This year I’ve only read about 12 books, that’s a mix of audiobooks, e-books, and physical books. I know that I can certainly do better and read more books next year. I’ve been exposed to different ways to consume books and I’m going to use that to my advantage to read more and set a loftier reading goal.

I’ve learned a lot about what works and what doesn’t work based on my experiences this year, it goes without saying that we all have different approaches to reading and I’m merely sharing my experience that I think would help some people.

Replace Social Media with Reading

Social media is an absolute and undeniable time-waster, I open Reddit then I find myself in a deep rabbit hole that ends up taking hours of my time. What if I could just replace that mindless time of scrolling with reading or listening to audiobooks. A simple replacement could help me drastically increase my reading time every day.

I know that’s an ambitious goal but I certainly think it’s doable. I’ve uninstalled social media apps on my phone and added Audible to my home screen. I also put physical books somewhere easily accessible, so whenever I have the urge to check Reddit or Twitter, I could easily see what I should be doing instead.

Bring a Book Wherever You Go

This pandemic didn’t give us a lot of options but to stay home. However, if you’re going for a quick walk or doing some errands, always bring a book with you. I find audiobooks perfect for this matter. Those little bits of time spent while waiting in line, sitting mindlessly, or doing something menial. I realized that I could burn through a couple of pages or so.

Follow Where Your Interests Take You

My bookshelf has been pretty mixed lately. I collect John Green novels and YA fiction but I also am interested in reading classics such as The Great Gatsby, Pride and Prejudice, Adventures of Tom Sawyer, etc. What I’m trying to say here is that you should always follow your interests when picking books. Don’t limit yourself to only classics or only YA. You should explore and broaden your horizons.

Reading a specific type or genre opens a whole new world of possibilities. You might discover that you have an ulterior inclination to Science Fiction or Horror. In conclusion, don’t limit yourself; there is so much to explore.

Next year, I’m going to be optimistic and set a bigger goal for myself. I’m going to keep my past experiences in mind. I hope these small tips can help you in some way.