In the habit of reading, one step at a time

Today on 23 April, we celebrate the World Book and Copyright Day, declared by UNESCO. In the English-speaking world, the day is known as World Book Day, which mainly focuses on promoting reading in children and young people.

For Finnish people, the day may be more familiar as the Day of Books and Roses, which secured its place on April 23rd in the 1930's. It is the day of death for both Miguel de Cervantes and William Shakespeare. The tradition of gifting books and roses comes from the Catholic legend of Saint George. Common to all these diverse traditions is honoring literature and writers and promoting reading: topics, which frequently re-emerge in public conversation.

Research shows that reading has many benefits from increased critical thinking to boosting recovery and growing empathy. Many of these are linked precisely to reading for fun. Still, the World Book Day organization points out that only one in three young people reads for pleasure. In this age of information overload, I find it hard to believe that people aren’t aware of the benefits that reading offers. In fact, I think many of us are painfully aware of all the things we should do, the things we should be, should should should. 

How can one access all these benefits of reading, and where does a student find time to read, when the daily puzzle of student life is already crowded with pieces? 

Combine reading with a routine

One solution is so-called habit stacking, which was popularized with the success of James Clear’s Atomic Habits in 2018. The basic principle is simple: Your brains create connections between brain cells, and repeating a habit strengthens these connections and lessens the load for the brain. That’s why daily routines like brushing your teeth or making coffee don’t normally require special effort. 

Stacking habits utilizes these existing connections by linking new habits to ones you already repeat. If you want to add reading to your days, you can stack it right before or after an existing daily habit. You could read a page before turning on the coffee maker, or place the book on your pillow right after making your bed. 

Take the smallest possible step

Another solution is to think about the smallest possible step you could take. In their book Written. How to Keep Writing and Build a Habit that Lasts (2024), Bec Evans and Chris Smith describe motivation as the booby trap of success. Motivation is like the fickle friend who’s fun to hang out with, but who can cancel on your five minutes before your meeting. The less motivation you need to complete a task, the more likely you are to finish it.

You can trick your brain into making big changes, as long as you make them one tiny step at a time. A small step only takes a minuscule bit of motivation, so you don’t have to muster the willpower or listen to the voice that’s telling you to perform, perform, perform. What could be the smallest possible step towards reading? Packing a book in your bag is small, and so is reading one sentence. The most important thing is to give yourself permission to finish as soon as you’ve taken your small step. Maybe one day that will lead to reading more, and on another, the smallest step is enough.

Today, I’ll take a book with me on campus. Maybe tomorrow I’ll take a coffee break and read by the sea. That’s two small steps already. Yeah all right, steps towards benefits and developing brain synapses. Self improvement, sticking habits, motivation blah blah blah.

They are two small steps towards adventure.