If you want to build a reading habit, you have to make it a non-negotiable part of your day. Just like going to the gym. With fitness, it's obvious: it’s physical, it takes effort, and you have to carve out time to do it. Reading seems deceptively simple. You’re just sitting there turning pages—but it requires just as much effort and intention. You need to block off time. You need your full mental focus, your full attention span.

That said, I know plenty of people who listen to audiobooks. That’s fine—it’s better than nothing. But there’s something valuable about engaging directly with text. When you’re reading a physical book, you can jot notes in the margins. If it’s a Kindle, you can still pause, scribble down your thoughts, reflect, highlight passages. You have the space to really think. With audiobooks, most people are listening while doing other things—walking the dog, commuting, doing chores. It’s multitasking. You’re not fully immersed in the same way.