Every year, I read over a hundred books. This means I polish off somewhere between two and three books a week. I’m not saying that to brag (okay, I am), but I really believe that anyone can make time to read. Chances are you wish you read more, since everyone feels this way (except me, I’m amazing). The secret is to not think of reading as a precious thing. If you’re only going to open a book on the off chance you have several hours to kill in a comfy chair with a glass of scotch, it’s only ever going to happen when you have several hours to kill in a comfy chair with a glass of scotch.
Being well read means making it a part of your daily life—not treating it as a luxury. And it’s not that hard. Like all things, it just takes a little bit of discipline and a little bit of trickery.
Don’t read before bed, read before work
Most people keep their reading on their nightstand. If you read at night, you probably only get through a few pages before you get sleepy. Instead, I recommend reading in the morning. Even if you’re not an early riser, use the time you spend checking Instagram in bed to read a couple chapters. (I promise not much has happened since you opened the app at midnight.) Make coffee and ease your way into the day.
Take advantage of your commute
If you take the subway or bus to work, skip the podcasts and read (Comedy Bang Bang is maybe the opposite of reading a book). A half-hour commute can easily turn into five hours of dedicated reading time every week—enough for most people to read an entire book.
Read more at GQ.