Whenever I hear this statement, I’m not hearing that the speaker is so busy they can’t possibly fit a book into their day. I hear that reading is not as important to them as it is to other people. Have you ever noticed that people tend to find the time to do the things that are the most important to them? When you have a need or a goal or a desire in your life, you can nearly always find a way to make it fit into your schedule, even if it’s tricky. And reading can be the same way.
Take a look at your day. Do you take the bus to work? Wait in line at the bank? Sit in a drive through? Wait to pick up your children at school? Tuck a book into your bag and spend some of those waiting minutes in an enjoyable way. What about those last few minutes before you fall asleep? If you’re like most people, your mind is so full of all you did that day, and all you must do the next day, that it’s hard for you to relax and let sleep overtake you. Keep a good book by the bed. By reading a chapter before you go to sleep, you can divert your mind from all your stress and worry and allow your muscles to let go and your brain to have a vacation.
What about TV? Do you ever find yourself mindlessly flipping channels, trying to find something good to watch? Put down the clicker and pick up your book. What about breaks at work? Do you need to just let your mind chill for a minute? Pull out a comedy or a romance, something completely different from your line of work. Your brain will thank you for the breather.
I’m not saying that reading has to be the #1 priority in your life. You’re busy. You have a lot that needs to get done, and get done now. You have a family, a job, a volunteer position – whatever it is that takes your time, it’s important to you and should remain so. But if reading is important to you, you can find the time to fit it in. It doesn’t have to be a casualty to your hectic schedule.