8 Easy-to-Implement Tips to Read One Book a Week
28 Apr 2025 #booksI’ve changed my mind about reading books.
I started reading to grow a large “read list.” But I couldn’t remember some of those books, even when I had notes. I couldn’t even remember their covers.
Then, I switched to “just-in-time” learning. Reading only when facing a challenge or working a project, so I didn’t forget the lessons from books.
Reading one book a week seemed like a distant goal. Reading 500 books to reinvent myself seemed impossible. I thought it was only doable with speed-reading techniques and tweaking the definition of a “read” book.
But yesterday, I found this YouTube video with practical ideas to read one book a week.
Here are some of my takeaways:
#1. You do have time to read. On average, we spend three hours watching Netflix. That’s time we could use for reading.
#2. You don’t have to read in a single 3-hour session. Split your reading time throughout the day. Read during idle moments: while taking your morning coffee, after lunch, or before going to bed.
#3. Have dedicated spaces for reading. Make sure they’re comfortable enough. Maybe a good chair and a source of natural light or a lamp.
#4. Add 20 seconds of friction to your distractions. It could mean leaving your TV remote in another room or taking your phone out of sight. Also, make your reading sessions as easy as possible to start. Make sure starting a reading session takes you just 20 seconds.
#5. You don’t have to finish one book to start another. Balance your reading among three books: one for learning, one for entertainment, and one for inspiration. I found a similar idea on Choose Yourself by James Altucher: Read for two hours and write down 10 ideas from what you read.
#6. Every time you find interesting concepts or ideas, pause for a moment. This is to give your brain time to activate its diffuse mode and start working behind the scenes. Also, notice connections between what you’re reading and the other two books. Maybe a concept from a non-fiction book might appear applied in an autobiography. This sounds similar to step #6 from my 6-step process to read books.
#7. When you find a new concept, ask yourself what’s the easiest step to start implementing that concept.
#8. Have a book implementation journal. Every time you apply a new concept you found in a book, keep a log entry of how you did and how easy it was to apply.
More ideas for my own reading strategy. So always be reading, not to show off a large book list, but to retain and apply.