Please read more!

Trust me, I read 18 books in 2024.

Last year I posted this video👇

Other than the fact that I am looking fat asf, I made a resolution to read more in 2024.

And I did.

I read 18 books(mostly non-fiction), but it was fun nonetheless.

After seeing this photo, some of my friends asked, "How did you read so much?" So, I thought I’d answer that.

1. Problem-Solving

This was the only reason I was able to read any book from start to end. Before picking up a book, I just asked myself, “What’s the most pressing problem I’m facing right now?”

If the answer was heartbreak, I read Love Yourself Like Your Life Depends On It.
If the answer was not enough savings, I read The Psychology of Money.
If the answer was procrastination, I read Feel Good Productivity.

So, my first advice is to run away from all the suggestions given by your friends and favourite YouTubers. Instead, ask yourself about the problems you’re facing because they’re never going to end. And there’s a book out there for most problems.

The best part is that my life improved after reading these books:

• I started saving money.

• I began enjoying my work more.

• I became way more confident in my opinions, which helped my writing.

You are a unique individual with unique problems. So why not pick something that resonates with you?

2. Pick a Page Turner

If you have no idea what to read, just Google “page-turner book” and pick the one that looks most interesting to you. For example, I read Tuesdays With Morrie because I love talking about death, and I read Yellowface because I love writing.'

Just make sure you get through the first 40 pages somehow. Most of these books are super easy to read from the get-go but once you are through the first 30-50 pages, these books will hook you up.

Our brains love to close open loops. When you start reading a book, your brain creates an open loop that it wants to close. This creates an itch to finish the book, and you do. Page-turners are masters at creating these open loops.

I remember reading Yellowface in just two days, and it’s a 300-page book. It was more interesting than any reel I could have found at the time because I had to know what happened in the end.

3. Create a Book Budget

I started setting aside Rs. 2000 for books every month. I don’t have a lot of space in my almirah anymore but I buy books without any guilt. I don’t read all of them but I do end up reading some of them and also go back to books I bought earlier.

It just works somehow, I don’t know why, to be honest. My best guess is that spending money on books creates a sunk-cost fallacy in your favour. Dumbing it down - you feel that because you’ve spent money on books, it would be a waste if you didn’t read them.

4. The More You Read The More You Read

I would love to say that I read consistently all year long but the truth is I didn’t. I read most of the books in the last 6 months. I think out of 18, I read 12 in the second half of 2024. There were two reasons - I suddenly had a lot of time and when I read one book completely, it just became so much easier to pick up another and finish it.

You can simply call it momentum. Also, I started implementing all of the above principles, so following my principles can actually double the number of books you read. I mean, 0 × 2 is still 0, so start somewhere.

5. Books Are a Necessity

If you Google the benefits of reading, you’ll find a long list: better focus, less anxiety, and more.

But I think there’s an even more important reason to read books.

Unlike other mediums, we consume — reels, YouTube videos, or even most movies — books don’t let you escape reality entirely. There are moments while reading when you wander off into your own thoughts, simply because reading is hard. Now, when you’re watching a movie, you have to stay focused. Reels and YouTube videos keep your brain constantly engaged with tricks to hold your attention. Even during work, you can’t not focus.

Reading is unique because it allows you to wander. You can daydream for half an hour and still return to the book(which I do). It’s forgiving, and I love that.

If you find yourself unable to focus on a book, don’t force it. Let yourself wander a bit and come back to it. You’ll be surprised by how much you’ll end up reading when you’re not too hard on yourself.

I hope you read more after this. Do reply with the book you are currently reading or picking up next.

Bye bye!