4 Tips To Read More in the New Year

A popular new year resolution is always "to read more." If you've seen the post about my personal new year resolutions, you would know that I haven't made specific goals for the year, but instead opted to make my goals broader. As a part of my "be selfish" goal, I've decided to try read more. In high school if I never read outside of class, it was okay because I was still reading for English. But now, all my classes are science based and if I don't actively focus on reading, it just won't happen. Here are some of the tips and tricks I'll be implementing in my life to read more in the new year. 

1) Read What You Like
If you read books that truly intrigue you and subjects that are fascinating, you will never treat reading like a chore. I think a lot of times people get put off reading because they read books they believe they "should" read (such as business books, self help books, classics...) instead of the books that they actually want to read (fantasy, sci-fi...) At the end of the day, every book you read will benefit you in some way regardless of genre, and it is a whole lot better to immerse yourself in a book you enjoy than to power through one you don't. 

2) Make it a Routine
It is so much easier to remember to read when it is a part of your routine. Whether this means consistently reading the newspaper each morning with a cup of coffee or picking up a book for 20 minutes before bed, routinizing reading will help you read more in the new year!

3) Make it an Experience
This goes hand in hand with the last tip. If you can make reading an enjoyable experience, you will want to read more. For example, I've been reading outside more (keep in mind I'm in Hawaii right now, I would not recommend this for those of you experiencing winter) and have been playing jazz in the background. For you, making reading an experience could be going to a coffee shop to get your reading done or reading in a bath. 

4) Be Active
This is going to sound exactly like what you hated most about high school reading, but hear me out! If you are actively highlighting, underlining, or taking notes when you're reading, you'll be so much more engrossed and will remember so much more of what you read. This works better with some genres (classics and business) than others (sci-fi or fantasy), but you can adapt this to fit what you like to read. Being active also goes beyond this. Make lists of books you'd like to read, write down what you enjoyed about each book after you finish it, make the act of reading a starting point and go further than that. 

I want us all to fall in love with reading this year. Let me know in the comments if you have any tips to read more and what books you're planning on reading this year! I really want to tackle some new classics and read some old favorites! My list right now includes The Beautiful and Damned, On The Road, The Sun Also Rises, and Big Sur. 
-Sienna