How to Pick Up Reading as a Hobby | by Liew Yen Rou
Illustration by Jia Xin and Vernice.
Maybe you’d want to read because it could improve your vocabulary, writing skills or you’re tired of having your eyes glued to the computer screen all the time. Or you just want to take a break after spending a long time scrolling through social media. Regardless of the reason, World Book Day is approaching, giving you the best window to begin your ventures into reading! Based on the type of reader you might be, I’ve prepared a few ways to motivate so what are you waiting for? Grab a pen, these tips could apply to you!
If you’re the type who struggles to stay focused while reading a book.
This can happen to anyone as most books you read are pages full of words with no pictures or illustrations at all. As you flip through the pages of the book, you’re trying to understand the story and make up visual scenarios in your head. This can make you zone out very easily as it’s difficult to keep your mind focused without a visual aid.However, there’s this one thing I like to do when I want to stay focused and it’s even applicable for other situations like studying for a test, which is going to my favourite quiet place -for example the university’s library- get yourself an iced coffee if you want to, clear your mind and make yourself comfortable. If your main distraction is your phone whenever you try to read, put it on silent mode or just put it away. You also have to keep in mind that it’s impossible to make yourself read for hours without stopping unless you’re fully immersed in a book. Allow yourself to take breaks in between pages or chapters if you feel like doing so.
If you’ve been having trouble reaching your reading goal.
It may be a challenge to commit to reading without a reading goal but what happens if you have a reading goal that you can’t achieve? If you’ve never completed a book within a year before, try setting your yearly reading goal to just one or two books, then slowly increase the amount of books you want to read every year. Being able to set a realistic reading goal for yourself will make you feel less pressured.It is important to set realistic goals that you know you can achieve, this can be done by setting a timeline for yourself. You can go to the contents page of a book and use a soft pencil to write down the dates beside each chapter number, to signify when you would like to have finished that chapter. However, don’t feel guilty or pressured if you do not complete it!
Moreover, creating a Goodreads account and having the application downloaded on your phone is helpful for achieving your reading goal. Goodreads is a website as well as an application where you can rate, review and record the books that you’ve read. Goodreads have a yearly reading challenge where you can participate and set a reading goal for yourself.
If you’re tired of staring at a book full of words.
Sometimes you may be motivated to read but over time it gets boring. If that is the case try this: pick up a book that has already been made into movies. I assure you that it’ll make your reading experience more fun and exciting. There’s an unexplainable feeling where you’ll feel oddly satisfied after finishing both the book and the movie. Using this way to start reading can also help you to add more book genres that you normally wouldn’t touch into your shelves. For instance, classics and history. Books from these genres contain strong vocabulary and many words that you may not have seen before. Even if you don’t understand the book at the end of the day, the movies will give you a better explanation.Have you heard of the term “Potterhead'? In case you’ve never heard of the word before, it’s referred to someone who’s obsessed with the Harry Potter universe. Most Potterheads have already read the book series a million times over. Part of the reason being a Potterhead is so fun is because you now have a community of people who have read similar books with you, and can share your opinions with. Being part of reading communities can boost your motivation to read, not to mention it gives you the opportunity to hear other reader’s suggestions of books, widening your horizons.
At the end of the day, reading should be something that you find enjoyable, not a burden to you. Committing to reading on a daily basis isn’t an easy thing to do so with a slow and steady pace, you’ll surely be able to pick it up!
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