Read: 03
Currently reading: 11
To be read: 17
This is what my reading list looked like in January 2023. I have been an avid reader since I can remember. I would drag my mom to the bookstore and force her to get me books, even my birthday and Christmas wish list had books on them. I would spend hours reading while travelling between home and school/college, while on vacation, and during meal times, I would even take books with me to the bathroom.
But as I grew older, life and responsibilities took over and the allotted reading time kept decreasing. Occasionally, I hear people talking about self-love and healing through reading, and I go back to the days when reading was my safe place. Often, I catch myself with a renewed commitment to bring back that childlike love and curiosity for stories and the literary world.
- The weekend comes, I choose a book, make myself a cup of coffee, find my favourite corner and begin.
- The next day comes, also the weekend and I pick up the book again and read a lot less than I did the previous day.
- Come Monday, and by some miracle, if I have managed to gather every bit of willpower I have left and decided to read on my way to work, traffic and the heat will crush whatever little reading spirit I held on to. The commitment is forgotten and flies off the window, just like Hedwig would, disapproval written all over his face.
- On day four, I don’t even remember where I left the book. Come another weekend, I will just pick up a new book – the previous book abandoned about 120 - 150 pages in.
But this vicious cycle doesn’t stop me from buying new books or downloading e-books for my Kindle. It helped to know that I am not the only person who has started dozens of books and never finished them.
Starting February, I decided to get back on track. I drew out a systematic framework that allowed me to finish two of these abandoned books in a month (trust me, that’s not too shabby for someone who once read 4-5 books a month.) Now my reading list looks like this:
Read: 09
Currently reading: 5
To be read: 17
Whether you have a frayed relationship with reading or are someone who wants to take up reading, here are things that helped me reduce my currently-reading pile.
Pick A Time And Space Where You are At Your Energetic/Relaxed Best
Early mornings or right before you sleep – When do you have the extra 15-30 minutes on you? When can you look away from your phone or Netflix and devote yourself to the book, irrespective of the day of the week? When you have that locked in, ask yourself where you feel the most relaxed and at peace. Now that you have an answer to your questions you may begin.
To help find and prioritise reading time you may want to monitor and restrict how much time you spend on your phone doom scrolling and cut some of this time and dedicate it to reading.
Avoid timelines
Do not pressurise yourself into completing your reading list within a stipulated time. While having timelines and goals helps but expecting too much in little time takes the purpose out of it and you end up giving up faster. Follow a pace that’s comfortable for you.
Lock Up Your New Books
We are trying to lessen the current reading pile not add more to it. Avoid looking at your to-be-read list and concentrate on the books you are reading currently. The best way to do this is to keep new books away from your reach, if they are eBooks I would recommend uninstalling them.
Switch Genres
Reading multiple books at the same time is not a crime. I do it myself. But it is important to have variety between them. Avoid reading books of the same genre simultaneously, or one after the other. If you are reading something serious and heavy, make sure the next book you pick up is a light read. This way you will give your mind a break and won’t be bored easily.
Document Daily Progress
Journaling always brings order. If you can get yourself to document your daily progress you have won half the battle. Maybe mark your calendar with how many pages you’ve read and if you want to geek out like I do type down a small synopsis or understanding of what you read that day. This will keep you engaged with the book and will make it harder to abandon.
Avoid Shiny New Distractions
Keep away from bookstores and online carts. If you know of new book releases, you can make a wish list and wait it out till you at least finish 20% of your current reading list.
Learn To Let Go
If you are not vibing with the book, donate it! Abandoning one or two books is okay, but you need to rethink your reading choices if you’re doing it quite often.
Have Fun!
Remember why you started reading in the first place. It is not a competition but an escape to a world of the unknown. Have fun with it!