Learn 6 ways to improving your reading habit

I am pretty aware of your reading problems, and I know it started by reading only headline and not caring to read the whole article. And before you know it, you will abscond going through all I have to say here, yet you need a reading solution.

One of the things I hear regularly from people I advise is that they do not have the time to read.

This is usually a valid point particularly in the Nigerian environment. What with bills to pay, crazy work schedules, the gnarling traffic to and from work, kids to take care of and the one million things we need to do everyday. Yet with enough time to practically WASTE pressing your blackberry (or other) mobile phones.

However, it is a scientific fact that reading stimulates certain parts of the brain and affects your cognitive function. The act of reading a book whether for knowledge, leisure or entertainment is like exercise for the brain. It flexes the brain muscles and leads to a more enlightened, sharper and all round better person.

Essentially, when you don’t read, you’re admitting that you are not the best person you can be; a faded copy.

To bring you back to your colourful best, here are 6 tips on how to improve reading habits.

#1: Make time: Despite all the valid reasons you have for not reading, you have no reason to accept to ‘grow old before your time’. This is a popular saying and it means life taking it’s toll on you without you fighting back.

#2: Create A Book List: It is inevitable that you will hear about certain books that you would like read. Unfortunately, these books may not be readily available when you want them or you may not have enough funds to purchase them and since the mind is prone to instant gratification, it is likely that you will forget about such books. I suggest that you create a list of books you would like to read on a monthly basis. Keep adding to your list and cross out the ones you’ve bought or read.

#3: Find a quiet place & dream: We all need to find a quiet place to go to each day where we can meditate and renew our minds. Dream about the places you would like to go to, read about those places. Dream, dream, dream! Everything in life is created twice; first in your mind and then in the physical reality. Read books that feed your dreams.

#4: Read a variety of books: Don’t just pick up one genre of books; mix and match. Read fiction & non-fiction and vary them. Expand your view! You never know what you’ll get from a book. For instance, you may be a business person and in a book of science fiction, the author may be writing a fictional but important tip about the future of your line of business that will be of immense benefit to you.

#5: Visit a bookshop regularly: There are many good bookshops around. A bookshop is a place of discovery and a place where you can meet interesting people or those who share your peculiar taste!

#6: Expand your options: I personally read several books in several platforms. I hardly ever restrict myself anymore with only hard cover books. Get ready to lay hand on online books using your mobile phones and pads. Your blackberry is not just meant to PING, but to study. Apply it to use.