Making Time To Read

"I don't have time to read"


It's a term I hate and one I hear far too often from family, friends and acquaintances. If, by chance, they know how many books I've read (124 this year so far for those curious), then it's usually followed up with "You must have a lot of time on your hands to read that many books."


The answer to that is no I don't. I work full-time, juggling that with hitting the gym whenever I can, writing the novel and leading an active and busy lifestyle. 


People's lives are much more hectic and are bound to become busier and busier as we all work to maintain our lifestyles in the every changing economy. Rent and the price of living is going up while our job wages are the same. In today's society, we are overworked, underpaid and over stressed


But here's the thing, there are 24 hours in the day. We all have some time in that period to relax. It's what you do with the time that makes the difference.


Some people will go to the gym. Some will socialize with their friends. Some people will shop for enjoyment. But a large majority of us will be mindlessly surfing the Internet or watching the idiot box. 


Everyone has the right to choose what they want to do with their spare time but what they should not say is that they don't have time to read.


It's just an excuse to not read. 


Here are just a few ways you can make time.



Turn off the Idiot Box


If you think about it, how much of your time is spent watching TV when you get home from work? It's a way of relaxing right? Take an hour off your TV time each day to read a book. It could be in the morning. It could be in the evening. If an hour is too long, then make it half an hour. Hell, even ten minutes is better than nothing.


Commuting


How many of us catch public transport or carpool to work? No doubt, more than a few. If you know you've got a long trip into the city from home, take a book with you and catch up on reading then. It's a great way to pass the time and makes the trip into work much more enjoyable. 


Mix It Up


If you're not reading because you're bored with the same genres, then try mixing it up a little. Read a genre you wouldn't usually read or an author you've never heard of before. Expand your horizons. You'd be surprised by what you discover about authors and even yourself.


Audio books


If you still feel like you don't have time to read and struggle to get through the first chapter of most novels when you do, try audio books. You can listen to them while commuting or working on tasks that does not involve a large amount of mental focus. 
It's still reading, just in a different format. 


Electronic Readers


People often say books are too expensive and lugging a book around is too much of a hassle. That's where an E-reader comes in handy


Here's the thing about E-book readers. They are easy to carry around. You can have thousands of books at your fingertips. Places like Amazon, and Kobo allow you to download books for free including Classics. For romance readers, Harlequin allows you to do the same. In fact there are heaps of different places online you can legally download free books. 


E-books are also a lot cheaper than hardcover books, especially the new releases. Realistically, you're looking at paying up to $45 for new release hardbacks (At least in Australia) in bookstores. 


Another highlight with E-Readers is that they save your spot. You can turn it off after reading and know when you open it again, you will be at the last page you left it. 




There are so many different ways you can make time for reading if you really want to. It's about working out priorities and finding ways to fit it in. With 24 hours in a day, it's not really that difficult. 


And trust me, your mind will thank you for it.