Last year, I spent at least 20 minutes a day reading. This small daily habit resulted in me reading more than 100 books over the course of a year.
Of course, 100 books is just a vanity metric. But I am big believer in the power of reading for stimulating creativity, brain training and knowledge acquisition.
I don’t read particularly fast but I am very selective about what I read.
Keep reading if you want to develop a habit with absolutely zero downside and unlimited upside - reading more books!
What books do I read?
When I say that I read 100 books I am talking about non-fiction.
If you’re into reading fiction books, the goal should be to read less, not more.
A gripping story should be read slowly, cover to cover, chapter to chapter.
Fiction books are an opportunity to escape this world, enter another and lose all sense of time. There really isn’t anything better than a story that pulls you in.
I view non-fiction books as an opportunity to learn something. Another point of view, another worldview, a new skill, a new way of living, a new concept, a new strategy, a new tip etc.
I read widely about entrepreneurship, technology, psychology, writing, self-improvement, marketing, creativity, health, wealth and more.
The truth about non-fiction books
Most of them are shit. Simple as that.
Of the 100 books I read last year, I would say 90 were garbage, 7 were fine, 2 were great and 1 changed my life.
It’s that 1 book that I’m looking for.
Most non-fiction books are an opportunity for the author to monetize their knowledge in someway.
They have achieved something in their life and they want to package that up as the best thing since sliced bread and make a mint from chumps like me.
I’m not bashing them at all. If you have something worth knowing you should definitely turn it into a book and spread your message as far and wide as you can.
But in truth most non-fiction books could just be a long blog post.
But people don’t pay for blog posts.
Usually each non-fiction book has one central idea. To sell a book the author must present this idea and then reinforce that message with "proof” over and over again to fill the 300 pages.
The goal when reading non-fiction
Knowing that 90% of non-fiction books aren’t any good means that I treat them with complete contempt.
I want to absorb the main idea as quickly as possible and as soon as the book stops offering something for me to stick around, I put it down and that book is left to collect dust.
Unless a book grips me, changes my worldview or gives me a reason to keep reading on with each passing chapter, I have no issue in putting it down.
Remember, I want to find that 1 book that is going to change my life.
So here’s the truth…
Last year, I absorbed the ideas of 100 books, I have finished about 5 of them cover to cover. I have re-read 1 more than 3 times.
Another great thing about non-fiction books is that you don’t need to read it in chronological order.
The contents page is one of the best resources for absorbing ideas quickly.
Because the author has to fill approximately 300 pages, the first 3 chapters are probably pointless set-up and you can usually tell from the titles of the chapters.
I want to get to the main idea as quickly as possible and if that means starting at chapter 4 of 12 then so be it.
If the main idea seems interesting to me and worth my time, I can always go back to chapter 1 if I feel the set-up is important.
Here is an example from the contents page of a book called ‘The Art and Business of Online Writing’ by Nicolas Cole.
“Want To Start Writing Online? Don’t Start A Blog” is the name of one of the early chapters.
Now I can see there are 14 pages in this chapter, but am I going to learn anything new that the title doesn’t already tell me?
I imagine it’s a short chapter about why this author doesn’t believe you should start a blog with some proof or evidence of why that is the case (I don’t know because I skipped it).
I jumped straight to ‘How The Online Writing Game Works’ since that piques my interest. This author has clearly mastered the art of writing online and perhaps I can learn something new in this chapter.
After that I read another 3 or 4 chapters later in the book and skim read a couple more.
Once I felt that I had grasped the main idea and had a couple of takeaways to action then I was satisfied.
Did I read every single word in this book? No.
Do I classify this book as being read and the main idea being absorbed? Yes.
How To Develop A Reading Habit
Set an achievable reading target
I spend at least 20 minutes a day reading, usually right before I go to sleep.
I have set a goal in the Apple Books app for 20 minutes of reading and once that goal is hit a little notification pops up telling me that I have hit my goal for the day.
The reality is I read for about 40 minutes a day.
The great thing about a reading habit is that once you’re already reading something it’s very easy to continue reading on even if you reach your goal.
I recommend setting your target or timer for a short period of time, say between 10 and 20 minutes. The goal is to read every day and hit your target. 10 minutes is better than 0 minutes.
However, I bet you will find yourself reading for longer than your goal. When the timer goes off you’re either enjoying the book and want to carry on or you’re in the middle of a chapter and only a psychopath puts down a book in the middle of a chapter.
Read at the same time everyday
Studies have shown that we stick at habits longer when we do them at the same time each day.
Make it as easy as possible by choosing a time you can stick to. If you commute to work by train everyday that’s a great time. I find it easiest just before going to sleep.
A little bonus is that reading can make you tired. So if you struggle to fall asleep at night then pick up a book and start reading. As soon as you feel yourself drifting off, put it down and hit the pillow.
Put down boring books
If you find yourself disinterested in a book then put it down. Time is precious and there are so many other books to choose from.
I know I said most non-fiction books are garbage but there are also a lot of great books with interesting ideas.
It’s much easier to develop a reading habit when you’re reading something you enjoy.
Don’t use Amazon to choose your books
Most products on Amazon have gamed reviews. Meaning that most of the reviews have been bought and paid for.
The search functionality on the Amazon book categories is also really bad.
Same goes for Google. Most of the first pages of Google have been gamed by marketers who know how to get their website ranked highly.
Instead, you want to read books that other people have genuinely read and recommended.
Trust other people rather than the algorithm.
I use Twitter, Reddit and other forums to find new books.
I’ve found some very obscure titles buried in the comments of a Reddit community. These types of books never make it to the top of Amazon seller lists or the front page of Google.
Read topics that YOU enjoy
If you’re into natural history and anthropology then go down the rabbit hole and read widely on those topics.
If you’re into Cosmology and Metaphysics then there are thousands of titles to explore.
You could read 100 books a year for the next 50 years and not even scratch the surface.
The best way to develop a reading habit is to read stuff you enjoy, not what others enjoy or what is becoming trendy.
Understand what your reading goal is
I read non-fiction books because I love to learn new things. I also don’t have the attention span to read a 500 page novel from cover to cover.
If you prefer to read fiction then slow down and get lost in the story.
But the same rules apply! Put down rubbish fiction books. There are too many great novels out there so don’t waste your time on something that doesn’t grip you.
If you’re reading non-fiction books then read the contents, flick back and forth between the chapters and get to the main idea as quickly as possible.
If you find that a fiction book has a really interesting idea you can always go back to the beginning and read it chronologically.
Re-read great books
It’s very rare to find great books. But once you do then go back and re-read them in 6 to 12 months.
I read the same 3 or 4 books once a year. I always get something different from them, maybe I missed something from before or perhaps I want to revisit just 1 or 2 chapters.
You will know once you’ve found a great book because it’s very hard to put down, it changes your worldview and you’re not the same person you were at the beginning of the book.
Why You Should Read Everyday
As you can probably tell by now I am a massive advocate for reading.
If you think about it reading is basically time travelling.
I can be sitting at home reading a book from someone that lived 2000 years ago and absorbing their ideas and views.
For the same reason, I love to write and publish online. Hopefully in 10 years time some of the things i’ve written are still being read and can impact others in a positive way.
I have yet to find a single downside to reading other than there isn’t enough time in the world to read all of the great books that were ever written.
I’m not going to regurgitate all of the physical and mental benefits of reading, there are plenty of articles out there who can go into much more detail than I can.
All I know is that a small daily habit of reading is one of the greatest habits you could start.
A 30 Day Reading Challenge
Now it’s time to start your new reading habit.
Choose an achievable reading target and decide when and where you’re going to read each day.
Most people assume it costs a fortune to read a lot of books.
You can find over 70,000 FREE books in the public domain at Project Gutenberg, there are millions of FREE books in the Internet Archive or you can buy cheap ebooks on Amazon/Kindle Unlimited.
You can even get a library card and borrow books or find cheap books at charity shops.