Tips for Finding Time to Read
Written by Marcie Stokman, Well-Read Mom Founder and President
The following blog is adapted from Well-Read Mom Founder Marcie Stokman’s book, The Well-Read Mom: Read More. Read Well. Copyright © 2019 by Marcie Stokman, used with permission.
The number one reason women give for not reading is lack of time.
We know the value of reading, and we believe in it. But we are busy women, doing things that matter—being faithful to our callings. It’s true that in some seasons, life demands every single bit of our time and attention in order for us to survive or manage a crisis. But we don’t want to despair that life will ever allow us time to invest in our own growth.
With a little creativity, most of us, during most seasons of life, can find a bit of time to read. Let’s look at some possible strategies for making reading time a reality.
Tip #1: Keep the Goal Small
We’re not talking about dropping everything else in your life so you can live with your nose in a book day and night. No. You’ve got a life, after all, and reading is supposed to enhance, not complicate it.
Start with a reasonable goal, like 15-20 minutes a day (or around two hours a week). If this is new for you, you might even start smaller and work your way up.
Persistence and consistency in small steps pay off. Sometimes we fall into an “all or nothing” mentality. If we can’t run a marathon, we don’t run around the block. What I’ve learned is that small steps matter. Never underestimate the value of a single step.
If 20 minutes of reading is just too much today, try five. Or if reading five days a week doesn’t work, start with one day a week. There’s only one rule in WRM: If you don’t get the reading done, don’t apologize. But do be actively engaged. Take a step and persistently persevere. Remember that you are doing something restorative for your heart.
Tip #2: Make a List of Your Priorities
I’m not talking about escaping from family duties. Some of our responsibilities are undoubtedly more important than reading. Of course these should not be sacrificed for the sake of reading. But we need balance and well-ordered priorities.
Here’s a practical strategy for finding space in your life for reading without throwing more important priorities off balance. Try making two lists for yourself: first list the things in your life that are truly more important than reading. Then make a second list of things that are less important than reading (on most days).
This list can make it easy to know when it’s okay to take a reading break. As soon as everything on your first list has been taken care of, grab your book and sit down to enjoy it for 20 minutes. Everything on the second list will still be there waiting for you when you’re through.
Taking a fresh look at our priorities can help us exercise leadership over our own lives and carve out some time daily—or at least weekly—for our own formation.
Tip #3: Schedule in Your Legitimate Needs, Starting with Sleep
If you have made a list of priorities in your life that are more important than reading, you know that those priorities make a huge difference in your quality of life. It requires initiative to be sure legitimate needs are taken care of, starting with sleep.
Schedule your bedtime. Leave work undone and get to bed or take a nap when you can. I once heard someone offer this advice to young moms: “In a multiple choice situation where one of the options is sleep, choose sleep.”
There is a domino effect that happens when we get the sleep we need; everything else gets easier. It is easier to exercise. When you exercise, you have more energy. When you have more energy, you can attack the tasks at home. When your home is in order, you feel better. You can sit down to read.
What would your ideal week look like? Consider making a tentative template. Create a chart showing the days of the week and the hours of the day. Pencil in a schedule that would allow for all your legitimate needs and responsibilities to be met at a reasonable pace. Writing it down doesn’t mean you’ll be able to make it happen, but it will give you a goal to strive for. It also reduces the anxiety that comes from thinking there are countless things you “should” be doing right now.
Tip #4: Join a Book Club or Find a Reading Buddy
Most goals are easier to reach if we have friends to help us along the way. We remind each other of our goals so we are not swept along by the distractions of our age.
We are women who desire to live the truth of our lives, and we believe in the power of literature to convey these deep truths. Still, the “sirens” call, and like Odysseus, we have been lured and distracted away from our best intentions. Good friends can “tie us to the mast” and keep us moving toward our goal.
The deadline of a book group meeting can be a huge help because it gives us an urgent excuse to read.
Tip #5: Consider a Reading Retreat
If it’s tricky to work reading into your regular routine, you might try a reading get-a-way. I ended up having a reading retreat once despite myself, but it was exactly what I needed. Great and worthy books stir spirit, conjure up courage, bring needed restoration, put life in perspective, and help us live our everyday duties with greater stamina. It’s not a waste of time but a good use of time.
If a reading retreat sounds good to you, do an online search for “retreat centers near me” and see what you can find. If you can’t get away for a weekend, what about going to a coffee shop for a few hours on a Saturday?
Tip #6: Start Today
Don’t wait for an easier season of life or for a few days of vacation. We’re talking about a lifestyle change, and the goal is to work reading into daily life.
You may be surprised to find out that you really have more control over your schedule than you had imagined. While it’s true that some things can’t be changed, others can be.
A woman said to her friend, “I have some good news and some bad news.”
“Tell me the bad news first,” the friend said, bracing herself.
“The bad news is that a lot in my life is not working. We are in debt, my husband doesn’t like his job, and our house is too small. I can’t keep up and seem to be failing everywhere I turn. I don’t have any time to think of self-care even though I know I need it. Things will get better someday but someday is not coming.”
“Okay, what is the good news?”
“The good news is someday is now.“
“What do you mean?”
“Someday things will get better, but today I can stop everything and get my closet in order. Someday we will save for my son’s college education, but today I will open and account and deposit ten dollars. Someday I will get in shape, but today I will tie on my tennis shoes and walk around the block.
Someday I will be well-read. Right now, I can take my book and read for 20 minutes.“
About Marcie Stokman
Marcie Stokman, M.A., is founder and president of Well-Read Mom, an international movement and book club. As a former clinical nurse practitioner in mental health and longtime homeschooler, she writes and speaks to encourage women and share the power of reading. She and her husband, Peter, have seven children and 20 grandchildren. Marcie is the author of The Well-Read Mom: Read more. Read well.
About Well-Read Mom
In Well-Read Mom, women read more and read well. Our hope is to deepen the awareness of meaning hidden in each woman’s daily life, elevate the cultural conversation, and revitalize reading literature from books. If you would like to have us help you select worthy reading material, we invite you to join and read along with us. We are better together! For information on how to start or join a Well-Read Mom group visit our website wellreadmom.com
