More Books, Same Hours - The Kindle Way
A few years ago, reading twelve books a year felt like the most I could achieve.
Then I found a system that worked for me using my Kindle, and over the last year, I’ve read thirty books.
I am a big believer that reading lots of books isn’t always better; it’s about quality, too. But I managed this, without sacrificing the books I wanted to read.
💨Read 2x More Books Using Only Kindle Features
Within the system that helped me read more, the biggest change came from combining Audible and Kindle. This means that I read the text on my Kindle while listening to the audiobook version at the same time. Same book, both formats, simultaneously.
This step helped me read during the times when, previously, I was too distracted to fully focus on my book. This method was particularly useful on a two-and-a-half-hour train journey I took recently, where I was able to stay locked into my book, despite the distractions around me.
I don’t use this method all the time, but I would recommend it whenever you struggle to focus on your reading.
You can check out my video on this topic here:
⏱️The Kindle Tricks I Wish I'd Known Sooner
I’ve owned a Kindle for years. I’ve made videos about it, I think about it more than is probably healthy, and yet I still find new features and tricks that improve my reading experience.
One of my favourite finds has been Amazon Family, which allows you to share your Kindle library with one other adult and up to four children within your household. This allowed my sister and me to share our Kindle libraries.
Recently, the other feature that has been helping my reading experience is the Goodreads integration on your Kindle. This allows you to link your Goodreads account through your Amazon settings.
I’ve been using Goodreads more intentionally lately because I’ve been trying to read more diversely. Different genres, different authors, different perspectives. The Goodreads recommendation engine is genuinely good at surfacing books I wouldn’t have found otherwise, particularly once you’ve rated a few titles and it starts to understand your taste.
You can check out my video on this topic here:
📖What I’ve Been Reading
Recently, I’ve found myself revisiting The Pressure Principle, by Dr Dave Alred, which has always been a great tool for handling pressure.
This is a book that I love returning to, with one of my favourite points focusing on developing a “better than before” mindset. This view that we can push ourselves to strive for constant improvement in our lives is something that I find extremely powerful.
💭A Thought for This Week
Have you ever read a great book, implemented some of the ideas, and then realised months later that you’ve dropped some of the habits, principles or routines you’d learned?
To constantly change an element of our lives with every book we read is going to be unrealistic. But I believe there is something very powerful in the idea of a book that you return to at regular intervals.
I recognise now that I have two or three books that I would consider integrated into my life. I return to them every year, because the power of their words stuck with me. Sometimes I re-read them in full, other times it’s just extracting some of the key points or reviewing the notes I made.
When you find those books that make a difference for you, make the space to revisit them from time to time.
❓A Question For You
Do you have any books that were so powerful, you return to them regularly? I'd love to hear your thoughts at Hello@charliesamways.com.
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