How To Develop a Reading Habit in Your 20s

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Every successful person swears by reading on daily basis from Warren Buffet to Bill Gates, anyone who has achieved something substantial in life has this one habit in common, they all like to read.

Former US president Barack Obama has said that reading taught him what he is today and what he believes in.

Developing good habits is so important especially in your 20s because the pattern you establish right now will impact your health, productivity, financial security, and happiness for decades. This is your defining decade.

Here are 5 tips for cultivating a reading habit-

1. Pick up your favorite genre -

Don’t force yourself to read a book that your colleague, boss, or friends are reading or simply because it’s “trending” and you want to fit in too.

Read what is close to your heart, and what resonates with you. If I share my experience, I got serious about reading nearly 3 years ago and started my journey with a book called “Journey Home” by Radhanath Swami. You can find the books about topics you are interested in.

“To acquire the habit of reading is to construct for yourself a refuge from almost all the miseries of life.” — W.Somerset Maugham

2. Scheduling when and where to read-

When it comes to forming a habit for a longer period James Clear mentions in his book “Atomic Habits” that allocating time and place for an activity, plays a big role in achieving a goal he calls it “implementation intention, which is a plan you make beforehand about where and when to act.

For eg. set aside say 45 mins early morning on a couch you have your first coffee. The idea is to be very specific with time and place so much so that it becomes engrained in your system.

3. Reading 10–20 pages daily-

Be disciplined when it comes to reading even if it is a single page a day. if you are to develop habits then acting intentionally should be your game, not when you’re motivated or in a good mood.

4. Finding the right reading Format-

sometimes it’s okay to carry around physical copies of books with you, but sometimes it becomes a headache carrying an extra load, especially during a commute.

look for convenient options like reading from a phone, tablet, kindle, or audiobooks because forming a habit is about convenience, our brains automatically reject the tasks for which we have to go an extra mile. So make things as obvious and simple as possible.

5. Joining a reading community-

This will ignite a spark. Being part of like-minded people with whom you can share your interests and track your reading is definitely great you can even follow the writers of your favorite books.

Goodreads is one such community for book lovers, you can take part in reading challenges with other readers and come across with much more, this way you can make your reading more fun and enjoyable.

So, there you have it try these actionable tips and tricks and change your life for the better. if the world’s most busy and successful people can manage it, you can too.

Happy Reading!