The truth is you’re already reading through tons of content every day. The problem is most of that content is likely not serving you, not aligned with your goals, and quite frankly, wasting more than a few minutes of your time. There is a very simple way to switch this negative into a positive, and I have lots of resources below to help you do just that.

What if I told you in just 10 minutes a day you could… 

Learn a new language, instrument, or skillset?

Learn how to transform your health?

Increase your happiness?

Have a life-changing realization that impacts your life forever?

See life, yourself, or others in a whole new light?

Discover an idea that changes your life, and the world, forever?

Spoiler alert, you can! And all it takes is one simple habit each day… 

That habit is INTENTIONAL READING.

Why This Reading Habit Improves Health

Reading has the power to expand your mind, change your perspective, inspire creativity, and deepen your understanding of yourself and the world around you. 

On a physiological level, it also has the power to improve your physical and mental health thanks to its positive effects on the brain. Research shows that reading has the ability to:

• Reduce stress
• Improve focus
• Reduces the risk of cognitive decline and helps prevent dementia
• Build your vocabulary and improve comprehension 
• Strengthen connectivity and create new neural pathways in your brain. Reading literally changes your mind!
• Potentially increase your lifespan and improve your chances of survival!

The changes that can occur just from reading for a short amount of time each day are nothing short of incredible. 

And if you read at an average speed for 10 minutes per day, you will finish approximately one book per month. That is TWELVE books per year! How many books did you read last year? I’m willing to bet it was less than that if you’re the majority. Imagine what you could learn by this time next year if you read twelve books…

Don’t you think it’s worth taking 10 minutes out of the 1,440 minutes in your day to improve your life, learn a new topic, or improve your brain health and sense of connection?

If the answer is a resounding YES (and I hope it is), then let’s go all in on this new habit.

How To Make Reading A Good Habit

Step 1: Make it easy to remember, and hard to forget. 

Make a cue for yourself such as putting the book on your nightstand if you are going to read before bed, or putting the book on top of your laptop at night so that you see it before you start work in the morning. If using a digital or audiobook, set a reminder on your phone for the time you want to read each day.

Step 2: Make it desirable.

Create a “why” for developing this new benefit. What do you hope to accomplish by reading 10 minutes per day? What do you have to gain from reading? Put your why on a sticky note and place it somewhere you can see it. If reading a physical book, the front of the book is a great option here. 

Step 3: Make it easy.

Choose a time when you won’t be as likely to want to skip your reading habit for the day. If you know you’re exhausted every day after work, don’t choose when you get home from work or right before your head hits the pillow as your designated reading time. Also, remind yourself it’s only 10 out of 1440 minutes. Now that’s easy.

Step 4: Reward yourself.

This positively reinforces the habit and will help create a positive association with completing it. 

The reward can be anything you desire it to be. Some examples include having a habit tracker and being able to put a checkmark on that day (is it just me who finds that wildly satisfying?), high-fiving yourself, getting 10 extra minutes of TV, writing yourself a simple thank you, or treating yourself to your favorite coffee or tea after a full week of completing your habit. Find something that works for you. 

Step 5: Bonus tip: Combine it with another habit. 

I highly suggest utilizing habit stacking here. Essentially, this refers to completing your new habit right before or after something you already do habitually. For example, reading for 10 minutes right after you brush your teeth or right after you clean your dinner plate. This is a really powerful way to begin a new habit. 

After you have your action plan in place, choose a book. If you have one waiting on your bookshelf, great! If you need to buy one, see below for resources and recommendations.

Books To Practice This Reading Habit On

As you may be assuming by now, I LOVE to read. I totally nerd out on research, am obsessed with learning, and am wildly curious about new ideas, ways of being, and people’s stories. I have so many books I love and they usually fall under the categories of personal development, health, and memoirs. If any of these sound like your jam, I highly recommend any of the books below to start your reading journey. 

(*Note: The links above will direct you to each book on Audible. Of course, if you would like to buy a physical copy or try any other site listed above, great! I wanted to provide direct links for convenience. 🙂 )

Personal Development

Chop Wood Carry Water by Joshua Medcalf (Self-development)

The Obstacle Is the Way by Ryan Holiday (Mindset)

Atomic Habits by James Clear (Habits)

The Five Love Languages by (Relationships)

Smart Women Finish Rich by David Bach (Finances, strategic approach)

The Illusion of Money by Kyle Cease (Finances, different perspective)

The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo (Decluttering, Minimalism)

The Inside-Out Revolution, The Space Within, or anything by Michael Neill (A whole new way of thinking, Amazing)

Memoirs

Will by Will Smith

Untamed by Glennon Doyle 

Greenlights by Matthew McConaughey

The Promise of a Pencil by Adam Braun 

The Last Black Unicorn by Tiffany Haddish 

The amount I am able to learn, the new ideas that arise, and the new understandings of myself that come from reading never cease to amaze me. I encourage you to join me in this truly life-changing habit.

Best Places To Buy Books Online (Bonus)

In true Habit Honey fashion, we are for people AND planet. Below you will find my favorite resources for buying gently used books, borrowing books, and audiobook apps.

Personally, I am a lover of actually having, holding, and highlighting the physical book in hand. This doesn’t do my home any favors (so many bookshelves and heavy boxes!), but it remains my preference nonetheless. That being said, while I typically do buy physical books, I have transitioned to buying gently used “like new” books in an attempt to help the planet (and my wallet) a bit. My favorite online bookstores that I use and love are:

1. ThriftBooks

With 4.8 stars and over 1 million reviews on Trustpilot, I’d say they are doing something right! The 3 core tenets of their ThriftBooks Cares pillar are Charitable Support, Environmental Impact, and Literacy. According to their website, they have provided over $100 million to charity partners, recycle millions of pounds of books every year, and partner with non-profits to serve underprivileged communities. As if this wasn’t enough, my personal experience has been that they have one of the largest selections of books and always deliver as advertised. They are winners in my book! (See what I did there 🤓) 

2. Better World Books

A company after my own heart. In addition to selling books at a great price, they place significant value on both social and environmental impact. At the time of writing this blog, they have raised millions of dollars for literacy, saved millions of books from landfills, and created jobs for hundreds of people. Check out the incredible impact they have made here. Their impressive impact, brand values, and humble beginnings (fun fact: they started in Indiana- my home state!) are nothing short of inspirational. If you’re into brands that do good and save you money, pay them a visit today!

3. SecondSale

While SecondSale doesn’t make my heart sing the way the above two do, they are still a great source for books if the other two don’t have the title you’re looking for. They don’t have the social and environmental emphasis, but they are still a used bookstore so they are helping the environment and saving you some dollars. 

4. AbeBooks

Similarly to SecondSale, there is nothing that makes AbeBooks stand out in regard to impact. They are another online shop offering used (and new) books. Their model is a bit different in that the books are from independent sellers and they are a subsidiary of Amazon. My invitation would be to try ThriftBooks or Better World Books first, and if you can’t find what you’re looking for, try here or SecondSale. 

Now, if you are with the times, unlike me, and prefer digital or audiobooks, I’ve got you covered there too.

For free books, there are apps that are associated with libraries and let you download ebooks and audiobooks for free using a digital library card. Some that I use are:

1. Libby 

This easy-to-use app allows you to easily borrow books for free with a library card from your local library. 

2. Hoopla

Hoopla works similarly to Libby. All you need is a library card and the app to start reading for free today. While free apps and libraries are wonderful, I also enjoy the vast selection, ability to bookmark clips, and features offered by Audible. With over 70 titles in my library, it’s safe to say I find value in the app. Click here to get a FREE 30-day trial today!

Join Me In A Reading Habit Challenge 

To increase accountability and add some fun to this, I invite you to join me in a reading challenge. Go to goodreads.com to sign up for the 2023 challenge. You can also follow my reading journey here to see what I’m reading, my book reviews, and to hold each other accountable in the challenge. Happy reading and let’s have some fun!

Until next time… 

Make reading a habit, honey 😉