One of my 2014 resolutions was to start to get through my backlog of books. I have books piling up all over. For example, there are books on my night stand.
There are also books on my desk.
And two shelves full on my book shelf:
I haven't figured out the takt time to get through all of these, but clearly I have several months worth of reading I need to get cracking on. I obviously thought these books were interesting enough when I ordered them! No reason for them to be collecting dust on my shelves now.
I read a Lifehacker article today that offered some strategies. Nothing earth-shattering but a good reminder that if you want to find time for something, be deliberate about making time for it. They had a few suggestions, a couple of which I'm going to try. One suggestion was to schedule in time. I think there are a couple times I could regularly fit it in during the day. One would be on my lunch break. I have a full hour and quite often spend it surfing the web rather mindlessly. I could still catch up on my celebrity gossip for the first half-hour but then dedicate 30 minutes for reading.
I also could read before bed. Again, going to bed at 8:30 and giving myself 30 minutes to read would work. Sometimes I read but other times I start using my tablet to watch videos or play Candy Crush. It doesn't help me unwind the way reading does, so this would have the benefit of getting through my books while also improving the quality of my sleep.
The article also suggested finding a quiet, distraction-free zone to read. I recently re-did my computer room to have a much cozier set up. I found a very nice comfy chair which I've barely had my butt in since buying it. I could definitely be using that space for cuddling up with a good book.
Another strategy suggested was joining a book club. I can see how that would put the pressure on to be accountable, which would be motivating. But I'm not sure I could find enough people interested in my books to form a club! My book backlog is mostly work related. It's hard to imagine a group of people sitting down with a nice wine to discuss (for example) Accelerating Health Care Transformation with Lean and Innovation. So I think that strategy will be put to the side for now.
We'll see how it goes! I'm hoping this "life hack" will help me ensure the trees sacrificed to make my books did not perish in vain. (We won't mention the backlog of Kindle books which are slowly accumulating. The instant gratification of Kindle books is a little terrifying for a book nerd like me.)
I read a Lifehacker article today that offered some strategies. Nothing earth-shattering but a good reminder that if you want to find time for something, be deliberate about making time for it. They had a few suggestions, a couple of which I'm going to try. One suggestion was to schedule in time. I think there are a couple times I could regularly fit it in during the day. One would be on my lunch break. I have a full hour and quite often spend it surfing the web rather mindlessly. I could still catch up on my celebrity gossip for the first half-hour but then dedicate 30 minutes for reading.
I also could read before bed. Again, going to bed at 8:30 and giving myself 30 minutes to read would work. Sometimes I read but other times I start using my tablet to watch videos or play Candy Crush. It doesn't help me unwind the way reading does, so this would have the benefit of getting through my books while also improving the quality of my sleep.
The article also suggested finding a quiet, distraction-free zone to read. I recently re-did my computer room to have a much cozier set up. I found a very nice comfy chair which I've barely had my butt in since buying it. I could definitely be using that space for cuddling up with a good book.
Another strategy suggested was joining a book club. I can see how that would put the pressure on to be accountable, which would be motivating. But I'm not sure I could find enough people interested in my books to form a club! My book backlog is mostly work related. It's hard to imagine a group of people sitting down with a nice wine to discuss (for example) Accelerating Health Care Transformation with Lean and Innovation. So I think that strategy will be put to the side for now.
We'll see how it goes! I'm hoping this "life hack" will help me ensure the trees sacrificed to make my books did not perish in vain. (We won't mention the backlog of Kindle books which are slowly accumulating. The instant gratification of Kindle books is a little terrifying for a book nerd like me.)