I remember thinking that when I get to the next stage of my life, my marriage, raising kids, that I would be less busy. As soon as they are in school, I’ll be less busy. As soon as they leave for college, I’ll be less busy. As soon as I have the house all organized, I’ll be less busy. As soon as the Christmas holiday is over, I’ll be less busy. Well guess what? I’m still busy. And really, busier than ever. Whether I create that busyness for myself is not the issue here, the real issue is that busyness often prevents me from doing the things I love. One of which is reading.

So I’ve decided to change that. You know I’ve embarked on my 52 Book in 52 Weeks Challenge. I’m going to incorporate reading into my busy lifestyle instead of allowing my busyness to prevent me from it. Here’s how:

Carry a book wherever I go: If I’m traveling, this is pretty much a given. But I find a few minutes of wasted time when I’m waiting for prescriptions at the store, between waiting to pick my son up, sitting in the waiting room at the doctor’s office. Wherever the setting may be, if I always keep a book handy, I’ll be able to get in some quality reading.

Join a book club: This doesn’t necessarily have to be a meet-once-a-month coffee and gab session at your girlfriend’s house {although are totally awesome, too}. This could be as simple as an online club where you determine the book you are reading and then set a date for everyone to finish before discussing. This will hold me accountable to finishing in a timely manner. Plus, I love getting other people’s perspective on the same book. It sometimes helps me see the book in a way I never would have otherwise.

Head to the library: Being surrounded by so many books not only gets me in the reading mood, it inspires me to branch out of my normal book genres. While I don’t have a ton of time to visit the library, the occasional trip does my mind good. It’s almost like a dose of calming meditation when I walk in. Plus, as a total bonus, the books are free to read!

Stock up on books: Anytime a book catches my eye, I’m going to buy it {if the price is reasonable of course. Remember he library is always an option here, too!}. It’s obviously unrealistic to believe I’ll read the 100 books sitting unread on my shelf in the foreseeable future, but having them available is the first step. And knowing I have a genuine interest in so many books gives me something to look forward too.

Put devices down: I get easily distracted if I’m reading and my phone is beeping, alerting me to new texts and emails. If I pick it up, I’ll inevitably get sucked in and before I know it, I’m reading Facebook feeds and online news articles and my book has all but been abandoned. If I turn my phone off or at least silence it for a good chunk of time, I can get through a book fairly quickly. Plus a little less phone time is never a bad thing!

Read before bedtime: For some reason, this seems to be the universal time for reading. It’s possibly because all of your work for the day is done and you can focus on something else. It’s also nice to switch gears and wipe my mind of all the craziness that has happened during the day so I don’t lay awake in bed for hours thinking of it. Picking up a book and losing myself in it helps me to let go of the day and fall asleep easier.

Set a goal: My goal this year is a lofty one: 52 Books in 52 Weeks. But yours doesn’t have to be so crazy. If it’s 2 books a month or a few chapters a night, setting a goal always helps me hold myself accountable. And it’s not like I’m limiting calories or setting a goal to run so many miles each week. This kind of goal is a really enjoyable one!

So there you have a few tips I’m implementing to help me read more. Do you have any great way to encourage reading? Please share!

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