Want to turn your daily reading goal into a daily reading habit and ultimately help you read more books? Here's a step-by-step plan!
Step 1: Figure out your reading pace
How many pages you can read in a given chunk of time that allows for comprehension and more importantly, enjoyment? To figure this out accurately, gauge the number of pages you read over the course of 30 minutes or an hour. My pace works out to about 40 pages an hour, so that's my daily goal.
Can I read for one blissful, uninterrupted hour every day? Not likely. But I typically can find a few minutes here and there that add up to an hour of reading in the course of the day. Daily reading, similar to our daily step, count, is cumulative.
I like to start my day with a book and a morning cup of coffee. I give myself the gift of reading without distraction until my coffee is finished. This little habit fills me up in so many ways. It's a peaceful entry into the day, a quiet and enriching form of meditation, and is a great way to feel that I've accomplished something before the day even begins!
Step 2: Set a daily page goal and use two bookmarks
You may have a general goal of read 30 pages a day, but your actual Wednesday may not allow for more than a few minutes of reading, so here's the crucial bit: adjust your daily goal to your day's schedule. Because the important thing is to read every day. On busier days, you might read just a few pages, on more open days, perhaps you read 50.
So let yourself off the hook, and be realistic about what you can achieve. This keeps you moving forward, page by page, book by book. And using two bookmarks -- one to mark your place, one to mark where you'd like to get to that day -- is a simple but powerful little cheerleader.
Step 3: Always have a book at the ready!
Tuck a small book into your bag, have your e-reader or (earbuds & audiobook) nearby, or even scatter a few books you are currently reading to different parts of the house. Whatever allows you to always be ready to fill the little gaps of time in any given day with your reading. I typically have an audio book (via an app on my phone) and a physical book that I am reading at the same time, so that, even if I forget to grab my book on the way out the door, I still always have some form of reading material with me. I highly recommend the Libby app for audio books, which is likely offered for free with your local library card. It has a vast catalog of current and older releases, very similar to Audible but without the cost investment.