How to make reading for pleasure a daily ritual

Building new habits isn’t easy, even when it’s something you want to do. How do you prioritize getting lost in a good story when there’s always other things nagging on our mental to-do lists?

Pick a book that actually interests you. Don’t feel obligated to read whatever your co-worker or brother recommended if you know you don’t like non-fiction or sci-fi. Lean into the genres that bring you joy, even if they’re not academic or popular.

Change up the length and format of what you read. It can be far less daunting to tackle 100+ pages of a one-shot story, a graphic novel, or a book of poetry than a 900+ page trilogy that intimidates you. You’ll know when you’re ready to read that epic, it’ll be waiting for you.

Commit to reading a set amount of pages each day. 20 pages a night means you could finish shorter books in just over a week. Reading should be a marathon, not a sprint (but if a book really grabs you, that’s what coffee is for). Set aside the time like you would for other tasks.

Put your phone out of sight. I personally have to separate myself from most forms of communication so I can really get lost in a book. Airplane mode is great if you’re reading on a tablet. Listen to music, grab your favorite beverage, and escape to a different world.

Audiobooks aren’t cheating! If you’ve got a long commute, need to spend an hour cleaning, or just want to eat dinner listening to a story, audiobooks are the perfect fix. You could even make it a family tradition to listen to an audiobook together, like a real-time book club.

Ask your local librarians and booksellers for recommendations. If your books at home aren’t grabbing you, make a trip to the library or bookstore and ask the experts. They know all about new arrivals and can likely find something you haven’t heard of based off your favorites.

Purchase an e-reader. If lugging around books annoys you but you’ve always got free time on public transit or lunch breaks, invest in an e-reader and always have your books with you. You can even check out electronic copies of books through your local library.

Don’t try to finish a book that’s boring you. Even if you’re 200 pages in, you’re not obligated to read to the last page if you’re dreading it. The longer you try to force yourself to read, the more likely you’ll fall into a slump where you don’t want to read at all.

Log your progress. You can keep track through sites like Goodreads and Storygraph, or even buy a reading journal if you prefer something more traditional. A simple notebook is more than enough. Sometimes it’s hard to see all your efforts until you take the time to recognize them.