How I Plan To Read More Books in 2023

Perhaps this is something Luimar from back in 2014 would not have said, but I genuinely love reading today.

It helps me quiet my mind, challenge my own perceptions, relax and learn — all at the same time, in a way that perhaps no other activity can.

As the years pass and I am exposed to unique opportunities and find myself in challenges I didn’t face before, reading has transitioned from a hobby to being primordial for my professional and intellectual development.

Interestingly enough, the more commitments, I got, the less I started reading. I moved from reading nearly 30 books per year to struggling to finish 5.

For 2022, I even set a whole plan. With a breakdown of which books I would read, when, and why. Perhaps you can already guess, it did not work too. I ended up reading less than 50% of the list.

What I did differently though, was have a closer look into the reasons why for the past 2/3 years I have been struggling to accomplish my reading goals.

And the reason is: I started reading from my phone.

At some point back in 2016/ 2017, I started having books piling up, and since I already loved listening to books on my phone. I decided to read them on screen as well — worst mistake.

The phone screen is way too small, and therefore, although unconsciously, it requires a great amount of effort to follow through multiple pages of any book.

Additionally, after a few minutes of staring at the small fonts on the screen, my brain is exhausted, eyes are drained, making it difficult to read for long periods and have a relaxing experience — as I would reading a physical book. Not to mention the random messages and unexpected calls that pop up.

So for 2023, I am not adjusting my reading goals. 1/2 books a month is still a realistic and relatively easy target. I will adjust how I am reading them. Except for audiobooks (of course), I go back to reading physical books.

For 2023, I will start with my 2022’s reading list and add new ones. Do you have any recommendations? Share with me in the comments section below!