“I used to love reading as a kid…I don’t know what happened.”
You’ve recognized how important reading is for your success as an entrepreneur and communicator. In a nutshell, reading can:
- stimulate creativity, allowing you to innovate as your business grows,
- help you establish a reputation of credibility and authority in a field by broadening your knowledge base, and
- open you up to forming new connections as you learn how to bridge the gap between you and your potential clients through information and storytelling.
“What I know for sure is that reading opens you up. It exposes you and gives you access to anything your mind can hold.”
Oprah
There’s just one pesky little problem. Somewhere between reading Harry Potter in middle school and today, your love for reading has vanished, as if by magic…and you have no idea how to get it back.
Well, today’s your lucky day because this post is designed specifically for you!
Don’t worry if you can’t remember the last book you finished, or if you’ve only been reading things that are absolutely essential for work. We’ve all been there.
Over the last several years, I have been dedicated to regaining my love for reading. As a communication coach, I’ve also helped my students rediscover their passion for books. Along the way, I’ve found that certain key actions to re-establishing a reading habit that doesn’t feel like a chore.
It is possible not only to improve your reading habit, but to fall in love with reading all over again. In this post, I’m sharing my top tips as a communication coach to get back into reading!
Let’s dive in…
7 Tips to bring back your love for reading
1. Don’t read it if it’s boring
If there is one common mistake among people who are trying to get back into reading, it’s this: feeling that you have to finish a book once you start it.
I don’t know who implanted this idea into our minds as we grew up, but I’d like their number ’cause I’ve got a bone to pick with them.
Now, I’m not saying there isn’t some merit to the notion of powering through a difficult book in certain situations – especially if you’ve already successfully re-incorporated reading into your lifestyle. But if you’re newly trying to re-establish a reading habit, feeling forced to finish something that’s too heady or that bores you is a surefire way to kill your bookish buzz. (Cue you avoiding reading like the plague.)
Let’s be clear – when you’re trying to fall in love with reading, boredom is not the feeling you’re aiming for. Yet boredom is such an easy trap to fall into. Why?
Simple. Because if you’ve decided to get back into reading, it’s likely with a specific intention. This means you probably have decided to start reading a book that’s been recommended to you, or that you’ve heard great things about, and that you want to learn from. But because you’re so out of the practice of reading, starting with that book can feel like jumping in the ocean when you haven’t swum in years – you might not drown but staying afloat is exhausting.
Luckily, the solution is easy. Remove the pressure!
If you’re not feeling a book, move on. And in case you’re reluctant because of what society has taught you, consider this official permission to find something new. I encourage you to find a book that does interest you, something that is easy to read.
Don’t feel bad that you haven’t finished another book, and please, stop judging yourself. It’s okay, I promise. No one is keeping tabs. The world is not going to end. You’re just finding something that suits you better in this moment.
And actually, finding a book that makes reading feel exciting and easy at this stage in your journey will be far more beneficial in the long run than trying to make it work with a book that’s a snooze fest.
2. Re-read something you love
After my first tip, maybe you’re wondering what an appropriate book choice would be after years of not reading. My recommendation is revisiting a past love; re-read a book that inspired you in the past.
This can be anything – fiction or non-fiction, short or longform writing, technical or abstract. (Seriously. Go grab Harry Potter off the shelf if you have to.) The point is that this book should feel easy for you to read. It should be something that makes you feel good. And it should be something that you can finish.
When re-establishing any habit, it is important to remove barriers and points of resistance. Here, your first and hardest challenge is finishing your first book. Choosing something that you’ve already read and loved will give you a fighting chance to complete this initial challenge.
A common thought you may have when beginning to read again is, “Can I actually do this?” Since you are beginning by re-reading a book, your brain can logically support that you will finish the book because it has already witnessed you having done so in the past. And by choosing a book that you loved or even felt inspired by, you’re reinvigorating a mental connection that reading is in fact enjoyable.
So, set yourself up for success. Make reading feel easy, feel good, and something you will finish by starting with a book you already love.
3. Speed reading is overrated
A major pet peeve of mine is speed reading. In our society, I feel there is too much of an emphasis on overconsumption of knowledge with little emphasis on internalizing what we have learned. What’s the point in learning all the lessons if you’re moving too fast to meaningfully apply them to your life?
Reading at your own pace allows you to take the time you need to process the information you’re reading and see how it relates to your life and business. This where the magic truly lies.
Don’t judge yourself for being a slow reader. You’re not going to miss out because it took you a little longer to read than the next person. On the contrary, reading at a rate that feels natural to you will ensure you catch nuance and help you take action more thoughtfully.
4. Make reading inevitable
When creating or re-establishing a habit, a powerful piece of advice is make it inevitable.
How does that play out for a reading habit? Well, make it easy to read in any situation, no matter how much or how little time you have.
I have found that the easiest way for doing this is by striking a balance between book type and book subject.
Book type
At any given time, I will have open one audiobook, one digital book, and one physical book. There are countless studies that detail the benefits of each of these forms of book consumption (stay tuned for a future blogpost on this!). But here, the reasoning for having access to each of these book types is basic: certain book types can make reading easier in different environments.
For example, if you’re doing an activity that can be done more or less on autopilot – like walking or driving – you can’t hold and look at a physical book. However, an audiobook will allow you to “read” in these situations, thus using your time to foster your reading habit. Similarly, a physical book is often a great choice if you’re wanting to establish a bedtime reading habit because it avoids connection with devices. And a digital book can allow you to access a book at your literal fingertips when you have only a few minutes to spare.
In all of these environmental situations, having alternative book types as options makes incorporating reading into your daily routine more of an inevitability.
Book subject
For some people, it is easiest to focus on one book at a time. For others, it may be advisable to read a few different books with different subject matters at the same time.
What does this look like? Maybe you read three different books at the same time: a fictional novel, a book relating to business/entrepreneurship, and a non-fiction book relating to a hobby/interest.
The purpose of taking this approach is to avoid avoidance. If you read only one book at a time, you may avoid reading at certain times of the day simply because of the subject of the book, not because you’re actually adverse to reading.
For example, if you’re reading a book about business, you may avoid reading at bedtime when you have time and want to read. This is because you don’t want to think about work just prior to going to bed when you’re trying to relax and unwind.
By having a few books with multiple subject areas open, you can avoid making an excuse not to read by simply choosing a different book.
Again, make reading inevitable.
5. Make it a ritual
Speaking of a bedtime reading habit…
One of the best ways to set yourself up for success when creating a new habit is habit stacking.
James Clear, the author of Atomic Habits, describes habit stacking:
“Habit stacking is a special form of an implementation intention. Rather than pairing your new habit with a particular time and location, you pair it with a current habit.”
In his book, Clear defines the habit stacking formula as:
After/Before [CURRENT HABIT], I will [NEW HABIT].
If you’re trying to establish a bedtime reading habit, using the habit stacking formula, it may look something like this:
After I brush my teeth, I will set a timer and read my book for ten minutes.
According to Clear, “The reason habit stacking works so well is that your current habits are already build into your brain. You have patterns and behaviors that have been strengthened over years. By linking your new habits to a cycle that is already built into your brain, you make it more likely that you’ll stick to the new behavior.”
Wise words.
(For more on habit stacking, visit James Clear’s website and/or read his book, Atomic Habits.)
6. Broaden your scope
If you’re rediscovering reading after a several-year hiatus, don’t let personal limitations get in your way. Exploring new fields and styles of writing can actually be beneficial and inspiring.
It is easy to think that we know ourselves completely, especially as we get older. But in the process of rediscovery, it’s important to remember that time changes us, our tastes, and what we are receptive to.
I often see people who are getting back into reading place limitations on what they can or cannot read. Usually, this involves people thinking they should only read non-fiction books that directly relate to their field, entrepreneurship, or self-development, especially if they feel they have limited time they can devote to reading.
Though this position is understandable, I feel like people are missing out.
In a recent blogpost, I shared the importance of broadening the scope of what we read, both in subject area and writing style, as we establish stronger reading habits in the pursuit of improved communication.
“Learning about something entirely new can help with storytelling and bridging language gaps between you and your audience. It can give you the insight you needed to simplify a complex topic more effectively. It may even help you to collaborate, innovate, and create something even more impactful than you originally aimed…
…Sometimes fiction is the only medium in which an author can describe a profound theory because our present world isn’t equipped to support studying it. When you’re open and vulnerable, the rhythm of reading a poem aloud can suddenly awaken ideas you didn’t even know you had within you. And you never know when scientific data will inspire artistic beauty.”
The takeaway – stay open to reading all kinds of books. Just because it didn’t resonate with you ten years ago, doesn’t mean it won’t be the piece of profound inspiration you’re craving today.
7. Quantity vs. quality – The balance strikes back
As we close out these tips, I want to talk about the concept of balance.
Across the internet and on social media, I see what can only be described as a trend toward reading as many books as possible in a year. It seems not a day goes by that I don’t see an entrepreneur posting something about CEOs reading an average of sixty books a year. There are content creators sharing reading journals and small business owners starting book clubs. There are even businesses who claim to read for you, providing summaries of the top-rated business books.
What do I think about all this?
Honestly – I feel that exposure to the type of content described above can be confusing due to its lack of perspective and personalization.
In the last few years, I’ve tried different styles of reading practices. First, I spent a whole year reading a book a week (52 books total). The following year, I picked 12 books that touched on different aspects of my life that I want to improve upon; I spent a month reading and studying each one in detail. Now, I’m in my third year of this experiment, doing a somewhat hybrid approach.
What I’ve learned from this is that each style of reading practice has extreme benefits. I also learned that it’s not just that different people are suited to the different styles, but also that the style of reading practice that suits a given individual can change at any time, given the stage they’re at in their life or entrepreneurial journey.
My advice to you in all of this is to focus on self-awareness. Learning about trends in any field can be enlightening and something you want to try, but don’t be fooled into thinking that following the trend is the only way to be successful. Every few months, evaluate what is working for you, and what isn’t, and recalibrate. Finding your own balance is an on-going process because you are constantly evolving – and that’s a good thing.
Recap
I hope you find it useful to incorporate these seven tips into your plan for rekindling your passion for reading. Which tips did you find most useful?
If you’d like to discuss more about communication and reading, feel free to direct message me on Instagram!
