As far back as I can remember I have been reading. I love reading. I carry a book with my everywhere I go. I can even read more or less anywhere – my friends will back me up on this as they were equally stupefied that I took out my book and started reading whilst we were on a boat ride back from Pulau Redang (Redang Island) to the mainland. Yes I survived and actually had a nice time reading along with the sway of the boat – if you wanted to know.
Getting back to the issue at hand …
14 Ways to Cultivate a Lifetime Reading Habit written by Leo Babauta of Zenhabits fame is the article that can start you off on the right path to nurturing a healthy passion for reading. Going through the 14 steps, I find that most of these steps make strong sense and can truly guide you. In fact a number of those steps from the original list of 14 steps that I already find to be deeply ingrained in myself, possible due to the many years of reading, are :
- Always carry a book
- Make a list
- Reduce Television & Internet
- Go to a used bookstore
- Make it pleasurable
- Blog it
- Have a reading hour or reading day
To me Always Carrying Around a Book is the most pivotal step in the list. Imaging all those small minutes wasted doing nothing whilst commuting, when with a book on hand you could easily pass your time productively. Additionally Having a Reading Hour/Day is equally important as you will need to commit to your reading in order to cultivate it. Going to a Used/Rental Bookstore is one way where you can significantly reduce your reading expenditures – renting a book or purchasing a used one will allow you to have a wider selection of books that you can aim to read and at the same time take the strain of the wallet.
For myself, I have noticed that over the years as my reading became more ingrained in my daily activities, the less time I spend watching the TV. And can you just imagine that my parents used to complain that I was a TV addict when I was much younger. And the blogging portion also naturally came about where I sometimes blog on the books that I have read. These are just some of the very tangible benefits that I have enjoyed thanks to my passion for reading. Benefits that could easily be your too for that matter. Take my word for it.
Incidentally in case you’re left wondering -FYI my biggest passion is for book in the Fantasy genre, though I do read some other every once in a while.
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