I Fell Back in Love

Yes. You read that right.

I have indeed fallen back in love.

You might be asking, “Christian? What? You’re in a relationship?”

Nah, that’ll happen one day in God’s timing.

But what I’m talking about is falling back in love with a habit I was so committed to for so many years: Reading.

I know this probably sounds random, so let me take you back in time.

(Queue the flashback music.)

It all started back in 2nd grade when I had just moved to Texas from New York. I was the new kid from up north, but luckily, a friend I had just made introduced me to Diary of a Wimpy Kid.

In that very moment, my entire life changed.

I went from a kid who viewed reading as a chore to a kid who couldn’t get enough of books.

This continued for many years—Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Percy Jackson, mystery novels, you name it. But as I got older, it became harder to keep the same passion for reading, mainly because school forced us to read specific books.

If you’ve been through any form of public schooling, you know the pain of having to read ancient, dry books, alongside tests and quizzes that only build up stress.

Soon enough, the mind that once had a bright and brilliant passion for reading became a mind that associated reading with pain and boredom.

During my entire 4 years of high school, I read less than 5 books in total, which is crazy because I used to devour 5 books in a month—or less!

After graduating high school, I realized just how much I missed reading—the way it let my mind roam free and feel empowered. While I shifted my focus to self-development and business-related books rather than the novels I once loved, there was still something magical about reading.

So, what did I do?

I created a plan. I didn’t just set a goal, I built a system to make reading a part of my identity.

I used habit stacking, made famous by James Clear. If you haven’t heard of habit stacking, it’s the practice of connecting two or more habits to ensure they get done. It’s like tricking your brain into wrapping up two gifts in one box.

I habit-stacked reading by making sure that after I ate my breakfast in the morning, I would read at least 30 pages in 28 minutes before I allowed myself to workout. So, roughly a page a minute, which can be pretty fast when reading high-information books.

But I knew I had to start strong.

I also created a Notion Template where I logged important notes to help with retention of what I was reading. If you’d like that template, just reply to this email saying “Want it,” and I’ll send it over.

The first few weeks were tough, but every time I looked at my Habit Tracker, I just HAD to get the rings filled to 100%.

Little by little, I got faster at reading. Little by little, it became easier.

After a month and a half of repeating this same habit, reading finally became a part of my identity.

My love for reading was back, and I’ve never felt better.

So, if you want to rekindle your love for something or simply commit to a new habit, here’s what you need to remember:

1. Set a goal. Not an easy one, but one that challenges and stretches you.

2. Habit stack. Connect this new habit to something you’re already doing to trick your brain into consistency.

3. Set a time limit. Without constraints, you’re more likely to lose focus.

4. Persevere. It’ll be tough and uncomfortable at first, but you have to want it SO BAD.

Hopefully, this newsletter helped, and I can’t wait to see you in the next one.

Purpose over Pleasure 🌱

Love you guys 💙

P.S. I’d love to hear your thoughts on this newsletter! Leave a reply with any feedback or suggestions—I’m always looking to improve. 🙏🏽

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