1 00:00:02,040 --> 00:00:06,560 Speaker 1: Good morning. This is Laura. Today's tip is about how 2 00:00:06,640 --> 00:00:10,360 Speaker 1: to make more time to read. When I asked people 3 00:00:10,360 --> 00:00:14,040 Speaker 1: what they want to spend more time doing, exercise always 4 00:00:14,040 --> 00:00:16,680 Speaker 1: comes up first, and don't worry, we're gonna talk a 5 00:00:16,720 --> 00:00:20,119 Speaker 1: lot about that in future episodes. But reading is a 6 00:00:20,160 --> 00:00:23,599 Speaker 1: close second. Indeed, if you'd asked me a few years 7 00:00:23,600 --> 00:00:26,079 Speaker 1: ago what I wanted to spend more time doing, I 8 00:00:26,079 --> 00:00:29,080 Speaker 1: would have said reading books. I would have told you 9 00:00:29,120 --> 00:00:32,080 Speaker 1: I was busy and I had very limited time to read. 10 00:00:33,320 --> 00:00:37,280 Speaker 1: Then I tracked my time for a year, a year incidentally, 11 00:00:37,280 --> 00:00:39,160 Speaker 1: when I had four children under the age of eight, 12 00:00:39,200 --> 00:00:42,000 Speaker 1: including an infant, which I thought was a pretty good excuse. 13 00:00:43,000 --> 00:00:46,480 Speaker 1: My timelogs were clear. My problem was not a lack 14 00:00:46,520 --> 00:00:50,280 Speaker 1: of time to read. I had spent three seven hours 15 00:00:50,360 --> 00:00:53,920 Speaker 1: reading that first year, which is almost an hour a day, 16 00:00:54,240 --> 00:00:56,840 Speaker 1: but I couldn't remember many good books I had read. 17 00:00:57,480 --> 00:01:00,080 Speaker 1: The truth as I had spent the vast majority of 18 00:01:00,120 --> 00:01:04,080 Speaker 1: those three twenty seven hours reading online news stories and 19 00:01:04,160 --> 00:01:08,920 Speaker 1: gossip magazines. Why, well, that's what was easy and available 20 00:01:08,920 --> 00:01:11,680 Speaker 1: when I had open time, so that is what I read. 21 00:01:12,480 --> 00:01:15,240 Speaker 1: It makes sense, but it's also kind of sad, as 22 00:01:15,240 --> 00:01:17,760 Speaker 1: three twenty seven hours is enough time to have read 23 00:01:17,760 --> 00:01:21,319 Speaker 1: more than fifteen thousand pages of real stuff. I could 24 00:01:21,319 --> 00:01:25,320 Speaker 1: have read War in Peace ten times. Let's just say 25 00:01:25,480 --> 00:01:28,640 Speaker 1: that did not happen. So I resolved to do better, 26 00:01:28,959 --> 00:01:31,119 Speaker 1: and over the next two years, I didn't spend much 27 00:01:31,120 --> 00:01:34,520 Speaker 1: more time reading, but the quality of my reading material 28 00:01:34,720 --> 00:01:38,480 Speaker 1: massively improved. I actually did read War in Peace. I 29 00:01:38,520 --> 00:01:41,839 Speaker 1: read Moby Dick, I read Middle March, Infinite Jest, Kristin 30 00:01:41,920 --> 00:01:46,000 Speaker 1: Laverne Statter one q eighty four, Ulysses a number of 31 00:01:46,080 --> 00:01:50,080 Speaker 1: other amazing books on my reading bucket list. I did 32 00:01:50,160 --> 00:01:54,240 Speaker 1: not magically find more time. Laura who had no time 33 00:01:54,320 --> 00:01:57,680 Speaker 1: to read, and Laura who read War in Peace were 34 00:01:57,720 --> 00:02:01,880 Speaker 1: the exact same person, living in exact same universe. It 35 00:02:02,000 --> 00:02:04,600 Speaker 1: was just about being more strategic with the time I had. 36 00:02:05,640 --> 00:02:07,680 Speaker 1: So if you'd like to be a better reader, you 37 00:02:07,800 --> 00:02:11,160 Speaker 1: might try to do what I did. First, make sure 38 00:02:11,240 --> 00:02:15,440 Speaker 1: you have really good books to read readily available. Now 39 00:02:15,560 --> 00:02:17,480 Speaker 1: you might think this sounds backwards. I can just hear 40 00:02:17,560 --> 00:02:20,320 Speaker 1: people yelling at this podcast, Laura, there are all these 41 00:02:20,440 --> 00:02:22,679 Speaker 1: wonderful books that I have no time to read. This 42 00:02:22,840 --> 00:02:25,400 Speaker 1: is not my problem. But let me ask you this. 43 00:02:26,240 --> 00:02:29,000 Speaker 1: If you were to turn off this podcast. Could you 44 00:02:29,080 --> 00:02:31,280 Speaker 1: be engaged with a book you really wanted to read 45 00:02:31,360 --> 00:02:34,480 Speaker 1: in the next thirty seconds, because I know you could 46 00:02:34,480 --> 00:02:37,320 Speaker 1: be on Instagram in the next thirty seconds. If you 47 00:02:37,360 --> 00:02:40,120 Speaker 1: don't have that same ability to dive into a book, 48 00:02:40,880 --> 00:02:43,359 Speaker 1: then this is gonna limit your ability to cease time 49 00:02:43,440 --> 00:02:46,320 Speaker 1: to read. So make a list of the books you'd 50 00:02:46,480 --> 00:02:49,440 Speaker 1: really like to read, not what you think you should read. 51 00:02:49,880 --> 00:02:53,240 Speaker 1: You're not in high school English class anymore. You don't 52 00:02:53,280 --> 00:02:55,880 Speaker 1: have to read what you don't want to read, even 53 00:02:55,919 --> 00:02:58,919 Speaker 1: if that cuts out some good books. I'll put this 54 00:02:59,000 --> 00:03:02,560 Speaker 1: out here. I don't like false accusation stories, and I 55 00:03:02,600 --> 00:03:07,440 Speaker 1: don't like the sort of awkwardness that's endemic to romantic comedies. Also, 56 00:03:07,760 --> 00:03:10,239 Speaker 1: I feel like there's enough violence and cruelty in the 57 00:03:10,280 --> 00:03:12,239 Speaker 1: real world that I just can't stomach too much of 58 00:03:12,320 --> 00:03:14,880 Speaker 1: it in my fiction. Even though I know this puts 59 00:03:14,960 --> 00:03:17,760 Speaker 1: some really good books off my list. I do me, 60 00:03:18,639 --> 00:03:21,280 Speaker 1: you do you? So figure out what you'd like to read. 61 00:03:21,400 --> 00:03:23,280 Speaker 1: Build in you know, twenty minutes a week or so. 62 00:03:23,440 --> 00:03:26,280 Speaker 1: To find book recommendations. I like to check out the 63 00:03:26,320 --> 00:03:29,679 Speaker 1: Modern Mrs Darcy blog and her podcast What Should I 64 00:03:29,720 --> 00:03:32,760 Speaker 1: Read Next? I look at the Wall Street journals, review section, 65 00:03:33,280 --> 00:03:36,680 Speaker 1: and Oh Magazine for ideas. I welcome your suggestions too. 66 00:03:37,720 --> 00:03:41,680 Speaker 1: Then get your hands on the first handful. Physical books 67 00:03:41,720 --> 00:03:44,840 Speaker 1: are great. But here was the real breakthrough for me. 68 00:03:45,920 --> 00:03:49,600 Speaker 1: I put the Kindle app on my phone. This is 69 00:03:49,720 --> 00:03:54,040 Speaker 1: Amazon's e reader app. And guess what, I always have 70 00:03:54,240 --> 00:03:57,200 Speaker 1: my phone with me. Since you're listening to a podcast, 71 00:03:57,360 --> 00:04:00,520 Speaker 1: I'm guessing this is the case for you. To Putting 72 00:04:00,520 --> 00:04:03,000 Speaker 1: the Kindle app on my phone meant that I could 73 00:04:03,040 --> 00:04:06,400 Speaker 1: immediately buy any e book I saw recommended, and I 74 00:04:06,440 --> 00:04:09,960 Speaker 1: could turn my headline and social media scrolling time into 75 00:04:10,040 --> 00:04:13,920 Speaker 1: reading time. People turn out to have a lot of 76 00:04:14,040 --> 00:04:16,920 Speaker 1: this time. You probably pick up your phone at least 77 00:04:17,000 --> 00:04:19,200 Speaker 1: fifty times a day. If you want to check the 78 00:04:19,279 --> 00:04:21,760 Speaker 1: exact number, just look at the screen time function if 79 00:04:21,800 --> 00:04:24,320 Speaker 1: you have an iPhone, So you pick up your phone, 80 00:04:24,520 --> 00:04:27,920 Speaker 1: you delete junk email, and then what you probably look 81 00:04:27,960 --> 00:04:31,080 Speaker 1: at social media or at headlines. But if you spend 82 00:04:31,279 --> 00:04:35,320 Speaker 1: six of those five minutes spurts reading, that's half an 83 00:04:35,360 --> 00:04:38,600 Speaker 1: hour a day of reading right there. And then the 84 00:04:38,720 --> 00:04:42,360 Speaker 1: funniest thing happens when you're really into a book, you 85 00:04:42,520 --> 00:04:46,400 Speaker 1: start magically finding more time to read instead of spending 86 00:04:46,600 --> 00:04:49,720 Speaker 1: ten minutes puttering around with the mail pile looking at catalogs. 87 00:04:50,279 --> 00:04:54,800 Speaker 1: You read instead of channel surfing. You read. You are 88 00:04:54,880 --> 00:04:58,680 Speaker 1: the exact same person, but time starts to open up. 89 00:04:59,800 --> 00:05:01,640 Speaker 1: Of of course, there are ways to build more reading 90 00:05:01,680 --> 00:05:04,160 Speaker 1: time into your life structurally too. If you've got a 91 00:05:04,200 --> 00:05:07,880 Speaker 1: long commute, definitely put audiobooks into the mix. Maybe you 92 00:05:07,960 --> 00:05:10,279 Speaker 1: listen to this podcast for a bit, and then listen 93 00:05:10,360 --> 00:05:12,200 Speaker 1: to a chapter in a book. You know, if you've 94 00:05:12,240 --> 00:05:14,880 Speaker 1: got a forty five minute commute, you're going to spend 95 00:05:14,920 --> 00:05:16,719 Speaker 1: seven and a half hours in the car this week. 96 00:05:17,120 --> 00:05:19,520 Speaker 1: You're gonna spend forty five hours in the car over 97 00:05:19,560 --> 00:05:21,840 Speaker 1: the next six weeks anyway, so you might as well 98 00:05:21,920 --> 00:05:24,920 Speaker 1: listen to Doris Karen's Goodwin's Team of Rivals, which clocks 99 00:05:24,960 --> 00:05:27,880 Speaker 1: in at just under forty two hours. Reading is also 100 00:05:27,920 --> 00:05:30,400 Speaker 1: a great way to wind down at night. I try 101 00:05:30,440 --> 00:05:32,440 Speaker 1: to get ready for bed at least twenty to thirty 102 00:05:32,480 --> 00:05:34,800 Speaker 1: minutes before lights out time a few days per week. 103 00:05:35,040 --> 00:05:38,520 Speaker 1: Then I can use that time to read. Finally, one 104 00:05:38,560 --> 00:05:41,320 Speaker 1: of the most motivating things I did was to start 105 00:05:41,520 --> 00:05:45,000 Speaker 1: keeping track of what books I've read. There are fancy 106 00:05:45,080 --> 00:05:47,599 Speaker 1: book journals out there, but you don't really need anything 107 00:05:47,720 --> 00:05:50,000 Speaker 1: like that, Just a notebook or a file on your 108 00:05:50,040 --> 00:05:52,280 Speaker 1: computer or your phone is going to do just fine. 109 00:05:52,920 --> 00:05:55,400 Speaker 1: You can also start sharing your lists of books read 110 00:05:55,480 --> 00:05:58,640 Speaker 1: with friends. Not only will people see what you like 111 00:05:59,200 --> 00:06:02,080 Speaker 1: and start recommend ending titles. It's a great way to 112 00:06:02,160 --> 00:06:08,000 Speaker 1: hold yourself accountable because while I really did enjoy reading 113 00:06:08,000 --> 00:06:10,600 Speaker 1: War in Peace, I also get a kick out of 114 00:06:10,720 --> 00:06:13,520 Speaker 1: telling people I read War in Peace. I'm guessing you 115 00:06:13,560 --> 00:06:17,840 Speaker 1: will too. This is Laura. Thanks for listening, and here's 116 00:06:17,880 --> 00:06:27,560 Speaker 1: to making the most of our time. Hey, everybody got 117 00:06:27,640 --> 00:06:30,000 Speaker 1: a tip or a question. You can share them with 118 00:06:30,080 --> 00:06:34,040 Speaker 1: me on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram at Before Breakfast pot 119 00:06:34,640 --> 00:06:38,720 Speaker 1: that's be the number four then Breakfast p o D. 120 00:06:39,680 --> 00:06:43,280 Speaker 1: You can also email me at Before Breakfast podcast at 121 00:06:43,320 --> 00:06:46,760 Speaker 1: iHeart Media dot com for the email to spell those 122 00:06:46,800 --> 00:06:49,560 Speaker 1: words out. I look forward to connecting and learning how 123 00:06:49,640 --> 00:06:50,800 Speaker 1: you make the most of your time.