On finding time to read
I occasionally get emails asking how I manage to find time to read. This is my usual reply:
Finding time for reading usually means finding ways to convince myself to move reading higher up my list of priorities. Here are a few ideas/mind hacks that encourage me to do that:
- Keep a book with you all the time. I always carry a book with me when I go out, so if I’m waiting somewhere, it helps avoids boredom, and allows some progress with a book.
- I keep the phone in the next room when I’m reading, so I’m not interrupted by WhatApp messages every few minutes.
- I buy more books than I can read right now. (There are about 30 unread books with me now.) Having multiple options allows me to pick whatever I’m feeling like reading right now.
- I often read multiple books in parallel - if I’m stuck and not in the mood to read one book, I can quickly switch to something else. I try to make the books as different as possible (like one novel and a programming book, or fiction + non-fiction).
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