“For some of us, books are as important as almost anything else on earth. What a miracle it is that from these small, flat, rigid squares of paper, world after world develops, worlds that sing to you, comfort and tranquility. or it excites you”. -Anne Lamott, bird by bird

Whether you grew up with a book always in tow or just fell in love with reading, we can all agree that books are an important part of learning, dreaming, and doing. Why, then, can it be so difficult to pick up a book? How many times have you claimed to be an avid reader, but when someone asks you what you’re currently up to, you blush and say, “Oh, I haven’t had much time for that lately, with work and…” However, that night you see the countdown of seconds until the next episode starts or you scroll down your newsfeed for the hundredth time. Perhaps we turn away from a book and reach for the remote control, or the phone or the computer, because of the emotional commitment that is required when reading something.

Whatever it is, it’s time to take back the reins and commit to reading. Commit to the books on your shelf waiting to be dusted. Commit to titles you haven’t discovered yet. Engage with authors you consider yourself a fan of, but have only read half of one of their books. Commit to your claim to be a lifelong reader.

Here are 20 commitments I’m making. Why not make a kind of manifesto of your own?

1. I will make reading a part of my daily habits. I’ll make time for it like I do for showering and walking the dog.

2. I will find a new author who will speak to me directly and I will read everything they have written.

3. I will investigate what and who my favorite authors read and I will read them too.

4. I will always have something to read with me. Whether it’s a book, reading app, newspaper or online journal marked as my home page.

5. I will read aloud to someone I love.

6. I will give each book a chance.

7. I won’t waste my time on a book I don’t like after I’ve been given the opportunity.

8. I won’t criticize a book I don’t like if someone else is trying it out.

9. I will open a book. I will close my computer. I’m going to silence my phone.

10. I will put a book on top of my TV remote, so the decision is intentional, rather than usual.

11. I will go back to reading my favorite books as easily as I go back to watching my favorite movies.

12. I will read everything that interests me: Novels, poetry, genre fiction, self-help, old letters, memoirs, etc.

13. I will buy books by local authors at local bookstores.

14. I will not lend my most beloved books. I’ll buy a copy for the friend who asks for it.

15. I will ask people I know and people I don’t know what they are reading. I’ll write the titles and authors and look them up.

16. I will go to the library and take a book simply by its cover.

17. I will always have another book ready when I near the end of my current reading.

18. I’ll listen to an audio version of a book I’ve already read, just to see how different it feels.

19. I will read with a pen. I will mark the sections that move me. I will underline the words that catch me.

20. I will write my favorite passages, just to experience how the words feel as they are written.

Inspired by https://medium.com/show-your-work/33-thoughts-on-reading-9fa9dd2be07c by Austin Kleon