I know how it feels.
If you are like me and suffer from an acute case of “So many books, but so little time” syndrome, you probably understand the struggles of maintaining a daily reading schedule.
Usually, we don’t bother about reading schedules. When it comes to reading, we normally pick up a book in our free time and start to read. But is that the best approach to reading?
If we think about reading as an activity which can be optimized with a little effort and small changes in some habits, we can get much more value out of it.
Last week, I talked about the work that we as readers need to put in to make smart choices for picking out the next book we want to read.
In this post, I want to talk about the importance of having reading goals. Additionally, I also want to share an approach that can help us make space for an appropriate amount of reading time in our daily schedules.
Why do you read what you read?
Francis Bacon, an English philosopher famously remarked
“Some books are to be tasted, others to be swallowed, and some for to be chewed and digested.”
Although there is no dearth of books to read, there is definitely a dearth of reading time available to us. It is
At this point, you might be disagreeing with me by saying “I just read for the fun of it.” However, as I will explain in more detail later, reading for fun is also an effort directed to achieve a specific outcome i.e. pleasure.
Broadly, we can divide our reading goals into three major areas:
- Reading for Pleasure
- Reading for More Information
- Reading for Better Understanding
Consciously or not, all of our reading activities can be divided into the above three categories. Let’s explore each of them in more detail.
Reading for Pleasure
This kind of reading can also be called Reading for fun or entertainment.
Mortimer Adler, the author of the classic guide to intelligent reading says that
“All reading is active reading, that is it requires an active effort at all times from our side.”
However, this kind of reading is the least demanding of all. If you are like me, reading for pleasure is probably a stress reliever for you.
Reading for pleasure is elementary in nature, the way it was taught to us in schools. There are no special rules for it. One can read a page, read a chapter or probably even finish the entire book in one night if one want to. The goal here is simple: have a fun time while reading it.
Most fiction books can be termed as reading for pleasure.
Reading for Information
This kind of reading happens when one wishes to gather more facts and increase the breadth of one’s information on a particular topic of interest.
Think about when we are reading newspapers, magazines or anything else, that is easily understood by us. Here, we are reading topics that we already know something about. The end goal is to increase our store of information by learning more facts of the same nature.
A person who knows some facts about the Indian Independence movement can easily read more facts on the same topic without too much trouble.
It is important to establish here that more information does not necessarily translate to more understanding. When we read for information, our understanding was pretty much equal to what it was before we started.
Reading for Understanding
This is the most demanding form of reading, where the reader’s main aim is to learn something new or learn something familiar in a better way. The word learning is meant to imply that the reader goes from the state of understanding less to the state of understanding more.
When we indulge in this kind of reading, we are applying effort and focus to elevate ourselves by trying to reduce the inequality between us and the superior writer.
The writer, by the virtue of his written communication offers us new insights, new perspectives and new ideas that force us to rethink what we know and how much we know.
The goal of this reading is purely for the sake of increased understanding.
Ideally, one should have a healthy mix of all three kinds of reading in our daily schedules. Even more important than that, we should know when to read for pleasure, for more information or for better understanding.
As it is, the time-starved nature of modern work and living allows us limited liberties when it comes to reading.
What if we could optimize the time we have and use it to maximize the value add we can get from reading for these three different goals?
The Reading Mix – What to read and when?
Legendary writers from Hemingway to Murakami have shared that they do their best work in the mornings.
“When I am working on a book or a story, I write every morning as soon after first light as possible. There is no one to disturb you and it is cool or cold and you come to your work and warm as you write.”
– Ernest Hemingway
In the mornings, we are well-rested, fresh and more mentally engaged, which are all a prerequisite to learning. Hence, mornings are a great time to read for understanding.
So, pick books which require strong focus and dedicated efforts, in the mornings. Spend around 20-30 minutes or one chapter, whichever is smaller before leaving for work.
Usually, hard copies are great for books which are read to improve understanding. Hard copies allow us to mark and highlight the book and have conversations with the author, which is
Reading for Information works best when in transit or during office breaks.
Since these books don’t require strong efforts from our side, we can use them as fillers between important tasks or when we don’t have an option to do anything else (like during travel in a cab or a bus). It’s a good way to pass the time.
It’s practical to get these books in a kindle or an e-book format. The advantage is that one can easily access the kindle account through phone, laptop or any other device without much hassle.
Reading for pleasure is meant for relaxing. Hence the best time to indulge is just before going to sleep or just after coming back from the office. Keep the subject matter as light as possible and indulge in it much later in the day.
Reading for pleasure is meant for relaxing. Hence the best time to indulge is just before going to sleep or just after coming back from the office. Keep the subject matter as light as possible and indulge in it much later in the day.
Find your own Reading Mix
In conclusion, one should read for understanding in the mornings, read for information during travel or office breaks and read for pleasure in the evenings or just before sleep.
That being said, there are no standard rules that apply to everybody when it comes to reading. One has to figure out what works and what does not work based on individual interests, time availability,
Think of the above tips as best practices to optimize your reading time in your everyday schedule but also remember that these ideas are not set in stone. Use trial and error to figure out the best schedule for yourself. Ideally, one should at least read 30 minutes every day.
“Develop into a lifelong self-learner through voracious reading; cultivate curiosity and strive to become a little wiser every day.”
– Charlie Munger
