The Foolproof Way to Read More Books in 2024
Summary
TLDRIn 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
📚 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.
📝 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.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡New Year's resolutions
💡Gen hopping
💡Reading habit
💡Goodreads challenge
💡Self-help books
💡Classics
💡Completionist
💡Reading goals
💡Reading speed
💡Reading journal
💡Accountability
💡Ground News
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
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