Reading is a part of my life, and if you are a leader, it should be a part of your life too. Reading is not optional for leaders; it is a discipline that must be crafted into your normal routines.

This fall, I am engaging in a plan to be more intentional in my reading, and along with that to read more. Here are a couple of things that I have done to accomplish this goal.

1. Set a goal.

I decided that I want to read four to six books per month between September and December. You may want to read more or less than that, but you should set a numerical goal for how much you want to read over a set period of time (i.e. – every week, month or year).

2. Create a reading queue.

I have set up a note in my GTD notebook inside of Evernote called “Reading Queue.” It looks like THIS. The reading queue is divided into three sections: Current reading (the two or three books that I am currently reading), the on-deck circle (the two or three books that I will be reading next), and my reading list (those books I want to read this fall that will move to the on-deck circle and eventually the current reading section).

3. Populate your reading list.

Whenever I come across a book that looks interesting to me, is recommended by a friend, required for me work, or is highlighted on a blog, I open up my reading queue and add that book at the bottom of the list. This guarantees that I always have books to choose from and I don’t lose that books that catch my attention.

4. Review your queue.

I have made a commitment to review and update my reading list each Friday morning during my weekly review. I remove books from my list that I have already read. I move the on-deck books to currently reading for the next week. And I choose three more books from the reading list to fill the vacant spots in the on-deck section. This keeps my reading queue up-to-date and it keeps my reading goal in front of my face so I actually do it.

Please Comment

What reading strategies do you use? How do you keep track of what you want to read? Leave your comment below.