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Comment by m52go | Hacker News Reader

This is probably nit-picking, because I understand the intended message, but the "Aim to read a lot" bit gets me.

I've always aimed to read a lot...but rarely manage to actually do it.

I used to read in bed every night. Sometimes it was technical material and at other times, it was entertaining fiction. It helped me in many ways - it made it so that I had an activity that helped me relax before I put the book aside and slept. It also helped me make big leaps in my understanding of certain technical topics. I found that (at least in my case) reading before bed led to high retention.

Also, doing it this way, it was an easy ritual -> brush teeth, shower, lie in bed and read, feel tired and can't focus anymore, set book aside, turn off bedside lamp and close your eyes and fall asleep quickly. This adds up to a lot of reading over the months and years.

Try Audible and audiobooks, it’s easier to fill the commute with sound. You can also add the Kindle app to your smartphone top-4 bar.

kindle app is better

I've never been able to get into audiobooks. I listen to podcasts already, and to be honest I find my retention on audible things drastically less than the written word.

Get it on your phone. Use downtime to read. It's not as tactile as a physical book, but you always have your phone on you. Any time you'd pull it out to browse/eff about, read instead.

I'll read waiting in line. During unproductive meetings. Riding in any sort of public transport/lyft/etc. In airports. On the toilet.

Perhaps it isn't that important to you then. Most people who read a lot do it because they like it, not because they feel it will improve their character in some way.

One of the things I like about getting old is I can let go of all those things I should be doing, in my case writing but in your case perhaps that's reading.

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