Don’t Waste Your Time Reading… 31 July, 2023 – Posted in: Articles, Books – Tags: Books, Reading, Waste Time

…if the book isn’t right for you.

Are you someone who reads a book to the end regardless of how you feel about it? If you are you’re not alone. I used to be like that. But I have learned that to waste your time reading something that doesn’t appeal to you is pointless.

For a long time, if I started a book, I finished that book. It didn’t matter if I was enjoying it or not. I had made a commitment to read and I would see it through to the bitter end. This was my habit for years but eventually I came to the realisation that I didn’t need to struggle. I could put a book aside and never think of it again. And do this without guilt.

Reading is an activity that is joyful. No author sets out to pen a book that their readers will struggle with or hate. Authors spend their lives creating visions they hope will inspire readers and spark something within them. They want readers to enjoy what they’ve created and have a positive experience with their work.

But there is no contract that a reader signs that says they must finish any book they start. That is the reader’s right and authors accept this. It is the price of being a published author.

It doesn’t matter if readers DNF (Did Not Finish) a book. The reasons are the reader’s own. If, for whatever reason, a book isn’t appealing then readers should put that book down immediately and move on. There will be no incriminations.

It took me a long time to learn this.

When we spend our valuable free time reading books we don’t enjoy we are doing ourselves a disservice. Firstly, we are unhappy reading. Secondly, it’s a waste of time. And lastly, it can hinder our future desire to read. These are all things we can do without.

The next time you find yourself struggling to read a book, for whatever reason, set it aside. Maybe you’ll go back to it one day, maybe not. Regardless, it doesn’t matter one jot. Reading is a choice, your choice. You can change your mind at any time.

Don’t waste your time reading if you don’t like it. Grab something else instead. The possibilities are limitless, as are the rewards that go with them.