Reading Goal

I used to be the person who read all day all summer holidays and there was nothing else I would have rather done. Context matters and as such recreating that "magic" has proven impossible later in my life. Reading had to fit in between other things. Escaping into a physical book for eight hours was a luxury I stopped having. I miss that time and miss the person I used to be. This essay gave me food for thought.

The Cut asked eighteen avid readers how they find time to read books amidst today’s constant distractions and busy routines. The consensus: the battle is real, with phone and screen addiction emerging as universal enemies to sustained reading. Many interviewees mentioned strategies to minimize technology’s pull, such as leaving the phone behind, designating device-free reading windows, or always having a book on hand to fill spare moments. These small choices, compounded daily, make carving out more reading time possible, even when it feels elusive.

Across professions, routines diverged but determination was a common thread. Some participants are militant about schedules, blocking out reading time in digital calendars or setting monthly book lists and holding themselves accountable. Others take a more fluid approach, reading whenever the urge strikes: in transit, during a child’s practice, or in those precious quiet moments at home. Audiobooks have become a lifeline for parents or those with busy hands, while plenty still extoll the irreplaceable experience of holding a physical book, annotating and making each copy truly personal.

Reading, for these well-read individuals, is not just a hobby but a vital mental space and joy. Many schedule reading as a reward at different times of day, early mornings, during commutes, or as a wind-down ritual before sleep. Rather than pursue aggressive reading goals, some prefer to savor fewer books deeply, while others delight in keeping detailed logs or using book-tracking apps to motivate themselves. For many, reading is deliberately solitary, a form of self-care and escape, even if it sometimes happens in short bursts between life’s obligations.

Ultimately, finding time to read is less about discovering hidden hours and more about persistent, creative choices, treating reading as both a pleasure and a priority. I think I have treated it more like a pleasure not as much of a priority. Something I want to change next year.