What ways can Atomic Habits be applied to read more books for midlife women?
This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links.
If you haven’t yet read this book, James Clear succinctly lays out a detailed formula to follow to apply Atomic Habits
- Make it obvious
- Make it attractive
- Make it easy
- Make it satisfying
Make it obvious that it’s time to read
Intentionally applying, Atomic Habits to read more books for midlife women is harder than it might have been when we were younger. We have more responsibilities, more mental load, and we’re just plain exhausted most of the time. But, if you really want to stick to reading more books in midlife, first thing to consider is what time of day makes the most sense for you to read. Let’s say you’d really like to read before bed.
Here is an example of how you could make reading more obvious.
In the morning, after making your bed, put the book you want to read right on top of your pillow/bed or your pajamas. This will prompt and remind you that this was your intention for trying to read before bed at night. It’s so easy to plop into bed and flip through social media or watch tv for hours. And of course if this is how you want to spend your evening, honestly, it’s fine! However, if reading more is a true desire of yours, work on making reading an obvious and consistent event for yourself.
Make it attractive so that you want to be in that reading environment
There is a reason certain videos and photos hold your attention just a little longer. The right aesthetic for you captivates you, has you scrolling and looking for longer than you’d like on social media. So why not make reading a beautiful experience tailored exactly to the look and feel you love.
Choose the right reading aesthetic and mood
If you’re a physical book type of reader then I highly recommend cozying up your reading area. Now what does that exactly mean? Prepare your reading nook, chair, nightstand with everything that inspires you to read. I personally love book related coffee/tea mugs and obnoxiously extravagant bookmarks. I love making my reading experience just a little more catered and pleasing to me.
If you’re a Kindle or tablet reader, decorate that baby! There are so many Kindle covers and charms these days.
Make it easy, not harder on yourself to keep reading
After a long day, it’s easy to pick up your phone and mindlessly scroll. Atomic habits to read more books for midlife women involves more than a book recommendation. We have to be intentional in making sure creating the mood to read is easy for us. For me personally, I really had to stop this nightly routine of doom scrolling. I started having intense headaches and felt nauseous once my scrolling sessions were done and it was time for bed. There’s just so much noise there. You’re bombarded with so much information that you need to filter through. Sometimes it’s very unpleasant/shocking news, sometimes it’s the newest trend that makes you fomo, and sometimes it’s just plain trash.
Make it as easy as possible for you to keep to your reading goals
The first thing I do every night is, place your phone charger further away from you and phone at the further edge of my nightstand. It has to be far enough where reaching over to get it requires me to get up or adjust my body significantly from my reading position.
Another thing to consider is to set different expectations for watching tv shows with your spouse or family in the evening. If you want to still watch tv/movies then communicate when you want to versus when you want to read.
Lastly, consider extracurricular activities/work/chores you have to finish. I personally like to finish all my chores and bedtime routines completely before even touching my book. Something about reading without finishing all those things burden me in the back of my mind. Thinking about all the things I still have to do is a direct link to me not enjoying my reading experience.
Make it satisfying and tangible
I think reading a great soul shattering, mind boggling, and page turning book in and of itself makes reading satisfying enough on its own.
Create tangible ways to make reading satisfying for yourself
But if you’d like a more tangible finale to make reading feel satisfying, I’d recommend book journaling or memory planning. I’ve always wanted a way to document the books I’ve read for my kids when they’re at an appropriate age to read them. I hope that someday they share the love of reading with me and it would be a dream of mine to talk over a book with my kids.
If you’re in midlife and have older kids, set time special times of day where you read together. It’s always a little challenging to get my rambunctious kids to calm down and read a book. But once they do, especially now that they are in chapter books and read on their own, we sit in silence and read together as much as we can. I want my kids to remember me as someone who read a lot and not just someone who looked at their phone all day.
If you have friends who are readers, consider sharing your recommendations with them or even on your social media with your brief thoughts. You’d be surprised at how many people read quietly on their own but are jumping at the bits to let you know their opinion, if only someone would ask! And finally, if none of these are for you and you want something more structured, try joining a book club.
Do you want to try Atomic Habits for midlife weight loss? Click here
Leave a Reply