Tip 1 - Read Several Different Kinds of Book At Once:Some days I just don't feel like reading the book I'm stuck 1/2 way through reading. Or I just feel more like watching the latest Zombie genre offering on Netflix. This year I decided to read between 3-5 books at the same time; books that are all very different to each other! Reading this way meant that I didn't have to motivate myself to read "that one book". Rather, whatever mood I was in there was something matching my mood to read; Socio-political history, warm pastoral help, classic literature, zombies, short essays of historical Christian practices. Swap freely between the different genre books as you feel like it. Tip 2 - Read Different Books in Different Formats:I always aim to have different books ready to read in different formats. KINDLE APP: Kindle books usually tend to be books that are a relatively light read, and ones that I may want to digitally "highlight" selections from to use later. I also usually choose books for my iPhone kindle app that I can read in short spurts (see tip 3). They often tend to be more instructional books that have short chapters. AUDIO BOOK: I'll choose an audio book for one of two reasons. Either I read an audio book because I only want to get an "overview" depth of understanding. OR its a book I'm reading as a "treat/motivation" for doing some other activity such as a gym visit (see tip 4). PAPER: I usually choose paper book if its either a book/author I love, OR it is a book I want to read slowly and give more considered attention to. Tip 3 - Select Different Books for Different Locations
Tip 4 - Use Audio Books as Motivation for Other Tasks***I always have one audio book cued on my phone that I'll ONLY listen to while at the gym. At the moment I'm reading the "World War Z" audiobook ONLY when I go to the gym (or need motivation in some other undesirable task). Because I only "get" to read this book at the gym, it also acts as a motivation to do something I'd otherwise be tempted to avoid. Of course it can't be a book that requires deep focus. ***Warning - I have to make extra effort to make sure I ALSO give myself down-time from reading; allowing my mind to wander, and give attention to those thoughts I'd much rather be distracted from!
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AuthorI'm Steve. Anglican Presbyter, Practical Theology Enthusiast, and Graphic Design Hobbyist in Sydney, Australia Archives
December 2019
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