How I Read 30 Books Last Year as a Working Mom
If you’re anything like many of my clients, you love the idea of reading. You remember a time when you used to be able to say you’d read one of the current popular books on that year’s book club list or the latest personal development pick that everyone was talking about.
You even sometimes still buy books that look interesting and that are getting great reviews with the hopes that owning it will help you actually read it. But instead, you just have a pile accumulating on your nightstand. Some have a bookmark after the first or second chapter, but most haven’t been opened at all. Then, not only do you feel sad that you don’t have the time or the energy to read anymore, but you also feel guilty for having all these books that you aren’t reading.
Uggh. Why do kids and work take up all the time and energy?
That was me too… until last year. I used to read a ton as a young professional. I loved reading the latest novels, business, and personal development books. But once I became a Mom, opening up a book felt way harder than grabbing the remote at the end of a long day. Or some nights I wouldn’t even do that. I would just go to bed, because what’s better than sleep really?
But I was inspired by my sister, a mom of two boys under the age of 5, who regularly reads 50 books a year! I wanted to know what that would be like. Could I even do it? Would I even enjoy it? Would it stress me out, or relax me? Would I feel proud or exhausted at the end of the year?
Well, let me tell you! But first, let me tell you HOW I exceeded my goal of 20 books and read 30 instead.
1. I Went Digital
Having books on my phone this year was a game-changer. At first, I missed the actual pages of a book, but I quickly got over that when I saw how much progress I could make with this little device that I ALWAYS have with me. I read some actual paper books, and I also listened to some audiobooks, but the majority of those 30 were digital books read from my phone, on the go!
2. I Used the Library and Created Urgency
Our library has an amazing digital book collection, but for the popular books that I wanted to read last year, I would have to get on waitlists that could last up to 10-12 weeks. So when a title would come available for me to read, I knew that if I didn’t finish it in those 3 weeks, it would be months before I would get it again. That created a healthy sense of urgency and in some cases forced me to finish books faster than I would have otherwise. I am all in favor of a deadline when you can impose one!
There were several that I didn’t finish on time. If they were worth it, I would wait. If not, I just let them go and never requested them again.
3. I Had a Reading Buddy
Having someone like my sister who I could chat about books with was such great support. I also started following several Instagram accounts of other moms who like to read. It was fun to get ideas about books I wanted to request from the library and to make my own recommendations. Finding your reading community makes it fun.
4. I Read Page by Page
Much like how I tackle projects, I didn’t wait for that elusive chunk of time when I could really sit down and read a lot of pages. I read little by little, sometimes a single page at a time. But do that enough, and suddenly you’ve finished a book! Or 30!!
What I Learned
So now that you know HOW I read 30 books, what did I learn?
I had no idea how much I had missed reading. Getting lost in a great book, to me, is so much better than TV and I had forgotten that. Once I got my first couple of books under my belt, I didn’t have to remind myself to read anymore. I enjoyed it so much that I WANTED to prioritize it.
I enjoyed talking about what I was reading. This goes back to having a reading community or a buddy to share stories and recommendations with. But it is a fun topic to bring up in conversation and a welcome break from only having your kids or work to talk about.
Life’s too short to read something you’re not excited about. I’m a rule-follower. I like directions, step-by-step guides, to-do lists, and I like completing projects. I used to always finish a book I’d started because, I don’t know, I thought the book police would find me if I didn’t. But this year, I only read books that I was excited to pick up. I abandoned several over the course of the year that I just didn’t click with. I knew in order to hit my goal, I couldn’t be painstakingly slow getting through something that I found uninteresting.
I didn’t feel exhausted or stressed by my goal. In fact, as long as I kept reading, page by page, I was amazed at how quickly I made progress. When you’re reading things that you love, it doesn’t feel like something you HAVE to do. It’s something you WANT to do.
I spent less time on social media. Maybe this wouldn’t be the case for you if you were reading hard-copy books, but because I was reading so much on my phone, I found I spent way less time on social media. Instead, I opened my digital book app to make progress on my current read. It was nice… and freeing.
I “wait” way more than I realized. Having my book with me at all times on my phone, meant that I could read a page or two whenever I was “waiting”. And wow do I wait a lot. I wait for appointments, in line, before conference calls start, while my coffee is brewing. Sometimes I opt to just be, to breathe, and to give my mind white space. But sometimes I chose to read. And I believe it was in a lot of those waiting times that I made the most progress on my reading goal. The key is to be prepared for unexpected opportunities to read.
Just Try
So if you’ve been wishing that you could get back into reading, but think it’s not possible, it is. I have 3 small children and my husband and I both work full-time. I didn’t think I had time to read either until I decided to try.
That’s all I’m asking. Experiment. Try it out. See what works for you and what doesn’t. See if you even ENJOY reading as much as you think you will. Start with one book a month.
If you want to know what I read last year and what’s on my to-read list for 2020, come follow me over on goodreads.