If there's something you can start doing today that will change the person you'll become in the future is reading. It will enhance your critical thinking, you cognitive competencies, your perceptions of human relations.
For the last 4 years, I've been having limited reading choices due to all my reading assignments from college. Now that I'm finally getting my English degree I can finally make my own reading choices and read those books I always wanted to read but couldn't because of the lack of time. Consequently, I've been rediscovering the pleasure of reading. Reading just to relax and learn. Reading for fun, as a hobby and not for obligation and under pressure.
During this last month, I've developed a new reading routine that has been helping me to find pleasure in reading again and I'd like to share it with all of you in case you've been struggling to really enjoy reading or if you want to find this passion again.
One of the main reasons why people don't have the habit of reading is simply because they don't know where to start. Goodreads is a website where you can create a reading profile. You can mark the books you've read, rate them (and thus help the site give you other references), find reading suggestions, and find useful reviews from people who have already read the books you are interested in. The site also helps you to keep a reading list so you always know what's coming next.
Still in Goodreads, you can also set reading goals. Currently, on the site, there's a reading challenge going on challenging you to read 6 books until the end of the year. A goal will give you a commitment, stimulate and motivate you. You can establish how many pages you intend to read per day. This helps to get an idea of how long it will take you to read the book and it will bring you more motivation to finish reading and reach your goal.
They say it takes 21 days to create a new habit. So choose the best time, and place and be constant and persistent. Read at least a page per day, even if you're tired. Your future self will thank you for all the effort.
Reading is the best investment of time and money you can make in your life. In fact, nowadays we do not even have to spend a penny on books since great E-Books are available for free on the internet. One of the sites that offer free E-books, in case you don't know yet, is the Gutemberg Project with thousands of books in many digital formats available, allowing you to read the greatest books on your phone, tablet, Ipad, E-reader, etc.
If there's something you can start doing today that will change the person you'll become in the future is reading. It will enhance your critical thinking, you cognitive competences, your perceptions of human relations. Every kind of knowledge is out there. So start putting these steps in practice and thank me later for the tips!
