Building a habit is not a "21 day" project. It's a gradual shift in your identity; a shift that takes regular self-talk, some success but many failures, intentional choices, and perseverance.
As someone who read just 30-odd books in 30 years and consistently failed at every reading resolution, I was the definition of a 'non-reader.' I've set reading goals year after year, only to abandon them by February. I've picked up books only to put them down again after a few pages. In 2023, my goal was to read just one book. Guess what happened? Correct. I failed.
But last year (2024), everything changed. I read 16 books in 12 months. My original goal was to read 12!
The one key takeaway from this is: If I can do it, so can you.
I got interested in building habits 3 years back around Nov 2022 — that's when you start planning your "resolutions" for the upcoming year.
In 2023, my first project was to write 12 articles (one per month) on my blog. I wrote 10 by the end of the year — not bad for the first attempt. But, I didn't continue writing in the new year. My second project was fitness. So I dug out a physical activity I've enjoyed in the past - cycling. I bought second-hand cycle, rode enough to convince myself to buy a new one, and then cycled more than I anticipated (approx. 350km) Then, since 2024, I haven't touched my cycle. My third project was to read one book — you know what happened with it already.
I wanted to understand what went wrong. Here's what I learnt:
- Number-driven goals: Kms if cycling, no. of articles on blog, and no. of books per year.
- Lack of focus: There were too many goals in a year. Yes, 3 is a lot when you do neither of them intrinsically.
- Lack of system: To keep things easy, to catch and handle failures, to build intrinsic motivation, and so on...
Taking these learnings forward, I decided to walk into 2024 with:
- Long-term goal: becoming a person who finds knowledge and joy in reading (over just podcasts, Netflix, and social media)
- Focus: One goal and take it very seriously
- System: Something that keeps me on track
The one thing I started with, and this gets as meta as it can, is by reading a book - Atomic Habits by James Clear. This would be my second read and I've benefited from many tactics mentioned in it. I'll cover them and a few more that I came up with below.
As I write this, it's March of 2025. I've read a couple of books, currently reading 3 books(!), I still miss many days of reading... but whenever I get a chance after work or over weekends, I default to my Kindle, & that's a win!
I'm confident that some of these tips will click for you and you would be able to build reading or any other habit by implementing them.
20 tips to help you become a person who enjoys reading books:
- Read Atomic Habits. Really really really read it. It works.
- If you don't want to read the entire book, learn about 2 min rule, identity-based habit building, and habit stacking.
- Journal about the habit you want to build; even if you're failing at it everyday.
- Start scrolling Goodreads like Twitter. Once a day is fine. Collect book, check friend's goals, books they have read, and so on.
- Pick 3-4 genres. Buy bunch of books from those genres.
- Before buying a book (physical or digital), read any random page (1-2). Typically start of the chapter. If you can easily follow what author is trying to convey, buy it. If not, discard it even if it's "the classic" "the must read" or whatever category.
- Don't finish books if they are not working for you.
- Pick 10-12 books under 250 pages. Maybe 1-2 bigger than that.
- Skipping for days or even weeks is ok. Skipping for months is also ok. Just get back to it. It's never too late.
- On flights, airport, cafes, and other places, look for people who are sitting with a book or kindle. Sit around them. Remind yourself that's who you want to be.
- Keep min. reading time low for the entire year. 2 min, 5 min, 10 min, or whatever works.
- Surround yourself with books. Visit book stores and buy some books. Keep on your desk. If someone asks what to gift you, ask for a book.
- Read at least 50% fiction books from your goal. Absence of pressure to read carefully, to take notes, implement the learnings, and so on... is liberating.
- Sometimes create mandates that link to the rewards. I can't do {my favorite thing} until I read for 2 min or 1 page. Works for yearly goal as well. I can plan my vacation only if I finish 50% books by 50% of year.
- Carry a Kindle or a book when you go out. If you forget it, buy a new one (book) from bookstore and roam around.
- Start of the day (before touching your phone), or end of the day (before going to bed) are usually best times to read.
- If you start with 1-page per day rule, absolutely stop after 1 page. Don't go over even if you feel like it. Not for the first few weeks.
- Depending on how critical this habit is for you, set up higher and crazy rewards or losses (Tip 14).
- Use habit tracker app. Update progress on Goodreads even if it is 1% every single day.
- Follow folks who talk about books. Join book clubs or similar even if as a listener.
Find out what ticks you. Does glamorizing a habit help? Do it. Does big reward help? Do it.