also encourages me to get more work done. Steering me away from mindless entertainment, reading keeps me on track and motivated throughout the day. When I'm in the middle of a particularly good book, that's all the more reason to work harder during the day -- then I get to have extra reading time at night, and I can see what happens next!

Read what interests you.

This is an important one. The reason many people dread reading is simply because they are not reading the right books. Don't force yourself to pick up whatever your best friend is reading or the biggest bestseller of the moment. The same books aren't going to interest everyone, so find something you know you'll enjoy and it could change the entire reading experience for you. Watch a lot of House MD or Lie to Me on TV? Pick up some Sherlock Holmes or similar mysteries. Big history buff? Try some historical biographies or other non-fiction. On a diet? Pick up some weight loss and fitness books from the store -- those count, too!

It's easy to get excited about reading once you rid yourself of the notion that reading is a chore. In school while growing up, we're conditioned to hate reading because of the boring material, the inflexible requirements, the constant quizzing and other repercussions. Even some of my fellow English majors have this mindset, and they're majoring in a subject that requires a lot of reading -- by choice! This shows that we all know reading can be fun, and we all have at least a few good memories of reading experiences, but they tend to get overshadowed by the negative ones, which we've all also had. This is an absolute shame, and it's important that we teach ourselves to love reading again by reading what we want on our own time.

And finally, relax!

Maybe a challenge like mine isn't right for you. Maybe a set reading time each night won't work for you either -- and that's okay! In the end, reading should be fun, and putting unnecessary pressure on yourself only causes further distaste for the activity. The key to keeping up with your goals, however specific or broad they may be, is to enjoy what you're doing -- so find what works for you, and start looking forward to the books you're reading.

Happy reading, everyone!