How to Read More - 100+ books a year!

Summary

This video shares practical tips for increasing reading habits, emphasizing the importance of reading for personal growth. The speaker suggests reading before sleep or in the morning without phones, choosing books of personal interest, using physical books for better retention, and having multiple books to cater to varying moods. They also recommend making reading easy and rewarding, utilizing audiobooks, and being willing to quit a book if it's not enjoyable. The key takeaway is to enjoy the process of reading rather than setting a numerical goal.

Takeaways

• 📚 The speaker read over a hundred books last year and shares their tips to help others read more.
• 🛌 The best place to read for the speaker is in bed before sleep or in the morning to calm down before the day starts.
• 📵 The speaker's number one tip is to keep the phone out of the bedroom to avoid distractions and improve reading focus.
• 📖 Read what you want, ignoring the pressure of reading lists or what others are reading, to make the process enjoyable.
• 📘 Prefer physical books as they are less distracting and easier to remember information compared to digital reading.
• 🤔 Have multiple books going at once to suit different moods and ensure continuous reading.
• 📚 Make reading easy by having books visible and accessible, such as a stack next to the bed.
• 🎉 Make reading rewarding, like stacking finished books or using a tracking system like Goodreads, to stay motivated.
• 🎧 Utilize audiobooks for multitasking, especially for fiction and memoirs, but be aware that they might not be as effective for dense non-fiction.
• 🚫 Don't be afraid to quit a book if it's not enjoyable; it's better to start a new one to maintain reading momentum.
• 🎯 Avoid setting a specific number of books to read; focus on developing the habit and enjoying the process of reading.

Q & A

What is the speaker's goal with the video?

The speaker aims to share tips and ideas that helped them read more books in a year, with the belief that reading is a valuable hobby that can improve various skills and perspectives.

Why does the speaker suggest keeping phones out of the bedroom when reading?

The speaker believes that phones are designed to steal attention with notifications, bright lights, and noises, and keeping them out of the bedroom helps maintain focus on reading before sleep and in the morning.

What does the speaker recommend ignoring when choosing what to read?

The speaker advises ignoring lists like '100 books to read before you die' or any reading list recommended by celebrities or influencers, and instead, read what genuinely interests the reader.

Why does the speaker advocate for reading physical books?

The speaker mentions a book called 'The Shallows' by Nicholas Carr, which discusses how physical books are less distracting and easier to remember information from compared to digital formats.

What is the speaker's opinion on having multiple books on the go at once?

The speaker encourages having multiple books going at the same time, such as a non-fiction and a fiction book, to cater to different moods and maintain reading momentum.

What habit does the speaker suggest making as easy and frictionless as possible to start reading more?

The speaker refers to the book 'Atomic Habits' by James Clear and suggests making the act of picking up a book and starting to read as easy as possible, such as having books visible and accessible.

How does the speaker propose making the reading habit rewarding?

The speaker suggests visualizing the progress, like stacking up finished books, or using a platform like Goodreads to track books read, and giving oneself a treat upon finishing a book as a reward.

What is the speaker's view on using audiobooks?

The speaker finds audiobooks to be a fantastic way to consume stories while doing other activities and mentions that they can be obtained through various platforms, including Spotify and local libraries.

Why does the speaker advise not being afraid to quit a book?

The speaker believes that forcing oneself to finish a book that isn't enjoyable can kill the love for reading, and it's better to quit and start another book to maintain reading momentum.

What is the speaker's final tip regarding setting a reading target?

The speaker's final tip is not to focus on a specific number of books to read, like 100, but rather to develop the habit and love for reading, which will naturally lead to reading more.

Outlines

00:00

📚 Overcoming Reading Challenges

The speaker shares their experience of reading over a hundred books in a year and addresses common concerns about finding time to read, being a slow reader, or getting distracted. They emphasize the benefits of reading, such as learning new skills, gaining new perspectives, improving focus, and enhancing empathy and emotional intelligence. The speaker introduces their tips for reading more, starting with creating a reading-friendly environment by keeping phones out of the bedroom to avoid distractions and suggesting reading before sleep or in the morning for calmness.

05:01

📖 Tips for Increasing Reading Habits

Continuing the discussion, the speaker provides several tips to enhance reading habits. They advise reading based on personal interest rather than following prescribed lists, suggest the benefits of physical books for better retention, and recommend having multiple books to cater to varying moods. The speaker also emphasizes the importance of making reading easy by keeping books accessible and visible, and the value of rewarding oneself for completed books to maintain motivation. They also touch on the use of audiobooks as a convenient way to consume literature while multitasking, and the importance of not forcing oneself to finish a book that isn't enjoyable, advocating for the freedom to quit and choose another. Lastly, they advise against setting a rigid target like reading 100 books, instead encouraging the development of a love for reading without the pressure of numerical goals.

Keywords

💡Reading habit

A reading habit refers to the regular practice of reading books as a leisure activity or for personal development. In the video, the speaker emphasizes the importance of developing a reading habit to improve focus, learn new skills, and gain new perspectives. The video's theme revolves around helping viewers establish and maintain a reading habit by sharing personal tips and experiences.

💡Time management

Time management is the ability to effectively organize and allocate time to different activities. The script mentions that many adults wish they had more time to read, suggesting that time management is a common barrier to reading. The video aims to provide strategies for overcoming this barrier by integrating reading into daily routines, such as before sleep or in the morning.

💡Distraction

Distraction refers to the act of being diverted from a task or activity due to external stimuli. In the context of the video, the speaker advises keeping phones out of the bedroom to avoid distractions, which can steal one's attention away from reading. This is a key strategy for creating an environment conducive to reading and maintaining focus on the book.

💡Reading lists

Reading lists are curated collections of books recommended by individuals or organizations. The video script suggests ignoring such lists and instead reading what one wants, as it makes the process more enjoyable and helps in forming a reading habit. The speaker encourages personal choice over following prescribed lists to enhance the reading experience.

💡Physical books

Physical books are tangible copies of literature that one can hold and read. The speaker in the video mentions that reading from physical books can be less distracting and may help with remembering information better than digital formats. The script also highlights the tactile experience of underlining and folding pages as a way to engage with the material.

💡Multiple books

Reading multiple books at once is the practice of having several books going concurrently, allowing the reader to switch between them based on mood or interest. The video encourages this approach, as it can keep the reading experience fresh and engaging, preventing boredom and maintaining momentum in the reading habit.

💡Accessibility

Accessibility in the context of the video refers to making reading materials easily available and convenient to engage with. The speaker suggests having books visible and within reach to reduce the effort required to start reading. This strategy aligns with the book 'Atomic Habits' by James Clear, which the video cites as a source of inspiration.

💡Rewarding

Making an activity rewarding can enhance motivation and enjoyment. The video script describes the speaker's personal method of stacking completed books as a visual reward for their reading progress. The concept is to create a sense of accomplishment and pleasure from the reading habit, which can encourage continued engagement.

💡Audiobooks

Audiobooks are recordings of books read aloud, allowing listeners to consume literature through listening. The video mentions using audiobooks as a way to 'read' more stories while multitasking, such as during chores or commutes. Although the speaker notes a potential decrease in retention compared to reading, audiobooks are praised for their convenience and the ability to access stories on-the-go.

💡Quitting a book

Quitting a book refers to the decision to stop reading a book that is not enjoyable or engaging. The video encourages viewers not to force themselves to finish a book they do not enjoy, as it can negatively impact their reading habit. Instead, the speaker suggests moving on to another book to maintain reading momentum and enjoyment.

💡Reading target

A reading target is a specific goal or number of books one aims to read within a certain timeframe. The video's title suggests a target of 100 books, but the speaker advises against setting such numerical goals, recommending instead to focus on the joy of reading and the development of the reading habit itself, rather than the quantity of books read.

Highlights

Author read over 100 books last year and shares tips for reading more.

Many adults wish they could find more time to read but struggle to do so.

Reading is beneficial for learning new skills, gaining new perspectives, improving focus and concentration, and enhancing empathy and emotional intelligence.

Tip 1: Keep your phone out of the bedroom to avoid distractions and make reading in bed before sleep and in the morning easier.

Tip 2: Read what you want, not what others recommend, to make the process more enjoyable and easier to get into the habit.

Tip 3: Get physical books as they are less distracting and easier to remember information from compared to digital reading.

Tip 4: Have multiple books going at once to suit different moods and make it easier to continue reading.

Tip 5: Make reading easy by having books visible and accessible, like having a stack next to your bed.

Tip 6: Make reading rewarding, like stacking finished books or tracking progress on Goodreads.

Tip 7: Utilize audiobooks with a good pair of headphones to listen to stories while doing other activities.

Tip 8: Don't be afraid to quit a book if you're not enjoying it and start another one to maintain reading momentum.

Final tip: Focus on developing the habit and love for reading rather than setting a specific target number of books.

Author will not aim for 100 books again but will enjoy the reading process and see how many books are read naturally.

Author encourages viewers to share book recommendations and support the channel.

Transcripts

last year I read over a hundred books

including all of these behind me just

here and whenever I would tell someone

that was trying to read a 100 books in

one year they would always look at me

and say how are you going to find the

time or I wish I could read more I just

don't have the time I'm just a slow

reader or I get distracted and give up

and then I saw this statistic that said

over half of adults wish they could find

more time to read so I thought it would

be a good idea to make this video to

share some of the tips and ideas that

have helped me read more this year cuz I

think reading is a worthwhile hobby to

get into it's a great way to learn new

skills hear New Perspectives it can

improve your focus and concentration and

even reading fiction books has been

shown to improve levels of empathy and

emotional intelligence so with that

being said these are my tips on how you

can read more this year my favorite

place to read is in bed before going to

sleep and it helps me get tired and fall

asleep or sometimes in the morning I'd

get up and read a few pages helps calm

me down before the day so my number one

tip is to make sure that this thing your

Fone is out of the bedroom no matter how

exciting the book you're reading is no

matter how action-packed that book is

this thing is always going to be better

at stealing your attention those nerds

in Silicon Valley have made this thing

incredible at stealing your focus with

the bright lights the noises the

notifications and it's great at grabbing

your attention so by just putting this

out the bedroom you're far more likely

to read in bed before going to sleep and

in the morning so get that phone out of

there my second tip seems a bit obvious

but it's just read what you want so

ignore these lists like 100 books to

read before you die or these 10 books

will make you smarter or any reading

list that's been shown to you by a

celebrity or your favorite YouTuber

ignore those and read what you want it's

just going to make the whole process

more enjoyable and more pleasurable and

easier to do so don't feel like you have

to read the classics or what everyone

else is reading just read what you want

to read and it's going to help get into

the habit of reading much easier my

third tip is to to get the physical book

I read this book last year called the

shallows by Nicholas Carr and in this he

talks about how it's actually easier to

remember the information that you read

on a physical book it's less distracting

than reading things online on a computer

or on a Kindle there's less buttons and

hyperlinks to press you're actually

going to remember the information more I

love to also underline things and fold

the pages down to help me remember

things so when I come back to it I can

go straight to the bits that I enjoyed

so my tip is to go and get the actual

physical book so take a look in charity

shops or get down your independent

bookstore and if there's a book that you

know you want to read buy it my fourth

tip is to have multiple books on the Go

at once so don't feel like you have to

just read one book from cover to cover

have lots going on at the same time so I

would always be reading a non-fiction

and a fiction book because sometimes

you're not in the mood to learn you just

want to be transported to another world

and relax and so fiction books are great

for that and sometimes I would have up

to six or seven books on the Go at once

depending on what mood I was in it's

just going to help make it easier to

continue reading if I'm not in the mood

for this thing I can carry on reading

this other book that I've been enjoying

as well so don't be afraid to read

multiple books tip number five is to

make it easy so in his best-selling book

Atomic habits I'll try and get it out

hopefully the pile won't

collapse oh

no wonder how many times that's going to

happen during this

video I do like having the power there

though so I am going to keep stacking

them up so tip number five is to make it

easy in his bestselling book Atomic

Habits by James Clear he talks about how

if you want to start a new habit or a

hobby you have to make it as easy and as

frictionless as possible so if you're

trying to read more have books around

have them visible if you want to read

before bed have a stack of books next to

your bed it's just going to make it even

easier to just pick one up and read

before bed another the great book I read

last year was on writing by Stephen King

and in this he talks about how he would

always have a book with him so he could

read wherever he was whether he's

waiting for a bus or at the dentist or

on a train or just whenever you find a

few minutes spare in the day you've

always got that book with you that you

can just pick up and read a few pages so

I thought that was a great tip make it

as easy as possible and always have a

book with you tip number six another one

from James Clear is to make it rewarding

so one way I did this was to stack up

the books I've read just like this and

every time finished the book I'd put it

on this pile and to see that pile grow

over the year was really rewarding and

I'd almost get excited about putting

that book on that pile at the end it

doesn't have to be that you can just

keep track of your books on a website

like Goodreads or give yourself a little

treat every time you finish a book

whatever you can think of just see if

you can make it rewarding and you're

much more likely to stick with it my

next tip is to get a good pair of

headphones and that's because audio

books are fantastic I used audible last

year but you can now get audio books

included with your Spotify subscription

and some local libraries you can even

get audio books for free so get a good

pair of headphones and it's a great way

to hear more stories while you're doing

other things like washing up or doing

the chores or driving somewhere I have

found that I remember less information

if I'm listening to the audio book

rather than reading it so it's probably

not best for like a really dense heavy

non-fiction book that you really want to

learn the information but for fiction

books and Memoirs audio books are

fantastic especially when they're read

by the author themselves I just love

that audio books are just brilliant my

next tip is to not be afraid to quit a

book this is something I really

struggled with last year because I was

trying to reach that 100 book Target so

sometimes I'd really suffer through a

book that I was not enjoying at all just

so I could finish it and add it to my

pile don't do that there were so many

books in the world some are great some

are all right some are going to totally

suck it's much better to quit a book

that you're not enjoying and start

another one than to just keep pushing

through it often when I would finish a

book that I really didn't enjoy the last

thing I wanted to do at the end of it

was pick up another book and start again

so it's much better to just pause a book

or stop reading a book you're not

enjoying and try something else it's

just going to keep your reading momentum

going and just keep your love for

reading going rather than just kill it

flat so if you're not enjoying a book

quit and that will bring me on to my

final tip which is don't try and read

100 books despite what the title of this

video might be don't try and set

yourself a big Target or a number to

reach it's much better just to try and

to develop the practice the hobby of

reading just see if you can fall in love

with reading rather than set yourself a

Target it's going to make the whole

process more enjoyable and you're going

to end up reading more if you're just

trying to enjoy it rather than reach

some Target as someone who read 100

books last year I won't be trying to do

that again in the future I'm just going

to try and enjoy the books I'm reading

and see how many we get through so those

my tips on how you can read more

hopefully you found that helpful let me

know in the comments because this is

something a bit different for me haven't

done a video like this before so let me

know if you've enjoyed it let me know

what you're reading as well cuz I'm

always looking out for some more books

and more book recommendations so let me

know what you're enjoying reading at the

moment and if you want to support the

channel hit that like button hit that

subscribe thank you very much guys

thanks for watching and I'll see you

another time turn on then bye