I am a big reader, but I haven’t always been. Like most people, I used to finish one or two books a year. I always told myself that I should read more, but I never made a consistent effort to build the habit. However, since the beginning of this year, I have gone from reading one book a year to almost 40; I have gone from thinking of reading as a chore to anxiously anticipating any spare moment I can fill with a book. 

The benefits of reading cannot be overstated: according to Piedmont Health, reading can expand vocabulary, increase empathy, build knowledge, and improve memory and focus. And the best part is, there are virtually no drawbacks or “side effects.” 

Despite the overwhelming positive effects of reading, more and more Americans have begun to drop the habit, according to the Pew Research Center. A different study by the Pew Research Center also found that this trend of declining reading rates is also seen in children and teenagers.

I have seen this statistic hold true in my personal life as well: it seems like no one wants to read anymore. Since I firmly believe everyone should be a reader, I have created a list of a few tips and habits that have brought the joy and fulfillment of reading into my life—and hopefully yours as well:

• Find a book you will actually enjoy reading.

The book you’re reading needs to be the most entertaining thing in your life. Find a book so interesting that you crave turning the next page. 

However, this is easier said than done—I’ve found that the biggest hurdle for most people beginning to read is choosing the right book. Visiting a bookstore or browsing an online catalog can be overwhelming due to the vast number and variety of books available, but I think a different perspective is more helpful: there are millions of books out there, which means that there must be some that you will enjoy.

To pick a book, first narrow down your options by choosing a few genres that interest you. Do you watch a lot of reality dating shows? A dramatic romance with devastating betrayal might be the book for you. Are you an avid gamer? Maybe a futuristic sci-fi novel or fantasy series with an epic scope will be right up your alley. Once you’ve decided on what type of book you want to read, ask for recommendations from friends and family or search for them online—Goodreads is a wonderful website to find reviews and recommendations for all types of books, short stories, and poetry collections.

The most important thing to remember when choosing a book is to pick something you truly want to read; don’t feel pressured to read the esteemed classics, and don’t put down a book because someone might judge you for reading it. Conversely, don’t be afraid to stop reading if the book hasn’t got you hooked—after all, you need to love what you read if you want to start building a habit.

• Start small. 

Don’t start with a goal of 100 pages a day—ease into reading and build it into your daily schedule. What matters most is the experience of reading and engaging your brain, not how fast you can finish the book. Everyone reads at a different pace, and everyone’s schedules accommodate different amounts of reading. Starting off too strong will inevitably lead to burnout—remember, you want to create sustainable habits. 

• Put down the phone; pick up a book.

One way to incorporate reading into your day-to-day life and accomplish your small goals is to replace some of the time you spend on your phone with reading instead. Almost everyone spends time on their phones doing mindless activities; turn that downtime into a short reading session. Not only will you make progress in your reading, but you will also decrease your daily screentime. 

• Use the 10 Minute Method.

For me, the hardest part of starting to read again was my terrible attention span: I would read the words on the page, but my mind was preoccupied with other thoughts, and nothing ever really stuck. After a lot of trial and error, I came up with what I call the 10 Minute Method, a technique you can use to essentially trick yourself into becoming engrossed in your reading. 

The Method is simple: read for at least 10 minutes at a time while actively refocusing your attention when you notice you start to drift to other thoughts. If 10 minutes pass and you still haven’t been drawn in by the book, then allow yourself to put down the book and try again later. But most likely, you will be so immersed in the book that you won’t even realize ten minutes have passed. By constantly keeping yourself on topic, your brain has no choice but to focus on what’s happening in the book, therefore making reading come more naturally.

• Track your reading progress.

The simple action of logging your reading habits can help immensely with finding the motivation to keep reading. 

The Fable app has been my absolute favorite tool for this. With Fable, you can track your daily reading streak, pages read per day, book reviews/ratings, and more. As you finish additional books, the app compiles your reading stats and creates easy-to-read charts and graphs, which give helpful insight into what kind of reader you are and what books you should read next. 

But any form of tracking your reading progress—from a whole journal dedicated to book reviews or a short Notes app list of books you’ve read in your—can help motivate you to achieve your reading goals.

• Collect books.

If you’re like me, a trip to the library entails another stack of unread books lying around until they are due back. Libraries are a fantastic resource that allows reading to be accessible to all people, but if you are looking for something extra to push you to read, collecting physical copies of the books you read can be a reminder to stay committed to reading—each book you buy and finish is a symbol of the goals you have accomplished, a souvenir of your reading journey. Additionally, having your own copy of a book allows you more freedom: there is no due date, you are allowed to annotate, and you can let friends and family borrow from you.

However, buying new books can get outrageously expensive. Luckily, secondhand stores like Goodwill and online used bookstores like ThriftBooks carry all kinds of books at extremely affordable prices. ThriftBooks also has even more rewards and savings you can acquire by being a frequent user. I buy almost all of my books from here; not only is it cheaper to buy secondhand, it is also more sustainable—a win-win.

At the end of the day, achieving your reading goals requires commitment, and this idea carries over to any other aspect of life. It is also important to keep in mind that the road to success is not always linear: breaking your month-long reading streak or not reaching your chapter-a-day target does not mean you have failed, and it is only another reason that you should try again. Be persistent, and keep reading.