Skin in the Game

Last year, I only read TWO books. I did have a baby last year, so I am giving myself a break for not reading more. My goal is to do better this year. This year, inspired by my favourite productivity gurus, I am implementing the following strategies to read more in 2024:

• Reading more than one book at a time. This is already working for me. I started four books around the same time this year:
  • The Diary of a CEO by Steven Bartlett (I just finished this yesterday, yay!)
  • Feel Good Productivity by Ali Abdaal
  • Someday is Today by Matthew Dicks
  • Raising Good Humans by Hunter Clarke-Fields
  • Building a Second Brain by Tiago Forte (I haven’t started this one yet, but this is replacing The Diary of a CEO)
• Not being precious about reading everything from start to finish. Related to the first point, I used to be very precious about how I read. I need to read everything from start to finish before I start a new book. Sometimes, I end up choosing a bad book, or just a book that I don’t enjoy, so I force myself (often unsuccessfully) to finish it instead of just moving on to the next one. Honestly, Raising Good Humans is not really inspiring me at the moment. But instead of getting stuck on that book, I just started Someday is Today to read. I really like Someday is Today, but it is a bit of a slow read for me, so I started the Diary of a CEO. etc.
• Using audio books to “read” books. Being a new mom, I don’t always have the time to sit down and read a book. But I noticed there are still plenty of opportunities for me to listen to audio books: while being nap-trapped by my baby, while making dinner, while putting the baby to sleep, while driving, while cleaning, etc. This is actually how I finished The Diary of a CEO so quickly. I “read” it via audio book. Given I had to go back several times because I very often fall asleep while listening and forget where I dozed off. Nonetheless, I finished it pretty quickly. (Note: I enjoyed this book so much, I think I am going to get the physical book too.)
• Reading before bedtime and right after waking up. I wish I did this more consistently, but that is the dream. The goal is for me to replace doom-scrolling on my phone with reading. 5 mins here and there before bedtime and right after waking up really makes a huge difference.
• Making books accessible. I have the Kindle app and my audio books on my phone, and the Kindle e-reader on my bedside. Every time I have the urge to doom-scroll on my phone, I will myself to reach for my books instead. I don’t always succeed, but sometimes I do, and that is good enough for me.

So far these strategies have been working for me. Let’s see how I do for 2024. My minimum goal is to read at least one book a month, so 12 books in 2024. I think that is a very achievable goal.

Check out my 2024 reading list here.

P.S.

I also want to start doing book reviews. When I get around to it, it will be linked here. 🙂