Are you like me, with a shelf full of dust-covered, partially read books, along with books you’ve been meaning to read ‘one day’? Believe me, you’re not alone! This seems to be a common thing I’ve heard from a lot of people.
Let’s face it, we’re all busier nowadays and more distracted with other things like emails and social media, right? There was a time when reading was one of the only forms of entertainment people had. Now it’s hard to compete with Netflix, YouTube and Tik Tok!
The reality is, though, that most of us know the power of books. We know they are full of important information that could really help bring inspiration, hope or guidance to our lives. Books are one of the most powerful personal development tools. That’s why so many people have a priority goal of reading more books.
The problem I see, is the level of guilt some people feel about not completing a book once they start it. It’s almost like it’s some kind of personal weakness or failure to leave a book unfinished! It can leave you feeling like you don’t even want to start reading a book because it’s too big of a commitment and you know you’ll feel bad again if you don’t read it all, so why bother?
Freedom to love books again
If you’re having a complicated relationship with book reading, I’m here to give you some encouragement and advice on how to enjoy books again without feeling overwhelmed or guilty. Sound good to you? Awesome! First, let’s take a look at the beliefs and expectations we have about reading a book.
Belief #1 – “I have to finish a book once I start it”
Who says you have to finish a book to enjoy it? There’s no teacher grading you on whether or not you finished it, unless you’re still in school and it’s one of your textbooks or something! There’s no ‘book police’ who are going to come and give you a fine – $100 for every unread chapter!
What if you get a book, read a chapter or two and get a really good nugget out of it? That’s great! Maybe you’ll get around to digging for another nugget one of these days, but guilt about taking so long to do it certainly isn’t going to entice you to read some more! Give yourself a break!
Belief #2 -“I need a lot of time before I sit down and read”
There’s no rule on how long a reading session should take. Think of a book like a series of conversations with a friend. Maybe all you have time for now is a text or a quick chat. You don’t need to have a 3-hour long heart to heart every time! In one of my favorite books on habits, Mini Habits, by Stephan Guise, he gave himself a mini habit goal of reading just 1 or 2 pages a day. Sometimes he did more than his goal, but he never expected more of himself than that.
Many of us don’t have the time or attention for more than a few pages, and that’s okay. Lately I’ve noticed when I look on Amazon for Christian women’s books, that it’s primarily daily devotionals. I think that’s because most of us only have time to read something short and concise that is quick to make a powerful point! (I know, authors can go on and on, kind of like this article, right? :))
Don’t feel like you have to finish a chapter or a section in one sitting. Just read a paragraph or two if that’s all you have time for. Maybe that will actually help you to digest the information better anyways! You can read a bit, then think on it afterwards.
Belief #3 – “You should finish one book before reading another”
Okay, if the other beliefs sound like the book police, this one sounds like your mother! “No, Sweetie, you can’t have your dessert before you finish your broccoli!” You are a grown person now, you can snack on more than one book at a time and it won’t spoil your dinner!
Personally, I have a very messy and chaotic style of book reading. I read a lot! I usually read multiple books in the same time frame. Sometimes I go crazy and read a book in one sitting if it’s compelling enough and I have the time. Mostly, though, I read little bits at a time. I highlight and mark things that stand out to me. I’ll read a bit of one book one day, and some of another the next day. Usually I’ll read from multiple books on the same day – especially when I’m doing research.
Some books I finish, and some I never do. I don’t feel guilty about any of it! I may go back and start over, or finish it years later. Maybe I wasn’t really ready for what it had to say when I first looked at it. Occasionally, the Holy Spirit just seems to guide me to a book I had no interest in and it’s exactly what I need at the time.
Belief #4 – “Audiobooks aren’t real books”
This isn’t the police or your mom, this is a Pharisee talking! Some people say “It isn’t really reading” to listen to an audiobook. I say, “Whatever dude! Get over it!” Lol! I think that’s like having a religious attitude that keeps the letter of the law but keeps you from the heart of the law!
Audiobooks have the wonderful power of convenience. I listen to a lot of books now. I listen while grooming in the morning, doing chores, and commuting in my car. Audiobooks rock! I highly suggest getting a monthly subscription to something like Audible and listening to a new book a month.
You might never read a page in an actual book, yet listen to dozens of books a year! That’s how my friend Jae Park renewed his mindset and became a successful entrepreneur. He had a reading disability, yet listened to literally hundreds of books in a few years that helped him transform his life! Check out his story and the awesome book I helped him write here – The Power of TODAY.
Belief #5 – Reading the whole Bible is too hard
Reading the Bible can seem like a daunting task. I remember starting over many times and reading until I got stuck in the long genealogies of the Hebrew people! The first time I used a ‘read the Bible in a year’ program, where you read a bit of the Old Testament, New Testament and Psalms or Proverbs each day, and actually read the whole thing, I felt so proud of myself!
I now have an app on my phone called Bible in One Year that’s put out by the founders of Alpha – Nicky and Pippa Gumbel. It is awesome! I love Nicky’s commentaries on the scripture readings and you can also choose to either read or listen to an audio version of it.
It’s a great way to go through the Bible in a year. That’s another book many of us Christians feel guilty about not finishing! The great thing about the Bible is we will never be finished with it – it’s a living conversation with the Author that we never stop having!
I hope this article encouraged you somehow to enjoy books in whatever way works for you – reading, listening, one bite at a time, or a whole meal’s worth! Books – the right ones, anyway, are truly food for the soul!
What book are you going to read next? For suggestions on some that I’ve found helpful, check out my Book Recommendation List here (Coming Soon)