Another amazing idea of (not) mine! I discovered this on the internet and tried it out briefly, and I want to share it with you all.

This Thought Catalog article by Sam Thomas Davies advised simply:

Read 10% of a book everyday.

This is a very good idea. Think about how productive you might become!

Says Davies,

…if you’re an artist, an entrepreneur or any kind of a creative for that matter, you’ll understand how important reading is as a daily habit. Reading is learning and if you’re not learning, you’re not improving in your craft.

Books are awesome, and even though I had tons of free time this summer, reading still hasn’t come very easily back to me. This rule slowly eases me back into the cycle.

But what if I had a 400-page book? That’d be a major commitment, but the way I see it, the half hour or so is better spent reading than doing some endless internet scrolling.

Besides, there are ways to conquer this mountain; Davies suggests splitting the reading up.

I attempted a summer reading project, and was overly ambitious. Over my four-month-long summer, I managed to fully read ~3 books. Pitiful!

After I adopted this rule, however, I’ve nearly finished a full book (The Catcher in the Rye) in less than two weeks! Amazing!

Reading used to be hassle, a chore, and I looked for excuses to avoid doing it. However, this new habit of mine makes reading gradually become easier, and I am making sure to never skip a reading night.

(Wow, this is starting to sound like a commercial. I’m the satisfied customer.)

Read 10% of a book everyday.

 

It sounds simple. It is. The most difficult part is the getting started, but afterwards it’s just smooth sailing, especially for those that have a natural affinity for reading but struggle to find time for it.

I read every night before bed, which has been miraculous for my sleeping habits. I used to spend every last minute on my computer, and that would frequently keep me up at night.

Find the best time for you!

One adaptation I made to Davie’s rule: he recommends highlighting and taking notes as you read. Yes, I understand the value of that, I really do, but as a college freshman that’s been required to hold a pen/highlighter in her hand as she meticulously scanned books for English class, I always dropped the habit when I read for leisure.

It is mentally exhausting, and since I mainly read works of fiction, I like to just enjoy the story and ponder the deeper meaning, but not nit-pick over every single word.

Everyone should at least give this a try. Some say that audio books make reading much more convenient and accessible, which is try, but I’ll throw up in my mouth a bit if we completely transitioned away from traditional reading.

What happened to holding a physical goddamn book and flipping its pages? What happened to dog-ears and cracking spines?

Nowadays, the only time people can allot for reading is on their morning and afternoon commute, when what people really should be doing is focusing on their driving.

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Of course, I’m telling you this ~2 weeks after I adopted this rule. Who knows if I’ll maintain it? I’ll let you know.

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