Building a Reading Habit #4: Finding the Time

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In building a reading habit, finding the time is critical. One of the most common reasons people don’t read is “I don’t have the time.” As mentioned in Building a Reading Habit #2, starting with a small time allocation is probably critical when going from “not being a reader” to being an everyday reader.

If your daily goal is five pages, and a page takes you two minutes to read, then you need only ten minutes daily to reach your goal. Even for the busiest of us, finding ten minutes is probably achievable. Even if you have to break it into two 5-minute sessions, getting ten minutes is not too hard to fit into a busy day.

If ten minutes of reading a day doesn’t seem like much, remember, the goal here is to create a reading habit, practice reading and concentrating every day, and finding those ten minutes every day to read something for enjoyment, for your enjoyment. If you find more time to read, then great! Consider it a bonus.

Suggestions on Finding the Time

• Leave for work five minutes early. When you get there, sit in your car or find a quiet place, and read for five minutes before starting. When you leave for home, wait an extra five minutes and read, then go home. Mission accomplished!

• Many people enjoy reading before bed. They find that reading before bed relaxes them. For many adults the time you spend in bed before going to sleep provides some of the easiest minutes to spend reading.

• Perhaps mornings are quiet for you. Get up 10 minutes early, or read while you have your coffee rather than surfing the internet or checking your social media. The internet and social media will still be there later (we checked!)

Starting small is the way to form habits. Breaking down the tasks, time increments and expectations into smaller increments will allow you to succeed at this and become “a reader.” Every page you read and every minute spent reading is a win.