I remember while I was in the University, after the end of every semester exams, my friends and I will begin to rant that we were not going to read anything again, neither billboards, magazines nor anything that is in print, that mouth making didn't usually last for long because few months after that, a new semester would commence and we would be required to start reading all over again either we loved it or not.

While school books are very important especially if you are in that phase of your life, but there are other questions life would ask that wouldn't be found in the pages of a microbiology or accounting text book, and hence the need to seek knowledge from the words that other people have written down.

Most people want to become committed to their personal development and with the wave going around now, where almost everyone is a 'reader' most people wish they can read too.

While reading comes naturally to some of us, to others, it doesn't come that easy and that is why some having done different things to become committed to reading and failed are quick to conclude that they are not readers.

I understand how it can be when you really want to read, but you can't seem to.

Let me share five tips that can help you fully explore this way of becoming better.

1. RECOGNIZE YOUR WHY

For a person who does not like reading, you need to have a strong reason as to why you should start reading and become committed to it.

There are many books that have been written on various aspects of life, from family life to finance, from fiction to courtship, from effective ways to train one's children to just every other subject one can think of.

The earlier we can begin to have our eyes enlightened through them, the better for us.

So Why Do You Want To Start Reading?

Is it to have more knowledge about a subject matter, or do you want to be able to make boast to others that this is the number of books you have read over a particular time, or you just want to read to get into another person's world?

Whatever your reason may be, just make sure you have a reason for starting to read.

2. READ BOOKS THAT TALK ABOUT WHAT YOU ARE PASSIONATE ABOUT

If you are just starting out, you might want to read books centered on the things you really love, because doing the opposite especially as a person who is yet to successfully master the art of reading might further discourage you totally. Reading books centered on various themes might not be helpful and might just lead to the feeling of failure or defeat and this can result to a dislike for books generally.

For example, some can't successfully read to completion a book that is centered on relationships but when a book is centered on finance and business, they can't seem to put it down, and there are others who can never seem to put down biographies of great men of God but who can never successfully read a book on business to completion.

Find out what works for you and navigate from there, and as the months goes by you might find yourself reading books you were not very passionate about at the beginning.

Identify what God will have you learn about in a particular season of your life, and keep reading books along that subject.

3. START SMALL AND GROW

The major mistake most people who are just starting out in reading make is that they hear some things about the importance of reading books, gets all geared up and start resolving to begin to read, and they start with books with many pages.

It's quite funny that someone who has never successfully read a 120 page book in a month now proposing to read a 200 page book per week due to probably a video clip he listened to.

Such person is likely to quit after a while.

Are you just starting out, then start small with books of about fifty to hundred pages before you begin to read books of bigger volume. You are likely to enjoy the process that way.

4. READ EVERYTIME AND EVERYWHERE

My love for reading started while I was much younger, those days of reading novels in the class, restroom and just anywhere! And although I have evolved from reading just novels, this remains one of the methods I employ for my reading.

If you're just starting out, make sure you have a book with you everywhere you go, thank God for this era of both e-books as well as hardcopy.

Having a book at every point in time is a great way of being committed to reading because it can come in handy when you are in the traffic or waiting for an appointment or just when you have time in your hands with nothing to do.

You can read in the waiting room of an office, as well as a moving bus (depending on your level of concentration), or even when using the ladies or gents (I do this a lot).

Just keep reading.

5. HAVE A READING GOAL

Just as we set goals for other areas of our lives, this aspect of personal development shouldn't suffer too.

Every month, have a number of books you would want to read to completion, it might be a book or two or three, just make sure you have a goal.

The chapters of books in the book you'll be reading for a week or month can be spread out throughout the amount of time you have assigned, and be determined to stick to it.

Having a goal will help you effectively track your progress, and although you might fall short of your reading goal once in a while, don't stop, shake off the dust and continue.



6. HAVE AN ACCOUNTABILITY PARTNER

A reading accountability partner is someone who is under obligation to always remind you to read and whom you will be sincere with if you fall short of your goals.

It even becomes more interesting when you both set aside a day towards the ending of the month to review a book which might be a book you both decided to read or different books. The goal of this is to make you more  committed to reading than you would be if left on your own.

Your accountability partner  does not necessarily have to be someone who is an avid reader although this would definitely help you, but he/she must be someone who is willing to become committed to reading too. So look within your circle and pick anyone who might be able to help in this area.

Having a reading accountability partner in itself won't help you unless you are willing to get committed to reading yourself.

A new year is almost upon us, you can make becoming more committed to reading one of the things you will start doing differently from now going forward.

Remember, you're not in a competition with anybody, the only person you are striving to become better than is the person you were yesterday, so enjoy the ride.