Mini Habit: 10 reading minutes per day
How a mini habit can change the way you read in adult world?
Reading has been one of my pastimes since I was a child.
I still remember the feeling of sitting next to the window at sunset, just finishing the first book of the Harry Potter series: Harry Potter and the Order of Phoenix (yes, you heard that right, I started with the 5th book in the series because it was the first book I borrowed). I regretted only one thing: I was 12, older than 11, so I missed the chance to receive a letter of invitation to Hogwarts.
In high school, there was a girl in the summer of 2011 who covered herself with a blanket, turned off all the lights, and started her adventures with all the e-books on the screen of her Nokia 2700. I don't remember how many books I read, but I do know my phone was broken after that summer.
But after finishing university and entering the working adult world, my reading routine was gradually lost. Although I still read, I didn't find as much enjoyment as before and sometimes only scan the books because I knew it was necessary for jobs and personal development. Maybe that's why I didn't read much in those years, only 3-5 new books per year, and almost all the other time was spent re-reading old ones.
But things changed last year when the reading habit challenge was presented to me on 19/09.
Starting from the ideas of a Leadership Incubator that we should do some good things together and we all know reading is important, but the harder part is: How can we build up reading habits for everyone in the team?
Then we remembered the 21-day rule (it takes 21 days to create a habit). Our first goal was very simple: Keep reading every day, even if just for 10 minutes, no matter what, for 21 days. And that's how the reading mini habit challenge was born.
Challenge’s Rules
We created a Telegram Channel where everyone sends a timelapse video of 10-minute reading to be recorded for the challenge.
To raise commitment, we also designed a competition where 2 people will make a couple and fight against another couple in a week.
If one of the two people misses a streak that week, the couple will be lost and have to pay money for the winners. A part of the price will be sent to the general fund for buying books.
Some aha moments after 300 days of reading
I remembered on the first day of the challenge, I chose to read the book Shoe Dog (a 399-page memoir by Nike co-founder Phil Knight). Just after 5 days, I finished the book in surprise. There was a long period since the last time I read a book in deep focus, enjoyed every page, and read from cover to cover, although I only spent 30-45 minutes per day reading.
I realized maybe in the past, although I enjoyed reading, there were always more urgent, more need-to-be-done things that were prioritized more than reading. But because of the challenge, I had to spend specific time a day for reading and once I read, I couldn't put it down.
“Action expresses priorities.” - Mahatma Gandhi
Choose the action of reading, then you will always find the prioritized time for it.
Another moment was on a rainy midnight in Hanoi, I felt empty and didn't want to do anything. But after the notification from the Telegram channel, I recognized I hadn't done the task of reading that day. I took a deep breath, got up, turned on the light, and picked a children's book with the thought: Just do it for 10 minutes and go to bed. But after finishing a few pages, I recognized that this was a page-turner book, and suddenly, I was lost in a colorful world that was no longer empty. The name of that book is Totto-Chan: The Little Girl at the Window.
Reading is a great activity that you can do alone, anytime, anywhere,
but you do not feel lonely at all.
During my journey in taking on challenges, a quote often comes to mind: "You can't get much done in life if you only work on the days when you feel good" (Jerry West). Even though the initial goal of the habit is to repeat it for 21 days, I have set a personal goal for myself to maintain a streak for at least 365 days.
Throughout the past year, there have been days where I was exhausted after work, days where I celebrated special occasions, days where I relaxed with family on trips, and days where I felt both happiness and sadness, energy and exhaustion, sunshine and rain. However, one thing has remained consistent: I have spent at least 10 minutes reading each day.
“Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going.” – Jim Ryun
So, that’s it!
Writing about this topic is harder than I thought. As I sit here trying to find the right words to express my feelings, I realize that maybe I'm just at the beginning of my journey.
This habit of reading has been a bright spot in an otherwise challenging year. Reading has provided me with an escape from reality, a way to learn and grow, and a way to connect with others.
I choose this topic just think that it could help someone find the trigger to start reading more. It may seem daunting at first, but trust me, it's worth it. Books have the power to transport you to another world, to teach you new things, and to inspire you in ways you never thought possible.
Make a commitment to read more and discover the amazing world that books have to offer.
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it would really inspire me to keep writing :d
I’m a big fan of you, my sis. Great words!