So, the clock struck midnight on December 31 and you have made the New Year’s resolution to read more. According to Pew Research Center, almost a quarter of adults in the United States have not read a book in whole or in part within the past year! Research shows that reading just 15 pages a day can offer a multitude of benefits, such as increased language development and improved memory. Not too shabby! So, whether you want to read more books, articles, magazines, and more, we believe the resolution of wanting to read more is a great one and one that we would be happy in helping achieve.

Schedule, schedule, schedule! These days we schedule everything in our lives so why not schedule some time for ourselves? More specifically, why not schedule or block out a few hours a day that is dedicated to just reading? Look through your calendar and find a day and time that you feel comfortable blocking a few hours out of to catch up on those treasured stories, or gossip magazines. And when that timer goes off, I know it’s hard, but try not to Snooze or Postpone it. Take those few hours as your hours and no one else’s. Let’s get this NYE resolution going! 

Turn off the phone! I know that I just said to not Snooze or Postpone your phone alarm/reminder, but after you have settled into a reading nook, do try turning off the phone. We love our smartphones and unfortunately, they can cause quite a distraction. With a notification ding or a message from an application, it’s easy to get distracted and lose focus. If you don’t feel comfortable turning the phone off all the way, try using “Do Not Disturb” mode which will only allow notifications from specified contacts. 

Don’t force yourself to finish a book you simply just don’t like. I applaud those who do this because there is nothing worse than finishing a book that just isn’t entrapping you into its story. We don’t sit through movies or television shows we aren’t enjoying so why should a book be any different? Especially because this is YOUR private book time, you should truly enjoy it.

Use a Scanmarker! Have you ever rented or borrowed a book and couldn’t mark it up with notes or highlights because, well, it isn’t yours? With a Scanmarker, which is essentially a digital highlighter, you can scan the text that you want to save and remember and file it away using the Scanmarker app or onto any of your preferred documents. Plus, the Scanmarker can translate up to 55 languages so if you’re interested in reading a book or an article in a different language, the Scanmarker can help you achieve that. Now also available in 7 colors, using a Scanmarker to highlight your favorite parts of text just makes the experience that much more fun and personable. 

And lastly, treat yourself to a new book, because you deserve it! There is nothing quite like walking up and down your favorite bookstore (or your local Barnes & Noble) and checking out all of the many options of books, stories, genres, and authors. And if you love it, you should recommend it to your friends, family, even post about it on Social Media. There’s something special about sharing a loved book with people you care about.

We hope you have enjoyed reading our article on how to keep up with your New Years’ Eve resolutions! If you have any other tips or book recommendations, please do let us know!