The Time Problem Is Mostly a Myth

The most common reason people give for not reading more is that they don't have time. But if you've ever spent 20 minutes scrolling through your phone before bed, or watched one more episode of something you weren't that invested in, you have time. The issue isn't availability — it's competing habits and how reading fits (or doesn't fit) into your existing routines.

Here's how to read more without restructuring your entire life.

1. Attach Reading to an Existing Habit

Habit stacking is one of the most reliable behavior-change techniques available. Instead of carving out brand new reading time, attach reading to something you already do consistently.

Examples:

  • Read while drinking your morning coffee
  • Replace phone scrolling in bed with 15 minutes of reading
  • Listen to audiobooks during your commute or while doing chores
  • Read on your lunch break instead of browsing social media

You don't need a dedicated "reading hour." You need reading to be what you reach for during moments you already have.

2. Always Have a Book Within Reach

Friction is the enemy of habit. If your book is in another room, in a bag, or buried under things, you'll reach for your phone instead — it's always right there. Keep a physical book on your bedside table, in your bag, and anywhere you regularly wait (the kitchen, your desk). If you use an e-reader or reading app, make it the first icon on your home screen.

3. Lower the Bar for What "Counts"

Ten pages counts. Five pages counts. Reading three pages before you fall asleep counts. The habit of reaching for a book matters more than the number of pages completed. Readers who read consistently — even in small doses — dramatically outpace those who wait for big blocks of uninterrupted time that rarely arrive.

4. Stop Finishing Books You're Not Enjoying

This one is liberating: you are not obligated to finish a book you don't like. The sunk-cost fallacy — continuing because you've already invested time — is one of the biggest reading momentum killers. Give a book roughly 50 pages. If it's not working for you, put it down without guilt and pick up something you actually want to read. Reading should feel like a pleasure, not homework.

5. Keep a Running "To Read" List

One of the subtle reasons people read less than they'd like is not knowing what to read next. When you finish a book, the gap — the moment of "what now?" — is a fragile point where the habit can stall. Keep a simple ongoing list of books you're curious about, drawn from recommendations, articles, or conversations. The list removes friction from the transition between books.

6. Mix Formats Freely

Physical books, e-books, and audiobooks all count as reading. There's no hierarchy. Audiobooks are particularly powerful for people who feel they have no time — they transform commutes, exercise sessions, and household tasks into reading time. Many people find they can "read" 15–20 books a year this way without a single minute of sitting down with a page.

A Realistic Goal

Rather than aiming for a specific number of books per year, try this: read for 15–20 minutes per day, consistently. At an average reading pace, that translates to roughly a book every two to three weeks — 15 to 25 books a year. That's more than most people manage, achieved without a single dramatic schedule change.