Happy Monday 🌞

If you joined recently, hi 👋 I’m Hailley. I’ve always created systems for my work (as a Marketing leader at Buffer) and life (as a remote worker and mom of two) where I can stay productive, calm, and organized.

This week, we’re chatting about reading.

My whole life, I’ve loved reading. But with two kids, sometimes it feels harder to get reading in. Other times I’m in a season where I don’t feel like reading at all, usually because I don’t have a good book lined up.

What I’ve learned about myself is that if I’m reading a really good book, I somehow always make the time for it. And if I’m making time for reading, that time tends to come out of time I would have otherwise spent scrolling on social media. Since I find reading generally more relaxing than scrolling, it’s well worth the shift to spend more time on my Kindle.

So I aim to keep a list of books I am excited to pick up next.

Here’s what I’ve found: it’s much easier to maintain reading momentum when you know exactly which book you’ll pick up next, and it’s a book you’re actually interested in.

For this list, I use a Notion database that includes all the books I’ve read and want to read. You could absolutely use Goodreads, a note on your phone, or even a physical notebook. The tool doesn’t matter — what matters is having that list ready when you need it.

The beauty of this list is that it removes some of the friction from reading. Instead of decision fatigue about what to read next, you have a curated list of books you’re genuinely excited about.

I find new books to read in a few ways. If you use Goodreads, they generally have excellent suggestions and show you what your friends are reading. I get book recommendations directly from a lot of friends and colleagues — I find if you bring up reading a lot this tends to happen, and it’s the best. At Buffer, we also share the books our team is reading on this page if you want to check them out. I also tend to read books from the same authors if I enjoyed their work. Plus, I happen to work from the library a lot so walking in I’ll often see books they display and I can pick those up.

In addition to keeping a reading list, I’ve also had to sit with some mindset shifts around reading over time. For some reason, I sometimes start thinking I need to read primarily business or self-improvement books or that I have to finish every book.

It took a little reflection but there are a few principles I now live by that have also helped me read more, and read for fun, not because I feel I have to:

• Only read books you want to read. This sounds obvious, but I used to feel guilty about reading all fantasy or not reading the books everyone was talking about. Now I give myself full permission to read exactly what interests me, whether that’s a business book, a memoir, or a novel.
• Don’t be afraid to stop reading a book. I have a loose “50-page rule” — if I’m not engaged by page 50, I move on. Life is too short for books that aren’t for me. Plus, if I am not engaged I’ll likely fall into a rut of not reading for awhile, so it’s important to stop reading just one book rather than force myself to try and read it, and probably take a break from reading altogether.
• Try new books every now and again. I’m not always in the mood to experiment, so I’ll often stick to the same genres or authors. It is good to branch out though, so when I can tell I’m in the right place to try something new, that’s when I’ll pick up a new book or a few so I can try them all.
• Reread books you love. I used to think you weren’t supposed to reread books because there were too many others to read. Now I regularly revisit my favorite books (currently rereading Wheel of Time for the third time). There’s something wonderful about discovering something new in familiar pages.

What’s on your reading list right now? If you don’t have one, maybe this is the week to start one with just 3-5 books that sound interesting to you.

I hope you have a lovely week ahead. As always, feel free to reply if this sparks any thoughts or questions. ✨

See you next Monday,

Hailley

• (Leadership) Unblock: Clear the Way for Results and Develop a Thriving Organization (Modern Leadership Guides)​
• (Fantasy) Tress of the Emerald Sea​
• (Training) Tactical Barbell: Definitive Strength Training for the Operational Athlete​

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