Cultivating correct reading habits isn’t actually that complicated. It’s just like learning to ride a bicycle. Once you grasp the knack, you can ride smoothly all the way and enjoy the scenery along the journey.

First, find a comfortable reading corner. It doesn’t have to be luxurious. Take my friend Zhang for example. His balcony isn’t big. There’s an old wicker chair there, and beside it stands a simple bookshelf filled with his frequently read books. When the sun is shining, he sits there, feeling nice and warm. Once he opens a book, the noise from the outside seems to be blocked by an invisible wall.

For ordinary people, the window side of the bedroom, the corner of the living room, as long as there’s enough light and it’s quiet, and you decorate it a bit cozily and put a few favorite books there, once you sit in it, your mind will settle down and you’ll be happy to go there often.

Set a reading goal. Reading without a goal can make you feel dizzy in no time. I used to read books casually. I would pick up a book, read a few pages, and then throw it aside if I thought it was boring. As a result, I didn’t finish reading many books throughout the year. Later, I became wiser and made a simple plan. I would read two novels or one professional book in a month.

If you like reading stories, you can read the works of famous authors one by one. With a direction, reading is like a little train running along the tracks, steadily and surely, and knowledge will accumulate bit by bit.

Take notes while reading. There are countless sparkles of wisdom hidden in books. If you don’t capture them, you’ll forget them after reading. When reading, hold a pen in your hand, mark out the good words and sentences, and write down a few thoughts beside them. By the time you finish reading a book, your notes will be densely filled.

By marking and writing like this, the content in the books won’t be like passing clouds but will gradually integrate into your mind and become your own knowledge.

Don’t just read books of one category. You should broaden your horizons and get involved in different fields. It’s like not being picky about food when you eat. Only when the nutrition is balanced can you be healthy. Reading across different fields is like putting together a jigsaw puzzle. When different pieces are put together, a complete picture will emerge, and you’ll become more perceptive and full of ideas.

Cultivating correct reading habits is like planting a young tree. At the beginning, you need to take good care of it, water it, fertilize it, and straighten it up. Slowly, it will take root firmly and sprout new branches. Eventually, it will grow into a towering tree.

From now on, find a place, set a goal, take notes, and read widely. Let’s start this wonderful reading journey.