The Foolproof Way to Read More Books in 2024

Summary

In this insightful video, the host offers practical strategies to enhance one's reading habit and achieve reading goals for the year 2024. The advice includes genre hopping to diversify reading material, being selective in choosing books, and the importance of setting attainable reading goals to maintain motivation. The speaker also emphasizes the joy of reading and the liberating experience of leaving a book that doesn't resonate with the reader. Tracking reading progress through logs or journals is highlighted as a fulfilling practice, and participating in challenges like Goodreads can provide a sense of community and accountability. The video concludes with a sponsorship announcement for Ground News, a platform designed to simplify daily news consumption by organizing articles by story and providing a comprehensive overview of the reporting landscape.

Takeaways

• 📚 Embrace 'genre hopping' to foster a good reading habit by alternating between different types of books like fiction, self-help, and classics.
• 🔍 Use genre hopping as a guide when selecting your next book, allowing curiosity and even random selection to influence your choices.
• 🚫 It's okay to stop reading a book that isn't resonating with you; doing so can be liberating and prevent negative impacts on your overall reading experience.
• ⏩ Setting more attainable reading goals can lead to a more enjoyable and fulfilling experience, as opposed to setting unrealistic goals that lead to failure.
• 🎯 Re-evaluate your reading goals for 2024, considering a yearly objective rather than a monthly one, and being realistic about your average reading speed.
• 📈 Lowering expectations can actually lead to surpassing your initial goals, as it reduces pressure and allows for a more relaxed approach to reading.
• 📝 Keeping a log of your reading journey can be fulfilling and helps in cataloging each book as a treasure, which can be shared with friends and family.
• 👀 Accountability through platforms like Goodreads can help maintain reading habits, especially for those just starting out.
• 🏋️‍♂️ Balance your reading diet with a variety of books that differ in complexity, topic, and length to boost your reading habits.
• 📚 Don't be afraid of tackling heavier books; break them down into manageable chunks and set achievable goals alongside reading lighter material.
• 📰 Ground News is a tool that provides an easy and objective way to read the news, organizing articles by story and offering insights into reporting outlets' political bias and factuality.

Q & A

What is the main topic discussed in the video script?

The main topic discussed in the video script is strategies to improve reading habits and achieve reading goals, specifically in relation to the upcoming year 2024.

What is 'gen hopping' and how does it help with reading habits?

Gen hopping is the practice of switching between different genres of books to foster a good reading habit. It helps by keeping the reading routine fresh and exciting, and by broadening horizons to explore new topics and genres.

Why is it suggested to read one fiction book followed by a self-help book, then a classic, and then restart the process?

This pattern of reading different types of books is suggested to create a balanced reading experience, offering variety and preventing boredom by not sticking to a single genre.

What does the speaker suggest when it comes to choosing a book?

The speaker suggests using genre hopping to guide book choices, browsing recommendations, picking a book by its cover, and letting curiosity guide the selection. They also mention using a random generator online to decide the next book.

How does the speaker feel about leaving a book unfinished?

The speaker has learned that it's okay to leave a book unfinished if it's not resonating with the reader. They find it liberating and believe life is too short to read a book that isn't enjoyable.

What is the speaker's approach to setting reading goals for 2024?

The speaker suggests setting more attainable and realistic reading goals, which can lead to a more enjoyable and fulfilling reading experience. They also recommend re-evaluating reading goals and being pessimistic about one's average reading speed.

Why did the speaker decide to read only 12 books in 2023?

The speaker was a new mom and did not expect to have much time on her hands, so they set a low expectation for themselves to read only 12 books in 2023.

What was the outcome of setting a low reading goal for 2023?

Setting a low goal of reading 12 books in 2023 resulted in the speaker actually reading 40 books, surpassing their initial goal.

How does the speaker suggest tracking the books you read?

The speaker suggests tracking books in a written format on a notebook, using a reading journal like Goodreads, a spreadsheet, or a Notion page, where details like title, author, and personal notes can be added.

What role does accountability play in maintaining a reading habit according to the speaker?

Accountability plays a significant role in maintaining a reading habit, especially for those just starting. The speaker recommends participating in challenges like Goodreads' annual challenge to stay accountable.

What is Ground News and how does it relate to the video script?

Ground News is a website and app that provides an easy and objective way to read the news by organizing articles by story and providing a visual breakdown of reporting outlets, political bias, factuality, and ownership. It is mentioned in the script as a sponsor and a tool for those who prioritize informed reading.

Outlines

00:00

📚 Boosting Reading Habits with Gen Hopping and Goal Setting

The speaker introduces strategies to enhance reading habits and achieve New Year's reading resolutions. They suggest 'gen hopping,' which involves alternating between different genres such as fiction, self-help, and classics to maintain interest and broaden horizons. The speaker also encourages leaving a book if it doesn't resonate, emphasizing that life is too short to force enjoyment. They recommend setting attainable reading goals based on realistic expectations, which can boost motivation and success. The example of setting a low goal that led to reading 40 books instead of 12 illustrates the point. Lastly, they mention the importance of not rushing through books for the sake of meeting a numerical goal, suggesting that the joy of reading should be savored.

05:01

📝 Tracking Reading Progress and Accountability with Goodreads

This paragraph discusses the benefits of tracking one's reading progress, either through a notebook, a reading journal, or digital platforms like a spreadsheet or Notion page. The speaker highlights the value of logging not just the book titles and authors but also personal notes and connections with other books. They mention the satisfaction of adding completed books to a 'completed' column and sharing this information with friends and family for book recommendations. The speaker also talks about the importance of accountability in maintaining a reading habit, particularly for those just starting. They share their experience with Goodreads' annual challenge, which helped them exceed their reading goals by seeing others' progress. The paragraph concludes with a reminder that reading goals are personal and not a competition, and that a balanced reading diet with a variety of book types can enhance reading habits. The speaker also introduces a sponsor, Ground News, which offers a comprehensive and objective news reading platform.

Keywords

💡New Year's resolutions

New Year's resolutions refer to personal goals or commitments that individuals make at the beginning of a new year. In the context of the video, it is about setting reading goals for the year 2024, which is a common resolution for those who wish to improve their reading habits. The video aims to help viewers achieve these reading resolutions by providing practical strategies.

💡Gen hopping

Gen hopping is a reading strategy where a person alternates between different genres of books. The video suggests that this method can foster a good reading habit by preventing boredom and encouraging exploration of various literary styles. The script mentions a personal rule of thumb for gen hopping, which includes reading a fiction book, followed by a self-help book, a classic, and then repeating the cycle.

💡Reading habit

A reading habit refers to the regular practice of reading books or other materials. The video emphasizes the importance of developing a solid reading habit through strategies like gen hopping. It suggests that even having a preferred genre, it's beneficial to switch things around to maintain interest and broaden horizons.

💡Goodreads challenge

The Goodreads challenge is a feature on the Goodreads platform where users set a goal for the number of books they aim to read in a year. The video encourages viewers to set and beat their Goodreads challenge for 2024, using the strategies shared to make the most of their reading time.

💡Self-help books

Self-help books are a genre of literature designed to provide guidance and advice on personal development. In the video, self-help books are recommended as part of the gen hopping strategy, suggesting that they can provide valuable insights and contribute to a well-rounded reading experience.

💡Classics

Classics refer to books that are considered enduring works of literature, often written by renowned authors and appreciated for their cultural or historical significance. The video script includes classics as part of the recommended reading cycle, indicating their importance in enriching one's reading diet.

💡Completionist

A completionist is someone who feels the need to finish a task or activity, regardless of their enjoyment or satisfaction from it. The video discusses the idea of being a completionist when it comes to reading books and encourages viewers to abandon this mindset if a book is not resonating with them, promoting a more enjoyable reading experience.

💡Reading goals

Reading goals are specific objectives set by individuals to measure their reading progress or achievement. The video advises viewers to set more attainable and realistic reading goals, which can lead to a more enjoyable and fulfilling reading experience. It also suggests re-evaluating these goals to ensure they are motivating and achievable.

💡Reading speed

Reading speed refers to the rate at which a person reads and comprehends text. The video script advises being 'pessimistic' when estimating one's average reading speed, which can help in setting realistic reading goals and avoiding the feeling of failure due to unattainable expectations.

💡Reading journal

A reading journal is a record or log where individuals document the books they have read, along with their thoughts, notes, and reflections. The video promotes the use of a reading journal as a fulfilling activity that helps in tracking one's reading progress and creating a compilation of knowledge.

💡Accountability

Accountability in the context of the video refers to the responsibility one takes for their actions or decisions, particularly in relation to meeting personal goals. The video mentions participating in the Goodreads annual challenge as a way to stay accountable and motivated in achieving reading goals.

💡Ground News

Ground News is mentioned in the video as a sponsor and is described as a website and app that aims to provide an easy and objective way to read the news. It organizes news articles by story and provides a visual breakdown of reporting outlets, their political bias, factuality, and ownership. The video promotes Ground News as a tool for those who prioritize informed reading.

Highlights

Strategies are shared to help make the most of time and achieve reading goals for 2024.

Gen hopping is introduced as a method to foster a good reading habit by switching genres frequently.

A personal rule of thumb for gen hopping includes reading one fiction, self-help, and classic book in a cycle.

Using a random generator to pick the next book can introduce variety and broaden horizons.

The importance of leaving a book that is not resonating with the reader is discussed.

Setting lower and more realistic reading goals can promote motivation and success.

Achievable goals provide a sense of accomplishment and boost confidence.

The speaker's personal experience of setting a low goal of 12 books led to reading 40 books in a year.

Rushing through books to meet a numerical goal can diminish the joy of reading.

Tracking books read is fulfilling and can be done through various methods like a journal or spreadsheet.

Participating in Goodreads annual Challenge can help with accountability in reading habits.

Ground News is introduced as a tool for an easy and objective way to read the news.

Ground News organizes news articles by story and provides a breakdown of reporting outlets, political bias, and ownership.

The app offers insights into the media landscape and is currently having a holiday sale.

Ground News provides a transparent and organized platform for news consumption.

The video concludes with an invitation to subscribe to Ground News for a more transparent media experience.

Transcripts

it's December and many of us are taking

a hard look at our New Year's

resolutions you might be feeling a bit

disappointed that you didn't read as

much as you'd hope this year life can be

pretty hectic with all the daily

activities and responsibilities leaving

little room for the simple pleasure of

reading so in today's video I'm going to

share some practical strategies to help

you make the most of your time and get

back on track with your reading goals so

let's make sure that 2024 is the year

you finally beat your Goodreads

challenge so let's Dive Right In

the first thing I want to do is talk

about gen hopping so gen hopping has

been one of the things that has helped

me the most with fostering a really good

solid reading habit even if you do have

a preferred genre it's really good for

you to switch things around very often

so as a rule of thumb for instance I

like to read one fiction book uh

followed by a self-help book followed by

a classic and then we restart the

process all over

again you can use Jer hopping to guide

you the next time you shop for a book so

browse recommendations but also let

yourself pick a book by its cover and

let curiosity guide you

too you can even use a random generator

online to create a sort of a spinning

wheel to decide what is your next book

going to be

like once I also used my random

generator and it landed on biography

which is how I ended a reading in order

to live this year which I thoroughly

enjoyed and also reading different

genres not only spice up your reading

routine it really helps you broaden your

horizons and explore things you never

thought you were going to explore

sometimes you even find out that there

were genres you never explored and now

you really like

them I think I took years to allow

myself to just stop reading a book once

I realized it was not for me I was

always too much of a completionist when

it came to books so the idea of putting

one down before reaching the end was

basically like utter failure to

me but you know what I've learned learn

is that it's okay to just leave a book

that is not resonating with you it's

actually very liberating and life is way

too short for you to read a book that

you're not enjoying and of course you

should always give a book a chance but

once you realize the book is not for you

you're not enjoying the narrative you're

not enjoying the characters the book is

not teaching you anything then that's a

short sign you just need to put the book

down also the problem with struggling

through a book your not enjoying is that

it starts detracting from your overall

reading experience making you feel

exhausted by the end of it unless

willing to start a new book right

away so if you want to speed up your

reading process and read more books in

2024 just leave those books that you're

not enjoying just pick a fresh new one

and just continue with your reading

habits setting more attainable reading

goals can also lead to a more enjoyable

and fulfilling reading experience

experience research in Psychology and I

know I always say this points that

setting lower and more realistic

expectations is actually a key factor in

promoting motivation and be successful

at your goals when we set goals that are

too lofty too unattainable we are

setting ourselves up for failure and

that's because we going to feel right at

the beginning that our goal is so

difficult to accomplish that we're not

even motivated to get

started on the other hand achievable

goals provide a sense of accomplishment

boosting your confidence and keeping you

engaged in the task at

hand so really consider re-evaluating

your reading goals for 2024 for instance

instead of striving to read a certain

amount of books per month you can set a

yearly objective and more about that

later try as much as possible to be

pessimistic when it comes to figuring

out your average reading speed for

instance this year I thought uh I was I

was not going to read a lot because I

was a new mom and I was not going to

have a lot of time on my hands so I

decided that in 2023 I wanted to read

only 12 books and this was a highly low

number for me and what happened was

because I really set this very low bar

for myself instead of reading 12 books I

actually read 40 books this year so even

if you set your expectations a bit lower

you give yourself permission to not do

as much it still doesn't mean you're not

going to go way and Beyond beyond your

initial

goal also rushing through books just to

meet a numerical goal can diminish the

joy of reading itself so instead of

racing to the Finish Line take your time

to actually Savor each

book keeping a log of your literary

Conquest is akin to collecting Treasures

from a sunken pirate ship so each book

is a treasure that deserves to be

cataloged I think that tracking your

books is one of the most fulfilling

things you can do for yourself you can

do this in a written format on a

notebook or use a reading journal mkin

for instance has a really good one or

you can have a spreadsheet or a notion

page where you keep track of the books

you're reading and you can add a lots of

really nice details into that so not

only the title of the book and the

author but you can also add your own

notes your writing kind of connections

with other books that you're already

reading or you've already read and

you're going just to create this

compilation of knowledge um and it's

something that's really nice to share

with friends and family if you're

looking to give book recommendations as

well also nothing beats the thrill of

adding another title to your completed

column it's like a high five to

yourself and while I know I said that I

think it's important for you to lower

your expectations when it comes to

reading and I think that reading books

should not only be about accomplishing a

certain number um I also think that

accountability plays a big part in

keeping up with your reading habit

especially if this is something you're

just getting started

with so I love participating in

Goodreads annual Challenge and last year

was the first year I actually reached my

goal and this year was the first time I

actually went way beyond my original

targets and because this is a challenge

that you set for yourself there is no

Pace that is too slow you might start

with just wanting to read one book per

month but as you keep track of the

community and your friends list and the

way they're also reaching their own

goals you might find yourself sprinting

to reach your own reading goal by the

end of the year all in all of course

it's important to stay accountable but

at the same time it's important to

remember that this is a reading goal

you're setting for yourself and not for

other people it's not supposed to be a

competition but rather a community you

get involved

with and just as our bodies crave

different types of exercises our minds

also want different kinds of challenges

some days you may need the mental

equivalent of a yoga session like a cozy

mystery or a heartwarming romance and

other times your neurons are ready for a

high-intensity interval training like a

challenging classic or a dense academic

tone so balancing your reading diet with

different types of books that change in

complexity in topic and length can

really help you boost your reading

habits also don't shy away from the

heavy lifters those books that seem

daunting you can divide those into

chunks and just tell yourself that you

want to read the book by the end of the

year you can break them down into

chapters pages and set manageable goals

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little bit easier to

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I really hope you've enjoyed today's

video and I will see you next

week