Put the phone away, How reading ten book pages a day will change you

Written by Florence Riako Anam

When you are asked to make a sales pitch to adults, to convince them to be interested in reading or buying a book, you get the impression a day has less than 12 hours.

At the end of last year, Kisumu Toastmasters Club, held a session on what we call a ‘Book Talk’, a short (30 second - 2 minute) speech designed to encourage someone to read a book, giving an idea of plot, characters, or themes of the book, but, unlike a book report, does not summarize the whole plot or give away the ending or major plot points.

You could call it a review, a book advert or commercial. The goal is to convince people to read the book that you are promoting.

I was the Toastmaster of the Day (TMOD) and what became apparent was that for many, time was the greatest constraint, others felt no motivation at all to read the books that had been sitting on their bedside tables for many months. For some, reading was not part of their culture and this meeting made them curious to consider it.

Oscar Wilde once said “It is what you read when you do not have to that determines who you will be when you can’t help it”. Maseno University Graduates in 2023 ceremony

Fiction: The vinyl thief

For me, it was quite eye-opening that a lot of people struggled with reading something I have almost taken for granted. In fact, from the meeting’s presentations, I was inspired to add a few books to my reading list.

Junior reader

I love to read. I have always been reading since I could remember.

My mother would give me newspaper pages way before I even knew what words were. I would sit or lie on the sofa next to her imitating how she sat or put her feet up and just stare at the letters on the paper, mostly I would stare at the pictures.

I think she did this to shut me up, right about that age when children have questions about ‘How or why did this happen?’ followed by endless amounts of ‘Why?’ after every answer. I was a curious child. It got me into a lot of trouble. Reading was how I got tamed. I was either reading or on the list of people who appeared on the class noisemakers list with X10 written next to their names.

Adult reading

I may not have the ability to read six to ten books a week like I did in my youth, but I still make a point to read in my adulthood.

Like everything in my life, I have become rather intentional about the books I focus on reading. In 2022 for instance, I prioritized reading books written by African women. I loved all the stories and the nuances of the African women's conflict with tradition and modern lifestyles. In 2023 I read leadership books as I prepared and got into a higher leadership role. I read all the books by Simon Sinek and Brene Brown this year.

In 2024 I read a lot of change leadership books as we were going through change management in the organization. I particularly recommend three books; Flip Thinking; The Life-Changing Art of Turning Problems into Opportunities by Berthold Gunster, Pivot or Die Pivot or Die: How Leaders Thrive When Everything Changes by Gary Shapiroand Hidden Potential: The Science of Achieving Greater Things by Adam Grant

I was driven to also read to be able to effectively Co-Lead my organization. Co-leadership is a little or more like a marriage. Since I have no ‘in practice’ experience in this area, I read and gathered knowledge that would make me a better partner in my service leadership. I highly recommend The Mountain Is You: Transforming Self-Sabotage into Self-Mastery by Brianna West.

Struggling in your ambition to be an avid reader? See below some tips to motivate you.

Read multiple books at a time

Choices make anything feel less like a duty and more like a fun trip. You can read more than one book at a time.

Have an autobiography by your bedside table, fiction on your coffee table, and a “how to” book in your bag. This way then you do not feel compelled to finish one book at a time.

Also, you then get to feel which genre excites you at that moment and maybe focus on reading more of those books. We are always driven to read more about what we are experiencing or feel curious about. Read more than one book mostly for the choice benefit.

Read just 10 pages a day

Challenge yourself to read at least 10 pages a day minimum. This can be something you do as soon as you wake up, before you go to bed, or during your tea/ lunch break.

I challenge myself to read at least 50 pages if I need to get a book done. The lesson here is you get to build your consistency muscle. Depending on what you are reading, there are lessons that come from every 10 pages.

Consider alternatives

Are you one of those people who believe strongly in buying a book, smelling it with appreciation before you begin reading and now feel totally swamped by competing life issues with no time to read like you would like to?

Do you want to consider alternative ways of benefiting from the books? You could get e-books; my sister loves her Kindle. There must be a reason.

My friend Doris swears by the convenience of her audiobooks, and recently I have taken to listening to podcasts as I am getting ready for work or when doing other house chores.

I do not have to finish a 2-hour podcast in one sitting. I listen to at least 15 min or 30min depending on the time I have. I listen a lot to the diary of a CEO by Stephen Bartlet.

Reading will change you

Here’s a bonus tip. You do not have to finish the book in the moment you are reading it. Three chapters down, you are likely to find a lesson, the reason the books appeal to you or its usefulness in that moment or even later in life. Do not pressure yourself into finishing a book like you did when young.

We are all reading for different reasons as we age. While in my teenage years, I read to run away into a made-up world. Now I read to reflect, learn, and to grow.

Oscar Wilde once said “It is what you read when you do not have to that determines who you will be when you can’t help it” I believe while reading may not directly reflect who you are at the moment, it definitely defines who you are becoming.

This year I plan to read autobiographies. Currently reading I’ll take some self-love with that: A memoir by Cece Ojany Bekhor. I want to learn more about the leaders I know or admire, learn from their experiences and find common ground for the many questions I sometimes have. I remain curious.

What are you reading in 2025?