@@specter295 well this is exactly the point, if you spent those small stretches of time reading a page or two of a book you'd have read a whole book before you know it. I've gone from reading 5 books in a year to having read 32 this year alone. I haven't had more time, in fact I've had less time AND I've picked up new hobbies I've just spent less time on social media
@@kylegriffin8783 this! Its been years since i read a book and now im in my fifth and sixth book. I go to work and still manage to read 4 pages at my busiest day. No excuses honestly. I feel really proud of myself because i became bad at reading aloud and i noticed that my pronunciation is better lately.
@@kylegriffin8783 You may read more pages that way, but you won't get as much value of a book as you would if you actually sat down and read for, say, 30 minutes. Imagine if you were a film director trying to get better at it by watching movies. It would be far more effective if you watched the whole film or episode instead of watching five minutes in the bus, never able to fully immerse in the movie. That's what I think anyway
Exactly! The living room, bedroom, dinner table, classroom, break room, bus, etc will all do just fine. An aesthetic place for reading is a luxury not many can have.
Many of the viewers here were probably kids who avidly awaited the next Harry Potter book. Do what you did THEN: Grab the book and read. Kids got those books and didn't care where they were, what was going on.......they just opened them and dove into the story. They weren't worried about the aesthetic, or their attire, or anything but reading. They read in the car, on their beds, on the floor, on the ground....in the closet at midnight with a flashlight. Adults try and set the ambience for everything. Be like a kid....just grab a book and read.
YES. Incredibly accurate. When I was younger I legitimately just didn't care where. I read Harry Potter whenever I could: When recess came around, whenever we get a lucky teacher that gives free time, lunch, dismissal, and while waiting for my parents to fetch me from school. It's so insane how a child can be so dedicated and focused regardless of the environment.
I don't think there's anything wrong with seeing it as leisure though. I'd argue fiction is leisurely whilst non-fiction, such as theory, would be more dedicated to its own time.
@@Wackaz I agree, takes a lot of brain power sometimes and honestly I’d point out that it’s just social development, where as most kids we read for pure enjoyment, escapism and for passing time, then at school with dedicated time and place, we had to read rigorous texts.
"You don't have to have a reading robe, you don't have to have a pipe. You just sit down and you open a book and you read." I really appreciate your advice, R.C. I too have been plagued a bit by the idyllic image of reading a book in that perfect environment, and while it's fun to imagine, it can be detrimental to actually getting reading done. We have to do away with the perfect image of the reader and just be a reader. Sometimes those idyllic moments will just happen, but more often that not they won't, and that's fine, because our attention should be focused on the page anyway.
Sometimes the idylic reader is a man in his study, with his pipe or cigar and hardcover book with nice rain sounds outside. and sometimes the idylic reader is a man in a plastic waiting-room chair and his scuffed e-reader.
Thank you for answering my question, Robin. Your response really hit the nail on the head. Your advice to read in short bursts is invaluable. I always have the expectation to read in long sittings like I did when I was younger, and I get discouraged when I can’t reproduce this way of reading anymore. Going forward I will give shorter reading periods a shot and let go of the expectations of the past. Thank you again and have a good week.
Finally someone boiled down my guilt with not being able to start a new chapter. I have this limiting belief/system that I gotta finish one chapter in a single sitting. I suppose that's usually why I've been wracking my reading speed and enjoyment too. I'll try to take this advice at its face value!
The tip about differentiating books that may require a longer time and quieter place to enjoy and absorb and books that you can read on the go is so useful. I've never thought about that even though it seems so obvious :p
I realized as soon as I deleted all my social media and stored away my smart phone at home, I found time to do a lot more things. Even when working full-time and raising two kids.
There's something about the way you talk that makes me want to savour what you say - dissect the architecture of each sentence. You conjure up images in conversation in a way that seems crafted. Although our imaginations seem to differ in the images that bring us joy, I see much of myself in the way you obviously relish what you do.
I can relate to this so much, I always yearn for the perfect rainy day to be able to sit down with a cup of tea and read... but it obviously never comes, and if it does, I inevitably have other stuff to do too. Then there is the other side of things, when I was a kid I used to just bring a paperback with me everywhere and pull it out whenever I got the chance, even just for a minute, and while I still do always bring a book with me, I often reach for my phone rather instead. I would also suggest for people wanting to read more, check your phone usage times and see what you’d like to cut down on, and actively try to catch yourself when you’re idly reaching for your phone.
Read poetry if you are scarce in time, and think occasionally about them when you are busy doing something else. About prose, i think you don't need to be a bookworm. It really boils down to how much time you spend on reading, not how many pages you have read. If you want to read, let's say, 30 minutes a day, then do it so, even if it takes you a lot of time to get even through the first page. Best luck to all of my friends over here!!
When I was doing my MA I used to read almost everywhere: on the train to and fro from uni, at the station, in between classes, before bed, in bed etc. I could just about forget /ignore my surroundings completely. But ever since the lock down hit I have more time to read but always find myself reading less than I should.
This is so true. I’ve always associated reading for something that I needed time to settle into doing, hence why I gravitate to looking at my phone which doesn’t require that. Need to change my view and train myself that reading is something I can instantly pick up and read on the leisure.
i love reading, it’s probably my favorite way of passing time, it’s interesting to me how difficult it is for some people when it is so easy for me, i just read whenever i feel like it and i feel like it a lot of the time hahha, i guess you have to read things you like, and training concentration and short bursts helps a lot too, the routine comes naturally after some time
thank you so so much. i have a very unstable mood. one day i wish i could read every day, other day i find everything in life pointless that i don't want to move. i feel like i want to be in that warm community of people who love self education, because it inspires me and makes everything seem a bit easier. you're one of these people!
We need to stop treating the ability to be a reader as something that is natural to us as humans, it’s not. Often reading is like being an athlete, particularly a runner. When you’re younger you could probably run an 8k or read a whole day just fine, but when you get older those tasks don’t get easier. Reading comprehensively and quickly takes practice as much as reading for a long amount of time. People need to stop giving themselves a hard time because we must work out our brain as we do any muscle in our bodies.
Great video! I never used to read, until I started learning Japanese (which forced me to start reading since I really want to get the language down packed). I do stretches of 1-2 hours a day, reading in a language where half the characters are mumbo jumbo, but I still do it. Things that help me. a) Finding a quiet space. Reading in Japanese requires my FULL concentration. So I'll read in my room or sit at a café. b) Proper rest. This is CRITICAL. I too have a hard time reading at night IF I don't have a nap prior. I cannot read a light novel after work without "resetting" my brain. c) I don't eat a heavy meal before reading. Body needs to be relaxed . d) Motivation. This doesn't apply to most of your followers (unless they're learning a second language through reading) but I read Japanese more so with the end goal in mind, rather than the content itself ha! I'd like to note, as a side effect of reading so much in Japanese, I've started reading books in English. Weird, huh!
I love this advice! I got back into reading by reading a book I really loved, reading during my 15 min and 30 min breaks at work and talking about the book I was reading to my friends or family. You definitely do not need an aesthetic place or time to start reading again.
Reading is so hard not because we are busy or something too. We love movies more than the books. We love short 5 minute philosophy of nietzsche than actually reading that. We think reading is time killing, so we watch funny videos of cats instead. So my suggestion is, for people like me, just build habit of not feeling this. Its all habit.
ive recenyly started reading when im on the bus going to school, when i wait for someone/something or just when i take my sleep meds and wait to get somnious and im seeing the results in my vocabulary and thoughts already
To be honest, I didn't have this problem during the quarantine. Almost all of my classes were cancelled and not leaving the house for my own safety gave me time to re-read some old books that I haven't touched since my high school years. I gravitated towards High Fantasy probably because my mind wanted to escape reality at the time. And for at least 2 hours a day, my mental state improved a bit. But now that I'm back to having classes again, I still make sure to have some time to myself here and there to read. Surprise surprise, I can survive two to three hours now without looking at my phone and just pick up a book to read. Especially books I say I'll get to but never could.......
I read 5 books in May. Don‘t even remember the last time I read this much. Maybe during university times when I was a student? But it‘s exactly how you said it. When reading has the same level of pleasure for you, as watching tv, playing video games or scrollen through RU-vid or facebook, then reading is not a task, it‘s something enjoyable and relaxing. When I am addicted to a book, i read whenever and wherever. In May I read after waking up before work, on my break at work, at a bus stop, on the bus - two times while eating out by myself and basically whenever I had time. June will be my short story month, and I am super excited :-)
I think reading can both be a leisure activity and a true session of passion, dedication and thought in a long space of time; it really depends upon what you're reading! For example, I'd say fiction is quite leisurely, but non-fiction, such as theory, requires its own space. Ultimately, you can read any book anywhere, whether it be at home in bed, or on the train, or on the bus, or waiting for your plane! The beauty of books is that exact efficiency, you can take them anywhere with you and read them just as easily. So in a sense, reading is leisurely because it's so accessible, and through that leisure you can truly dedicate and commit to absorbing yourself in the material.
Love the points you made. The best thing that's worked for me is consistent reading anywhere from 1 page to 10 pages a night. I'd get bogged down by a books length and how long it would take me b/c of my schedule and slow reading speed and never even start. But now I throw all expectations of finishing the book fast and just do it consistently. I'm now 300 pgs into a great book with slow, consistent, and expectation-less effort! We have to be more forgiving of ourselves. We don't need to race!
Sometimes I kind of miss my long train commutes to work. I read so many books during those 1-hour trips. Then I got a car and it all went downhill from there. Just got a kindle oasis recently and hope to read more, at least in short bursts during lunch time or ten minute breaks.
Thanks man, it's a great tip. I hadn't realized I was guilty of this. I've always wanted to read more but I just can't find the time or I didn't have the strength of concentration to read in long stretches.
Yes! It’s the same for people who want to make art but “don’t have the time”. We can wait around for a long stretch of time to start a piece, or we can pick up a pencil and paper and just start drawing :)
as someone who deals with eye strain, (and i'm sure the pandemic and working from home hasn't made it much better) I've taken to audiobooks! I read mostly classics anyways, so I can find everything online for free. That way I can do my chores but "read" at the same time
Reading in short bursts is what I’m no good at. Sure I can do it, but whatever I’ve read in said burst won’t sink in and more often than not I’ll forget what I’ve read. I have a mountain of books I wanna get through but I think I get so overwhelmed that I procrastinate.... which is never good... Didn’t know Readings was still open on Lygon. I’ll have to go back there once this lockdown is over. Years ago I bought the screenplay to Pulp Fiction from there which I still have to this day 😊
Yeah, I still struggle a bit to read in short bursts, I can easily lose whatever I read earlier. However, to me a very useful tip is having 'classes' of books for different situations. While leaving denser books at home, I've been keeping in my bag books of the lighter kind, short stories, humorous tales, things I don't have to catch up to the lore and complexity. This has made it more enjoyable and easier to focus on a book during commute.
I got into the habit of reading 30 minutes a day. There was a video that pointed out how many books you would read in your life which really got me started. The issue is I started competing with myself. So 30 minutes turned into 35, 39, 45, 90 etc until I burned out 😅
Incredible excellent answer, I currently have Ernest Hemingway, in bursts of speed reading, and Anthony Robbins in my pleasure times. Greetings from Mexico
I’m a slow reader but read about 70 books a year. When someone asked me how I achieved that I asked them “how many hours a day do you spend on your iPhone mindlessly browsing the internet, RU-vid videos, or social media?” They replied “about 5 hours” and I said “well every time you pick up your phone, I pick up my book” and to me that’s always been the key. I’m just always reading a book. Standing in line at the store, on breaks at work, sitting on the toilet, when I’m eating lunch. Just keep reading and the amount you read will begin to compile like compounding interest.
Your video helped me a lot. I will try to introduce more short bursts of reading in my life. I realize now that I used to do it when I was in college and now with work and stuff I decreased this skill and my time of reading in general. Thanks!
These videos of yours are so well-articulated, insightful, and reassuring. Thank you so much. Feels good to know I'm not alone in this struggle. I love reading and learning and I can really relate to the perfectionism and unrealistic expectations
"We are all modern people" Meanwhile me: Science is a myth, gravitation won't work when I want to put my book down cause I've 10,000 assignments to finish but the books get exciting EXACTLY THEN!
Thanks for sharing this. Just started to get back into reading more, and one thing I picked up is I have to carve out time early in the morning for it (instead of scrolling on social media). So far it’s working 😂 Also just joined your Patreon. Looking forward to see more content from you :) PS I love On Writing by Stephen King, thanks for mentioning it. I will reread it again one of these days!
definitely agree about reading in short bursts and saving the dense texts for longer reading periods. as readers we get too ritualistic about our reading and it isn’t helping us read more regularly in our busy lifestyles. great video Robin!
My biggest struggle is focus. Could I bring my book with me everywhere and read for 10 minutes in the doctors waiting room, 15 minutes on break, here and there? Yes. Will I feel like I absorbed anything in that time period? No. To really immerse myself in a story or concept, I need 30 minutes minimum, and sometimes that chunk of time is hard to find without falling asleep at the end of the night
I have huge problems with focus too, and I'm distracted easily. I think that's why they said pick something that's easy to read for those short bursts. So an epic fantasy novel would not be a good candidate, but maybe a beach read or cheesy romance?
i think you make a good point about the mystique behind the act of reading. it's important to regard reading as consuming content. also my favorite takeaway from the video is having a short burst and long stretch book at hand. so stuff like poetry, short stories, maybe even graphic novels can work well for short bursts.
And also we need to stay present & stay conscious whenever we read a book, give the book our full attention. Set this rule whenever we do something : "your primary purpose is now to enable consciousness to flow into what you do. The secondary purpose is whatever you want to achieve through the doing." Page. 269 (A New Earth ~ Eckhart Tolle). In this case, reading the words and turning the pages is your primary purpose(bring consciousness into what we're doing). And gaining something from the book is the secondary purpose(byproducts of the consciousness). By the way, i recommend you guys to read A New Earth by Eckhart Tolle. Cheers!
I’m a telemarketer and my managers allow us to multitask. I often have a book open on my desk. I have 10-15 seconds to read 1-3 sentences, and then I have to click some buttons on the computer. This has forced me to learn how to speed read, which is surprisingly useful. I read the book at work, underline it, and then reserve highlighting and relishing the book for the “long stretches” of time I find on the weekends.
I'm so glad I found this channel by happenstance of your writing prose video, you are brilliant. I also appreciate the "New To The Channel? Start Here" playlist ^^
Great points about the type of reading chosen for short bursts vs. longer sessions. I like short story and poetry anthologies for the shorter sessions. Shorter poems are fantastic because the dense chunks of text can be mulled over throughout the day and reread easily.
You have some great things to say on the forgotten art , it is maligned simply because now the digital and postmodern age is all about speed and it is seducing and beckoning us with a new quick fix we do not develop our imagination or intellects , remember Einstein didn't have he use of even a modern calculator , prior to books the oral traditions and story te;ling happened . It now seem old fashioned even to spend hours i remember reading The glass bead Game by H Hess in total about 4 days even on the loo glued to it . We hav lost the ability for sustained focused work ! dabbling with books is ok but you actually will not remember the plot if you read put it down and then come back like that you need to immerse yourself in a book . You have got it right though read what interests you at the time not what others say is a great book , kindle is good in allowing samples , my criteria iare like and intuitive sense that i migth describe as , does it challenge , inform and even or hopefully enlighten me , does it grip me and is it written in a way i can get into , I would say upto 90 + % of modern fiction and even many non fiction books are to me rubbish they are poorly written and not the product of great reflection or even years of gestation , but there are exceptions . Nothing really compares say to those epic works which to me stand far above everyday reads , I wouldn't go there in the same way I wouldn't eat a big mac , yuk ! But yes dabbling reading is good to start just pick up a book , my favorite still are spiritual books because simply they take me beyond the intellect have gone off fiction m challenged by psychoanalytic writers , enjoy a little fiction and recently found a great book on Chernobyl . Now a mature reader i read less maybe i need to re ignite my passion again for books ? God Bless R
I spent over a decade just in deep focus reading in all types of areas and got it done. It's not always easy or comfortable, but you've just got to power through.
So here I am, sitting with my banana and strawberries for a good summer breakfast and I'm wondering when I will manage to read this big biography of my favourite artist from my country, watching a RU-vid video at the same time. You got me there! But I realised what's the problem for me: the chapters. I put too much stress on finishing the chapter before I lay the book back. And I don't always have time for it, so I usually just postpone my reading. I could easily read a bit of a text while eating my breakfast, but I was more willing to just play a RU-vid video (which was obviously cool, haha!), because it was shorter and I could finish it in one go. Also, the fact I'm reading only one book at once instead of having that light book and the more demanding one. Thanks a lot! You're such a clever person!
Some reads - dense intense etc pull you in, so that "on the go" you are pulled in and you have to drag yourself out.....I will get started on a weekend and by the time I am at 50-100 pages the book itself pulls me in even if it's dense.....I almost missed a plane while sitting at a gate.....while reading such a book. This is why for each of us there are writers that are great...G
I listened to The Importance of Being Ernest while on an elliptical. I reckon audiobooks during transit/exercise are a big part of modern reading - especially for theatre. BBC used to do a lot of radio plays, much better than reading for Shakespeare. Also worth bearing in mind that not all classics (especially plays) are "must reads". Ernest isn't much deeper than your average episode of Fawlty Towers or Blackadder.
For anyone with a busy schedule, listening to audiobooks can be a good way to get some reading in. You can easily fit them into your day while doing other activities like your commute to work, your lunch break, or while doing chores on the weekends.
Also - It's okay to listen to a book. I'm a very busy person with a job and a home based business. I listen to books constantly while I work around my home. I also read physical books like you have described, in short bursts. I do utilize the Kindle app on my phone AND I keep a paperback in my purse. Theoretically, I am reading all the time!
thank you so much for this advice! i've been forcing myself to read novels while commuting, and i just realized i need to stop that because i'm not able to focus anyway.
I know audiobooks are not the same as reading, but thank goodness for them. I am old enough to not have to listen to music all the time, and too tired to read most times, plus a movie lover, and only so many hours in the day with a full time job and kid. It is all about time management.
A great book to read in those short periods of time is Invisible Cities by Italo Calvino. Many of these fantasy cities are described in only one page or less but the writing style is very thoughtful and engaging.
The first question you should ask yourself if you have same problem is "why do i need to read?". And if an answer is not "i like reading and i enjoy it" - maybe you shouldn't in the first place. A lot of people trying to fit reading in their daily routine cause "society" force them to feel bad, cause they don't read. But at the same time it is a possiblity that you really don't have time/energy to read. And if it's true, you have to prioritize reading to your other activities. Right now reading is not in my daily routine, cause i'm interested in leathercrafting, learning how to play guitar, learning english, learning ios app development. I just simply can't fit reading here, cause that would mean that i should prioritize it above something else. And we don't even talk about family, friends, etc. and the fact that people should just relax sometimes. So i would recommend to check those 2 boxes first("you love to read" and "you don't really have other time/mental consuming activities"). And try to implement techniques to read more only if they are true.
I listen to audiobooks while completing household tasks. I would read physical and digital books in short bursts (breaks at work and the like). When I lost my eyesight, I learned braille. So now I pack a Braille eReader from the NLS with me everywhere and I read as I can. When I could still see, I would even listen to audiobooks while driving from place to place.
I have found out that I read the most when I'm busy. I would keep a book in my bag and read whenever I have a short moment, in the bus, in the classroom waiting for the teacher... But when I'm home all the day I feel like I need to schedule my reading session which leads to it often not happening.
I feel like I can only do it when I have nothing else to do. For example, if I'm travelling on a long train ride and my phone's dead or something. It's depressing how badly I rely on social media. RU-vid is social media as well.
Thanks Justin for raising such a great question. R.C. answers the question beautifully as always. Could you make a video about how to read classic plays with a feeling of ease (e.g. Hamlet)?
I find this easy to do when it comes to running. Even if I don't want to go, I put my shoes on and slowly make my way out the door. For some reason I find it more difficult to sit down and read than to put my shoes on and run, or do any other physical task for that matter.
There's "reading" and there's "your idea or 'image' of you reading" ...not the same thing. You can't perform for yourself and watch yourself read like your observer. Just start reading. But don't overthink or 'ego' it. Love.
Books should be consumed the same way television or movies are. Whenever you feel the urge and have time to lend significant attention. I don't see many people not having time or needing an aesthetic to watch Netflix. This means the opposite of only reading books but balancing and creating your liesure time as RC Waldun has vividly laid out.
when I first started subscribing Waldun only had 6K subscribers look at how far this young scholar has managed to achieve. I hope it’s appropriate that I express my Asian pride 🎊
