''Books are the training weights of the mind'' - How do you read so much?
I get asked a lot by friends and blog followers how I find the time to read as much as I do. Which gives me cause today to reflect on how I do actually achieve this and explain why I put a value of importance on reading in this weeks blog post.
Reading is not something I have ever found difficult to do and I would frequently be referred to as a bookworm for I love most books, on various topics, both fiction and non-fiction, varied lengths both long and short books. Loving to read makes makes it a priority in my self care and fun routine, which I of course value but I realise and appreciate that sometimes busy lives and demanding priorities can make finding this time challenging to make this a priority, if it does not come naturally. So let me share some of my thoughts and findings with you all.
The main way I have personally found time to make this happen daily is through a minimum of five minutes a day reading time in my miracle morning routine. If you haven’t read the book Miracle Morning by Hal Elrod make this your first book to go on your ‘to read list’.
It is one of those books that I class as life changing and has made a significant difference to my life over the last three years. You might be thinking five minutes does not sound very much but it is a small enough commitment to make it an easy habit to create. To give you an idea of the impact of including reading for just five minutes a day. In just a week, that’s an extra 35 minutes of reading. As I continue in a month that is 2.5 hours extra and in a year that is 30.4 hours extra. Assuming the average person reads 130 words per minute. That is a minimum of 237250 words! How many books would that cover? And to be quite honest because five minutes doesn’t seem impossible. I always start reading and often go over that time. If I told myself 30 minutes a day, I may not start for the fear of not having the time!
I took some time to think and overview why it is important to read and what impact it can have on our life. See if you agree with my findings.
o I found out. It can reduce stress by distracting you for a few moments
o Reduce negative feelings such as loneliness and anxiety.
o It allows you to become calm and live life in the moment.
o It can increase your knowledge and vocabulary.
o Increase awareness and bring insights or ideas.
o It is a perfect tool for improving memory, analytical thinking and problem solving skills, as you follow characters, plot or learn about a new topics.
o It can spark imagination, entertain you, make you smarter, increase awareness of yourself and the world around you.
I read recently about a new research report, commissioned for Quick Reads, that revealed 'adults who spend just 30 minutes a week reading are 20 percent more likely to be satisfied with their lives' 5 minutes a day could a hi use this! Wow!
Another way of making the time to read is to set yourself goals, allocate time to it and review your goals. For example, this year I am participating in a reading challenge and have set myself a goal of 52 books in the year. This is a big number for even for me, you don’t need to set the same goal, if you didn’t read one book last year, set yourself of a goal of one this year. It is about progress and enjoyment for your own self development.
I have started to create a bookshelf page here on the website where I will in time add links to all the books I have read or recommend and a link to help (so that if you would like to share in the same reading I have done you can).
These are some of my absolute favourites for personal development books: clickable links
You Are a Badass: How to Stop Doubting Your Greatness and Start Living an Awesome Life - Jen Sincero
These 12 could be your book a month? If you set yourself this challenge or goal?
Please do share your favourite books and recommendations with me either here or on my social media Instagram and Facebook. I’m always looking for recommendations on every topic, fact or fiction book. Keep an eye on the bookshelf as I fill the titles and links and look out for a future blog on my top fiction books.
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