The Reading Habit

The Well-Read, Read Well Over Time

Some thoughts on the reading life:

• It’s not as much from discipline as from purpose. Why are you reading? Does it bring you delight, are you longing for something, or are you seeking after truth? Purpose entices you to read. Discipline pushes.

• I rarely meet a great reader who has hours of uninterrupted reading time. Instead, I meet those busy with the ordinary duties of life. Their reading time accrues through minutes here and there, not from long spells of reading. They are usually always carrying a book.

• Reading requires sacrifice, though usually what is given up is not missed. Those who question how someone can read so much are usually the same people who have several tv show seasons under their belts. You can either watch or read. Choose wisely.

• A reading goal can work wonders. Pick a timeframe and a desired reading list. Write those books down in order and include the number of pages. Add the pages together and divide by the number of days in your timeframe. That’s how many pages to read per day. That’s the best way to make a big book (or a big reading project) less intimidating.

• Wake up while the house is quiet. Reading at night induces sleep. Reading in the morning (with coffee, of course) is a great time to read.

• Identity and purpose work together. If you are a seeker of truth, you will seek after truth in the books you read. “I’m not well-read” or “I’m not really a reader” are ideas to remove from your thoughts. You are a reader. You are a seeker. Go and practice your craft.

• Reading is a habit. It’s a delightful, wonderful habit, but a daily practice nonetheless.

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I obsessively track my reading, counting books, pages, and time. When looking back, I’m continually amazed at how those words, paragraphs, and pages accumulate over the years. Someone well-read, read well over time. However, they are unlikely to consider themselves well-read because the more they read, the more they realize how much remains to be read. It’s the quest that lasts a lifetime, and likely beyond.