After reading 100 books in 2014, I found myself in a kind of reading rhythm this year. Maybe the most remarkable thing is that it didn’t even seem like hard work. I should say that out of the 200 books, some were audio books, so technically, I listened to a few. Having said that, ever since I started keeping track, I did FINISH them all, even the stinkers. I only quit on 3 books this year because they were too ridiculous to finish. So reluctantly, I didn’t count them.

Enough people have asked me about the how of my reading discipline, that I thought I should take some time to write about that before I write about the books themselves and make my recommendations from the year (that will be in part 2 of this post).

Here are 8 things I do…

1. I don’t use busyness as an excuse. It’s not about free time. You might think to yourself, I don’t have that kind of free time. Neither do I. My leadership plate is full of people, projects, family and personal convictions. Especially toward the end of this year, I am as busy as I have ever been in my life. But still, I have read between 15–25 books a month. It is just a part of my life now, and I see it as a source of not just learning, but wonder.

2. I look for wonder. The older I get, the more I feel the need to be intrigued and intellectually inspired. Because I am asked to provide thought leadership every day, it is not just that I need new and fresh content (that need does not drive me), but it is that I need to feel a sense of wonder about God and the world. I read across every kind of discipline in search for things that will fascinate, puzzle or provoke me. I am inspired by seeing God at work in the world in new ways. It is my deepest craving. Just this month, and just in the genre of history, I read books about general relativity, Hawaii and Nintendo.

3. I trade in some time from other forms of entertainment. It may have been incidental (not a direct trade) but in the final analysis, I think I did trade in some time from other (less edifying) forms of entertainment. I still watch shows and movies, and I will always watch at least one soccer game a week, but books have certainly crowded that out more and more.

4. I attach reading to other disciplines and routines. I run (or sometimes walk) for an hour most every day. During that time I listen to a audio books. Also, I listen at 3 times speed, so I can get through a 10 hour book in less than a week just with that one practice. Also audio books allow me to be listening to a book while I get ready for work, while cooking, driving, or even just waiting somewhere. Almost half of the 200 books were audiobooks.

5. I tend to focus when I read. When I am not alone and in a quiet space, reading can be a challenge. Distractions not only keep you from the reading, they can also negate the comprehension of the bits you have read. When I read in my living room or somewhere the kids are busy being kids, I have made it a habit to put on headphones. Adding music to the reading keeps me focused but also adds a kind of aesthetic to the experience. Reading to good music makes the reading go faster and the material seem richer.

6. Almost every night just before I sleep, I read. I find that if I turn in around 10–11 I can get at least one, sometimes two hours of reading each night. Even on nights when it is after midnight, I will still read for 30 minutes. It is part of how I end my day and quiet my heart. There is real grace in it. I find that so many of the things that occupy my mind in the stillness of the night, can trouble me or cause me some level of anxiety; second guessing conversations had, or worrying about ones to come. Reading gives the mind another place to go and brings more peaceful sleep.

7. I take my sabbath seriously. I work until sundown on Friday evening and then I pick up my work again at sundown on Saturday. Since we also have work to do on Sunday, I don’t take any other time off. That means I take very special care of that 24 hour period. I don’t even like to leave the house if I can avoid it. I try not to run errands or do much work around the house. Instead, I spend a good portion of the day reading. I usually read at least one book every Saturday, and there are some days that I read two.

8. I keep increasing my reading speed. I do read pretty fast. I wouldn’t say I speed read, but I do think I read faster than the average person. But it was not always so. When I was young, I would struggle to get through even one page and remember what I read. This is partly due to reading speed. The irony is, the faster you read the more you comprehend. Our minds can process information so much faster than our reading rate, this leaves too much of our minds unoccupied and looking for other things to work on. Forcing your eyes forward to read a little faster can actually improve your comprehension because you are catching up to your brain’s ability to process. So, if you read slow, take heart, you really can get faster. You improve by doing it, and there is no question that my reading speed has drastically increased in the last several years.

Tomorrow I will post Part 2, about the books themselves, and the 10 I would recommend.