I am often asked by friends how I find time to read so many books. I never thought much about it because it is part of my lifestyle ever since I’ve learned to read. Reading is what made me the person I am now and gave me much more knowledge that all the universities and schools and classes I’ve attended. I can say I was a bookworm ever since I’ve learned the alphabet.
These days I constantly run across posts about how important reading is, such as this one by Career Girl Daily:
10 Reasons Why You Need to Read More to Be Successful
And while I don’t see myself as a successful person yet, I think if I ever start feeling successful it would be because of all the knowledge I’ve accumulated across the years by reading tons of interesting books. And if you are wondering how I find time to read here is a list of the things I do to achieve it:
READING IS AN ESSENTIAL PART OF MAY DAILY LIFE
The first and most important thing about reading in my life is it is as essential as having dinner or going to sleep. I need my daily dose of reading and have it wherever way I find possible.
I read on different places, at different times of the day and different books.
About the books:
I HAVE AT LEAST TREE BOOKS ON MY NIGHT STAND ALL THE TIME
I find it sometimes tiring to stick to one book especially when the book is not fictional. So I usually have few alternatives and switch between them. Sometimes I read up to 15 books at once, but don’t worry, these are just the quirks of a bookworm.
I ALWAYS HAVE AT LEAST AN ELECTRONIC BOOK IN MY PURSE
It’s a NOOK currently, and it it used to be a Kindle until its battery died off. I used to choose smaller books or magazines to carry with me but now I’m mostly carrying my Nook everywhere with me. The thing I like the most about it – it has an in-built light so I can read even on darker places – it’s great when sharing the bed with someone who goes to sleep earlier than you, or for the night flight to the next wonderful place to visit.
And since there are so much more e-books in English than in Bulgarian, my e-book reader actually helped me improve my English considerably. Ever wondered how to improve your language skills when you don’t have enough time or money for language classes? My recipe consists of watching TV-shows and reading books in the language.
I HAVE BOOKS AT EVERY TABLE AT HOME AND ALSO IN MY OFFICE
Yes, I do. And it sometimes drives people crazy around me, because I’m constantly making piles of currently reading or to read books everywhere I am.
About the places and time:
I USUALLY READ IN THE MORNING WITH MY MORNING COFFEE OR TEA
The downside is I have the tendency to read too much and often realize I’m late for work. This is because there are so many interesting books out there!
I SOMETIMES READ AT MY LUNCH BREAK OR USE IT FOR AN EXCUSE TO MAKE A BREAK
In summer I would go out, take a sandwich or a made at home meal, find a bench at the nearby park and spent the break reading. It sometimes gives me great ideas to use in my work, or at least help me break from overthinking a problem I can’t solve at the moment. Just focusing at something else helps me see the problem from a different angle. It also helps me with dealing with stress.
I READ WHILE I AM ON THE BUS, AT THE SUBWAY OR AT THE PLANE
Traveling is so much more interesting whit a good book!
I READ WHILE WAITING ON QUEUES
I used to be so impatient when I have to wait for something – especially at the bank or in any institution. I’m not anymore since my e-reading device is everywhere with me. It’s actually my favorite time in a busy day.
I READ WITH MY AFTERNOON COFFEE
If I have enough time or less work to do, I go to my favourite coffee shop near the office, have a big cup of cappuccino and spend the late afternoon enjoying the latest book I’ve found. You can’t imagine how educational reading about facial expressions or body language is when you do it in a place with so many people you can observe while reading about facial expressions ;).
I READ BEFORE BED
Yes, I do. And I usually do it in the bed. Well, I don’t say not to pay attention to you partner’s desires, but if you use the television to help you go to sleep, I strongly suggest trying a nice book instead. Downside: if I find an interesting novel, I often stay until I finish it or the sun shows up. Not that I regret it 😉
I READ ON THE BEACH AND AT THE PARK, OR AT THE BALCONY
Holidays for me often include a book and a blanket and some sunshine.
And what about the distractions?
I DON’T ALLOW SOCIAL MEDIA NOTIFICATIONS ON MY PHONE
I know, I sound a bit like taken from another era, but although I spent a lot of time on facebook, twitter, pinterest and even instagram, I usually don’t allow any notifications to pop-up on my phone. The plus is nobody can awake me with a message in the middle of the night. And when I want to read, I read without interruption. My friends know they have to call me if they need to reach me instantly so the only downside to this is I sometimes miss great offers to go somewhere on the weekends because I have found a catching book to read and didn’t check my facebook messages before Monday.
I DON’T WATCH TELEVISION EVERY DAY
I do have a TV and watch a number of TV-shows, but it’s only one in the living room and it isn’t constantly on. And I only stick to shows I really like and try to watch them online if available because TV advert breaks take too much time that I treasure enough not to waste it watching adverts for things I don’t need. Update: I don’t have a TV set currently and I don’t miss it at all.
Reading can improve your life in so many ways. It can help you understand yourself and the other people, or the world as a whole a lot better, it can help with problem solving, dealing with stress, it can improve your memory and vocabulary (this is the way I’m constantly improving my English), it also provides knowledge on various topics so don’t wait, find a book that interests you, start reading it and share your thoughts about it with me!
And if you need any suggestions, feel free to check my Goodreads acount. I love the site, I use it regularly for more than five years now and it helps me keep track of the books I read and also find new reccomendations. And you can also sneak peak what you friends are reading which is quite alsome 🙂
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