Just Read It: Productivity Hacks for Readers

Achieve your reading goals with ten of my tested and trusted hacks

I read 30 books in 2022 — a significant increase from 2021, a year where I read a lot but rarely read any books. What no one tells you about completing a Master’s in writing is that you’d rarely have the chance to complete full-length projects that are not on your curriculum. My love for reading was rekindled by just reading and by reading for reading’s sake, focusing on passively — not actively —learning the tricks of storytelling. In 2022 I read Carrie Soto is back, Verity, and You Made a Fool of Death with your Beauty, and I almost cried at the end of each book’s last chapter from the pure beauty of storytelling and magic of words. Reading is a beautiful experience, and I’m glad I experience it daily. 2022 was also a reminder that reading more is an admirable ambition but building a connection with the characters and the world of the story is by far a nicer experience.

I’ve come into 2023 with a drive never to stop reading. I absentmindedly scribbled Just Do it on my reMarkable the other day and realised it’s a good slogan for the kind of reading year I want. Or better still: Just Read it.

Do you overthink your reading choices? Do you spend time relishing the warmth of a good book, unable to start the next? Do you not know when to drop a book you’re not enjoying? If you answered yes to any of these, you might find the tweaked Nike slogan a friendly companion in getting started and pursuing your reading goals this year. It’s easier said than done. It can be challenging to get past the mental barriers that prevent you from ‘just doing stuff’. The trick is to trick yourself into doing it.

Here are a few tips:

• Frame the initiatives tied to your reading goals as small and specific activities. If you want to read more in 2023, consider planning to read a particular amount of words, paragraphs, or chapters daily and slowly build up from there. It’s easier to commit to reading two paragraphs every day than promising to read 60 books and not having a plan.

• Make it super easy to start by setting up the structures you need. Last year, I used Good Reads to discover new reads and track progress on the different books I was reading. I’m still using Good Reads, but I’m attempting to build a flexible reading list to help me reach my goal of reading 35 books this year. This means that I know the next one I’ll read once I finish a book. Aderinsola has an excellent Notion reading template on her life planner. You should consider getting it here. You can also create a conducive reading environment by getting the accessories you need to read comfortably. This might include a book lamp, a reading desk, or Kindle.

• Consider grouping reading with other activities. If you listen to audiobooks, you can read on your run or on your commute to and from work.

• Know your reading tastes. Read genres and authors that spark joy. Don’t force yourself to read award-winning books if they’re not your cup of tea.

• Be invested in reading blurbs and reviews to know what a book is about before purchasing it. This is a note to self. Often than not, if the cover is pretty and a woman wrote the book, chances are it’s going in my cart. For example:

  

  It’s a good book with a gorgeous cover

• Know your peak and off-peak periods around the year. If you’re busier at the start of the year, it might not be the best time to read ten books, but perhaps, Summer and the Christmas holidays might be a great time to tick several dozen books off your reading list.

• Surround yourself with passionate readers. In 2022, I followed more readers and paid close attention to their reading choices. This helped me take my reading more seriously. BookTok is also an excellent place to start if you enjoy TikTok.

• Don’t be afraid to say no. In and out of reading and writing, I’ve decided to say no more to lucrative opportunities that I can’t possibly take on due to bandwidth constraints. This means that when I start an exciting book that isn’t working for me, I’m not afraid to put it away. Sometimes, it means I’m not in the right frame to read the book (and not that the book isn’t great).

  Here are some excerpts from James Clear’s The Ultimate Productivity Hack is Saying No:

… but the truth is that we say yes to many things we don't actually want to do. There are many meetings held that don't need to be held. There is a lot of code written that could be deleted.

How often do people ask you to do something and you just reply, “Sure thing.” Three days later, you're overwhelmed by how much is on your to-do list. We become frustrated by our obligations even though we were the ones who said yes to them in the first place.

You need to say no to whatever isn't leading you toward your goals. You need to say no to distractions.

Saying no doesn't mean you'll never do anything interesting or innovative or spontaneous. It just means that you say yes in a focused way. Once you have knocked out the distractions, it can make sense to say yes to any opportunity that could potentially move you in the right direction. You may have to try many things to discover what works and what you enjoy. This period of exploration can be particularly important at the beginning of a project, job, or career.

• Acknowledge post-reading fatigue and allow yourself breaks between long reading streaks.

• This is arguable, but you don’t need to read an entire book to have read it. This is especially relevant with nonfiction titles. A few chapters might give you everything you need to know to begin applying the lessons 🤷🏽‍♀️

What tricks and tips are you employing to stay productive, especially around reading? I’m eager to hear from you.

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Happy new year, friend! Thanks for sticking with me through bouts of inconsistency last year. I’m feeling lucky this month. I recently released the Notion Wedding Planner I built and used to plan my wedding. It could be beneficial if you’re planning a wedding or can be tweaked to plan major events, for example, a themed birthday party or anniversary.

I also completed the series of articles I’m writing on how I’m planning my wedding. Sign up if you’re interested in a copy here.

Here’s to a productive 2023 🥂🚀 ❤️