A Mother's Mission : 10 Ways to Read More Books

We all know we should read more. It has been said that the average CEO reads 61 books a year, attends 6 conferences a year and makes an average of 300% more money a year!! Those statistics are hard to ignore! How many books do you read a year? 61? 30? 5? Any? On average, reports say average readers read about 5-10 books a year while super readers can be up around 80.

I am sure you want to read more. You like to read, or maybe you don’t; however, the more you read that will change. But there are so many demands on your life. You might have littles pulling on you to play, feed, change, or clean up after. You might work long, hard days and just want to veg when you get home. Maybe you have general hubbub going on in life that it isn’t even on your radar to read. Well, no matter your position in life, there are ways for you to add reading into your life.

Audiobooks!!! You knew this was coming right? I LOVE Audible! And I am sure you and everyone you know has an account already. Right! Right? If not, it is FREE to have an account. You can buy books right out to have forever or exchange if you decide you don’t like it. Or you can subscribe and get a varying number of credits to apply to ANY book a month. The normal plan is a credit a month but there is a secret plan that gets you one credit every other month so you can start small without forking out a lot of money.
- There are also free books on Libravox with varying quality. Free is free so you get what you pay for but, free is free.
- Also, your library has audio books. Of course there are the discs or playaways available but you can also probably use Overdrive, or whatever their app is to get it straight to your phone.
Wake up earlier. I know, sleep might be a hot commodity but it doesn’t have to be much earlier. Even 10 minutes a day can add up. If you are more of a morning person you can try waking up just a few minutes earlier to start the day of with fresh ideas or some self-care. I love when I can do a morning routine and get some reading in. It sets me in a good mood and I can be a better mom to my kids.
Go to bed later. This one is probably easier for some. Not for me, I usually fall asleep with the kids. For others though, instead of checking Facebook for that time and invest in yourself!
Tack it behind something. Habits are more likely to develop when they follow something you are already doing or even before. Can you arrive 10 minutes before picking up kids and read in the car? Maybe you could listen to a book while you get ready for the day.
Waiting. Doctor’s appointment, dentist appointment, waiting for the soccer game to start. We all have times when we are waiting for something and find ourselves scrolling Facebook while we wait. Use that valuable time! Fill those cracks with something to grow yourself!
Ditch Social Media/find trigger and change it, move icons, delete apps if necessary. Have you sensed a trend? Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram and all the other soul sucking social media apps gotta go! Instead of opening an app and comparing yourself or getting depressed, grow and be better by reading! If you have a book on your phone, great! Make the app you use easy to see and get to. Move the other apps away so you don’t see them or they are harder to get to like putting them into a folder on the farthest page.
Read multiple books at a time. I love this trick for so many reasons. I personally have books scattered all over my house so that depending where I am I have a book close at hand. There is a book on my couch so when I am nursing a baby and there is an open 2 minutes I can get in a page or two. There is one in my bedroom for before bed. I am considering a book in the kitchen.
- The other reason to read multiple books at a time is that if you are not in the mood for one book then you might be as inclined to pick it up. But if you have 2 or 3 going at a time you are more likely to have something for any mood. I find having an easier or lighter read going with a deeper read is a good mix. Some say that a fiction and a non-fiction is a good idea as well.
Always have a book with you!!! I cannot stress this enough. Never leave the house without a book! It was kind of touched on in the last one but also bring a book with you when you go out of the house too! Every time I think I won’t have time to read a book on the errand I am running, I find myself wishing I had a book. If you have it on your phone then it is probably on you, just remember #6.
Join a book club or Facebook group. Even if you can’t keep up with the schedule or meet up, having some accountability might encourage you to pick up the book more. For me, being in a group where people are always posting what they are enjoying or getting out of the book motivates me to read more.
Track it. Once you start tracking your reading you become more aware and therefore read more. If you start a habit tracker then it reminds you to do your reading for the day or you might see that streak you don’t want to break. Another fun way to track your reading is to keep a notebook of what you have read and see all the books you read over the year.
Bonus!! Schedule it!! Decide a time and make it a reoccurring appointment with yourself. If you know you have a meeting coming up then you set up the day to accommodate to that meeting. You are important and should make time for yourself too.