Reading However We Can

Reading used to be my default activity. I could shut the rest of the world out while my mind is completely immersed in the book in my hands.

Nowadays, it’s less like that. I myself am not completely sure why, but it’s harder now for me to start engaging with a book. It’s even harder to maintain a steady momentum once I do get the ball rolling.

But I guess, as we get older, some things that used to work, don’t work anymore. And we just have to change how we do things. In this case, I’ve had to change how I read books. These are a few practices that have helped me read more consistently:

1. One line at a time. I couldn’t instantly immerse myself into a book like I used to. So, it helps to focus on the most immediate line, and then another, and then another. The next thing I know, I’ve read a couple of pages already.
   
   
2. 10 pages at a time. Once I have that momentum built up, I like to keep it running by setting 10-page milestones. Oftentimes, after reading 10 pages, I’d be inclined to read another 10, and then another 10.
   
   
3. Read multiple books at a time. Maybe this practice isn’t for everybody, but I realize that I tend to think better when I have a few tasks going on simultaneously. And it’s just the same with reading. I’d have a few books on my plate, so, when I feel like my momentum is going down with one book, I’d switch to another book. 

Books will always be essential, no matter who we are, or where we are in our lives. Life may change, and our minds and bodies may change. But that shouldn’t stop us from reading, however we can.

“Never trust anyone who has not brought a book with them.”

— Lemony Snicket