Update on How to Read More


At the beginning of July 2017, I set out to increase how much I read each month. It has been 28 days, and thus far I’ve fallen short of my goal, so I’m reflecting on my progress and making changes so I can keep reading.

Original Goal and Progress

Complete tracker

My goal was to read 700 minutes in 28 days. I ended up reading 550 minutes in 28 days.

Insights

  • 25 minutes of uninterrupted reading is a stretch for me. I usually want to look at my phone or open my computer after 10 minutes of reading.
  • The quality of my reading comprehension varies day by day, which is okay because I’m focused more on establishing the habit as opposed to how well I understand what I read.
  • I set up an ‘action trigger’ by reading during my bus ride home. This worked well for me, but I didn’t have plan for when I drive to work or during the weekends. For example, I didn’t ride the bus very much during the week of July 16-22, and I only read three times that week.
  • I need a public tracker that my housemates or colleagues can see. Having it on my website doesn’t provide enough accountability.
  • Expecting myself to read 7 days a week is too much. I will reduce it to 5 days a week during the second-half of my project.
  • Even though I fell short of my goal, I read a lot more in July than I did in June.

Revised Goal

My Goal: Read 25 minutes 5 times per week or 125 minutes per week

My reading list lives here.

Here’s the new tracker that is on the door of my bedroom:

A more public reading tracker

I will reflect and publish my final reflection on September 10, 2017.