How I did it: It's June and I'm up to 11 books so far this year, so I'm calling this goal "accomplished."

I turned it into a habit to read almost every night before bed, and I allowed myself to take time at other points during the day to indulge.  Now I seem to sail through books, I feel like I've become a much faster reader. 

Lessons & tips: Keep the ball rolling.  Once you start, try not to go more than a day or so without reading at least a few pages.  My problems always start when I put a book down for too long, and it becomes a big deal to pick it up again.

I started to look at reading as an accomplishment, on a par with mopping or cleaning the bathroom.  This made me feel much less guilty for taking time on a Saturday afternoon to sit and read.

I grew up in a household where the TV was constantly blaring, even if no one was watching it.  Now I don't have cable and barely watch any TV, but there's a big difference between not watching TV and actually doing something worthwhile with your time, which took me a long time to figure out.  Now reading has become one of the things I do during the evening instead.  Having a nice little reading nook helps too.

Resources: www.librivox.org has volunteer-read audio books in the public domain, which means it's mostly classics.  It's great for passing the time while I'm working on the house, going for a walk at lunch, or in the car.

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Jun 10, 05:26PM PDT | 0 comments | 4 cheers