How to Develop the Habit of Reading Newspaper Effectively?
I never ever had the habit of reading the newspaper since my childhood. My father tried different ways to instill interest in me, but all of them ended in vain. I would love to share an incident that happened when I was young.
One fine day, my dad saw me flipping through the pages of the newspaper and was captivated by that sight. His exuberance or excitement had no bounds. I still remember him telling my mom that he was super proud of his daughter. Little did the poor man know, that I was seriously looking out for the section where the information about the shows telecasted on TV would be published.
With a lot of struggle, somewhere I kept procrastinating, and the effort ended up fruitless. The newspaper had never interested me, and the jargon in it made me insane every time I gave it a try. I kept failing as an ensue of it.
Do you also procrastinate like me? Are you also finding it difficult to pick up the habit?
After a lot of struggles, procrastination, and fruitless attempts, I now effectively picked the habit with the help of a few strategies in place. I would love to share them with you.
- Set a Routine for Yourself
In order to develop any new habit discipline is key. Likely, the habit of reading also needs a separate time dedicated to it. The initial days might be a bit tough and gloomy but try to stick on to it hard. I usually started with 15–20 minutes post breakfast.
Start off with a smaller time period where you have your complete focus. Later, it could be increased at a slow pace as you pick up the habit. In the beginning, everything will seem to skyrocket but never rush through with too much enthusiasm.
2. Don’t Cover Everything in the Newspaper
The newspaper is full of vital information. There are different sections in it like National, International, Politics, Science, Technology, Entertainment, Classifieds, and Sports. In the beginning, I will not recommend reading through all the sections. You might again end up pointless in the effort.
Start off with the topic that interests you. Then, read the headings on that page, and see which one attracts you. As a next step, scan through the first paragraph, and if it interests you continue reading. Our primary goal here is to read and only read that look interesting to you.
3. Make It a Group Activity
Research shows that groups formed with like-minded people seem to work well. Start a group with your friends or join communities online. Figure out a specific time that works for all of you to develop this habit of reading together as a team.
Involve yourself in those group discussions and share the information with each other. Conduct activities as a part of this and it can also help you network with a lot of people.
4. Write About What You Read for the Day
Write an article or blog about the knowledge you gained by reading that day. This is one of the ways which can keep you interested in your new effort. You can also create infographics and post it online. It can help people who don’t find time reading the newspaper but can have a glance at your write-up while commuting to work or when they find the time.
These strategies worked out well for me. Please do give them a try and let me know if they were suitable for you. I am also eager to know about the different methods that you tried and achieved the purpose. If you find my articles to be interesting, I would love to hear it from you in the comments below. Stay tuned for my upcoming blogs.
