Unread Book Pile? Here’s How To Get Through Your Reading Material
I’m with you on this one. Seems I only get through one or two books per year, usually over Christmas Break or on a plane somewhere.
However, this year, I just got tired of it, and one of my resolutions was to fix it. This is what I did.
1) Begin with outlining what challenges you, i.e. Why is this so difficult?
Me: Time, too many books, and too many books half-read.
2) Brainstorm the challenges one by one. Figure out which is the biggest challenge.
Me: It wasn’t really about Time. In reality, I always try to pick up a book or magazine at the end of the night. If my computer is backing up or taking time to upload, I try to pick up a work-related book to kill the time. So the other two challenges were the real issues. Really, it came down to not knowing which book to pick up, and/or where that particular book was.
3) Solve the big one. Solving the biggest challenge will in and of itself help the others along. Therefore, put your effort into this specific one first and foremost.
Me: It was all about organization and location. So, I cleared a shelf and designated it as mine. No one else’s books can go on this shelf. Then, I resolved to read one book at a time! No more half read books lying about the house.
I placed the books in order that I want to read them on the shelf and voila! a book is always right out front, easy to find, and ready to go at the end of the night.
As writers we all like to read, right? But let’s remind ourselves that it is absolutely vital that we hone our craft by picking up others writing. Let’s make a commitment to training ourselves in this way.
So, what’s your #1 reading challenge?
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