The average CEO in America reads one book a week. That’s 50+ books a year!
Ever since I read this stat, I’ve made it a goal in my life to read at least one new book a week as well.
And since I started doing this, one question I get a lot from people is how do I manage to read a book a week?
It’s actually quite simple once you learn how. So here are 10 tips I personally use that will help you read a book a week. I hope at least one of them helps you.
1. First things first: you have to prioritize reading
Bill Gates reads one book a week. The billionaire investor Warren Buffett reads 400 pages a day.
How do they read so much? Easy. They prioritize it.
“Reading books is my favorite way to learn about a new topic. I’ve been reading about a book a week on average since I was a kid. Even when my schedule is out of control, I carve out a lot of time for reading.” – Bill Gates
If you want to read more, then reading has to become a priority in your life. If you don’t prioritize it, then watching Netflix, YouTube, and scrolling through Facebook, will always take precedence.
We all have 24 hours a day. There’s no difference, time-wise, between you, Bill Gates, and Warren Buffett. Some just know how to maximize their time more efficiently than others. If you don’t prioritize reading, then the rest of this article won’t help you much.
2. Read 30 pages of your book a day
In order to read a book a week, you need to actually read a book a week. This is why you need to be reading at least 30 pages of your book a day.
The reason I think this is a good goal is because 30 pages is small enough that it’s not intimidating.
When you’re sitting down and reading, as long as you’re not being distracted by anything, most people can read 30 pages in 45 minutes. 30 pages may seem small, but all it takes is 30 pages a day to equal a book a week.
Regardless of what is happening throughout your day, always try to get at least 30 pages of reading in each day. You’ll be surprised how much that adds up day after day. Week after week. Month after month.
3. Make reading a habit
Don’t wait until you’re “in the mood” to read. This fails because of how unpredictable motivation is.
Instead, habitualize your reading. Do this by setting aside time every day where you’re going to sit down and read no matter what. Personally, I like to read for 60 minutes every morning.
In the beginning, this wasn’t easy to do. New habits never are. But when you try to discipline yourself to read at a certain time every day, even when you don’t feel like it, this helps you create a habit. And creating a habit will help you do more of it and do it more easily.
4. Don’t read when sleepy
If you try to read while you’re tired, you’ll always end up falling asleep within the first few pages.
This is why you don’t want to wait until the end of the day to start reading. Instead, try to read as early in the day as possible when your mind is still fresh and fully functioning.
5. Take your books with you everywhere
I take my books with me everywhere. If you ever see me somewhere, no matter where it is, you’ll most likely see me holding a book. This is because there are always opportunities to read.
Are you waiting in line at the DMV? Take advantage of that time and read your book. Have 10 minutes between meetings or classes? Take out your book and read a few pages.
If you have a book on you at all times, you’ll start to find that there is actually a lot of moments throughout your day where you can grab your book and get some reading done. A little reading done here and there throughout your day will add up to a lot over a week’s period.
6. Read multiple books simultaneously
A lot of people like to read a book cover to cover before reading something new.
I don’t.
Instead, I like reading a lot of books at once.
The reason I do this is because I find that reading multiple books at once helps keep my mind and thoughts fresh.
If I’m reading something complicated in the morning, for example, I find that it’s more relaxing to read something easier in the evening.
I also get bored easily. So instead of taking a break after I’ve been reading a book for an extended period of time, I’ll choose to just read a different book instead.
Doing this keeps me engaged and more productive when it comes to reading more.
7. Only read books you really love
Do you know how many times I’ve picked up the book “Thinking Fast and Slow” and tried to read it? A lot of times. It’s one of those books I feel I should read, but I’ve never been able to get through it no matter how hard I’ve tried.
Typically, whenever I feel pressured to read a book because it’s considered to be a classic or it’s a bestseller, I tend to procrastinate reading more.
Whatever your case for reading a book is, it’s better to read books that sincerely interest you, rather than waste weeks trying to read through a book because you feel you should.
Start with books that interest you. As a result, you’ll get more pleasure and value out of the experience. If you aren’t enjoying a book, stop reading it immediately. If it feels like a chore, then you’re not doing yourself any favors.
8. Hold yourself accountable
If you want to read a book a week, then I highly recommend you tell other people you want to read a book a week.
For whatever reason, we’re okay with disappointing ourselves, but we’re not okay with disappointing others.
So by telling other people your goal, you’ll feel more motivated to actually follow through on your goal.
9. Keep an ongoing list of books you want to read
I find that when I don’t have a long list of great books I want to read, I tend to not feel inspired to get through the book I’m currently reading.
When you keep an ongoing list of books to read, you’ll always feel motivated to pick up the next book, rather than falling into a long non-reading period in which you’re looking or waiting for that next perfect book to appear.
10. Be a multi medium reader
If have a goal to read a book a week, then you can’t be picky about what mediums you use to read. In relation to me, for example, I read physical books. I read books on my phone. I read books on Kindle. And I even listen to audiobooks.
Audiobooks, in particular, are very important. If you struggle to read more books, I highly suggest you try listening to more audiobooks. In fact, nearly 30% of the population are auditory learners.
By listening to audiobooks during your commute to work, school, or the gym, you can easily get through one book a week without much effort.
Parting thoughts
So there you go! These are 10 tips I personally use that will help you read a book a week. I hope you found them beneficial.
Connect Deeper
If you resonated with this article then join thousands of others who have subscribed to my book club where I talk about the best ideas from the books I read.
Follow us here and subscribe here for all the latest news on how you can keep Thriving.
Stay up to date or catch-up on all our podcasts with Arianna Huffington here.