I DON’T HAVE TIME, I MAKE TIME

One of my most asked questions I get in direct messages on my Instagram page is, “How do you have time to read so much?” I even get asked this question in real life by family and friends. And while the answer isn’t a straightforward one as a mom of two little kids, it is relatively simple. I don’t have time, I make time. Reading is important to me, it’s a form of self care, an escape. And at the end of a day of wiping butts, cleaning up spilled juice, drying tears, and bribing my 4 year old to eat anything besides a popsicle, the first thing I usually want to do is curl up in bed with a book.

But if I only read for the hour or so I have at night when my kids are asleep and before I pass out myself, I wouldn’t read more than a book every other week or so. As of September 3 this year, I have read 78 books in 2020. How do I do it?

I listen to audiobooks. Don’t try and tell me that they don’t count as reading, because they do (would you tell a blind person that their time listening to audiobooks didn’t count as reading? No, you wouldn’t!). I listen to audiobooks when I’m folding laundry, doing dishes, running the vacuum, taking a shower, you name it – if there’s a moment of silence I can fill, I turn on my audiobook. I get most of my audiobooks from the library, but I also use Scribd.

I read my books in multiple mediums. If I have a physical copy of a book, I will try to grab an eBook copy and/or physical copy from the library as well. That way I can rotate based on what activity I’m doing and get through a book quicker.

I read while doing my hair/makeup. I will either listen to an audiobook, read an ebook sitting on a stand, or use a book weight to hold my book open while I blow dry, flat iron, etc.

I don’t watch much tv. I can’t tell you the last time I watched something. Maybe Cheer on Netflix in like, February? Yeah, that was probably it.

And lastly, I read a lot, so I’ve learned to read fast. Practice makes perfect.

I am no supermom. I am just an average human with an average attention span that LOVES books, so I keep on prioritizing them. And I’ll never, ever stop reading.

Xo,
Jenna