How to Finish Reading a Book that you start?

By Carter Luke January 22, 2023 Reading Tips 1 Comment

Reading a book can provide us with an escape from the real world, knowledge, and a challenge. Finishing the book that you start is essential to fully appreciate it, but sometimes it’s easy to lose motivation along the way.

There are many reasons why people stop reading books they started, such as life getting in the way, a lack of interest, a lack of motivation or simply not having enough time.

But the main reason for not finishing the book is a lack of strategy. Yes, you heard right, it’s a strategy. Here in this post, I am going to share the strategies that I use for reading books.

11 Tips to Finish Reading a Book that you start

Here are 11 tips to help you stay focused and finish the book that you started and I hope these tips will work as they worked for me.1

1. Find Your Why?

I know many people will tell you that the why doesn’t matter; that only reading matters. But in my opinion, finding your purpose or reason for reading is important because it helps you to stay motivated throughout the entire process. Once you know why you want to read a particular book, you can use that as motivation when things get tough and you feel like giving up.

If you don’t know how to find your why then I recommend you to read a book called FIND YOUR WHY by Simon Sinek.

2. Read what is important for you

This is another important thing to understand. You don’t have to read every book cover to cover, especially if you find some of the material boring or irrelevant. If there’s a specific topic that you are interested in, then focus on that instead. This will help to keep your attention and make it easier for you to stay motivated.

Another benefit of reading this way is you can easily implement the material that you learn from the book. This will make it easier to see the results of what you have learned, which can also be motivating.

3. Break it Down

If you’re having trouble finding the motivation to pick up a book and start reading, breaking it down into smaller sections can help. Try reading a few chapters at a time or setting a goal of how many pages you want to read each day. This way, you won’t feel overwhelmed and you’ll be more likely to stay on track.

4. Mix it up

When I’m reading, I like to mix things up a bit by listening to the audiobook version or watching a movie adaptation of the book. This can help keep your interest in the story and make it easier to stay motivated.

5. Set Achievable Goals

Setting achievable goals is one of the best ways to keep yourself motivated when reading a book. One way of doing this is by breaking down the book into smaller chunks and setting yourself goals for each one.

For example, if you have an 800-page book, aim to read 40 pages a day to finish it in twenty days.

Or set aside some time every day specifically for reading and make sure you don’t let other activities get in the way of that time.

6. Set a Timeline

Putting a timeline on finishing the book can help motivate you to stay focused and don’t fall behind. This helps prevent procrastination as it gives you an end goal or deadline in which your book should be finished. Setting yourself mini-milestones along the way will also help keep you motivated and on track.

7. Find the Right Atmosphere

Creating an ideal reading atmosphere can help keep you motivated and focused on finishing a book. Try to find somewhere quiet and comfortable, like your bedroom or a local cafe, where you won’t be distracted by other activities or people.

Moreover, use book reading accessories like book holders, page openers, reading chairs and lighting, as these can make the experience more enjoyable and help you stay focused on reading.

8. Take Breaks

It’s important to take regular breaks when reading a book, as this will help keep you motivated and focused on the task at hand. Taking a break for five minutes every hour or so can help refresh your mind and give you the energy to carry on reading.

Additionally, it helps to have something to snack on during these breaks, as it can give you the energy to stay focused longer.

9. Make Notes

Making notes when reading a book is an effective way to keep track of what you’ve read and help motivate yourself for when you pick it up again. Taking down short summaries or even just jotting down questions as you go along can help in understanding the book better and staying focused.

10. Get Involved in Discussions

Being involved in discussions surrounding the book you’re reading can help keep your motivation levels high. You could join a local book club or follow online communities discussing the same book, as this will allow you to interact with other readers and ask questions.

11. Create a Routine

Creating a routine for reading can help structure your day and make sure you find time for it. This could be in the form of setting aside an hour or two every day or even just spending five minutes on your commute to work reading a few pages.

Having this routine will help you get into a habit of reading and make it easier to pick up the book again when you’ve taken a break.

Conclusion

Finishing a book you started can provide you with a real sense of satisfaction, but it can also be difficult to stay motivated along the way. Using the above strategies can help keep you motivated and focused on finishing the book in a timely manner.