I am Dr. Hassan, a Board-Certified Physiatrist and Independent Practice Owner. I help physiatrists start and grow their own profitable practices so they can achieve financial independence and live without limits.
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Reading helps you beat stress. It’s a good way to keep your communication and creativity skills strong. By opening up a book, you can improve your knowledge base and virtually travel the world (and other-worldly places). There are a lot of good reasons to read.
If you want to get more reading into your life, we are here to help. Here are three ways to make reading a habit instead of a haphazard pastime.
1 – Keep Books Handy
The odds are you have your phone within arm’s reach of you right now. You might be reading this on your phone. We are constantly connected and have multiple digital devices at our fingertips, so there’s no real excuse for not making reading a habit.
Perhaps you prefer physical books as opposed to their digital brethren. You can still ensure you always have something to read by filling your environment with books. Pop a couple of paperbacks into the glove box of your vehicle. Keep magazines and books on your coffee table or the end table beside your sofa.
Your bedside table can be home to a miniature library. You might even get away with storing a few books within reach at work. Better yet, read work-related material in your spare time on the job to help climb the corporate ladder.
An easy way to make reading a habit is to have books nearby when you’ve got some free time and are looking for something to do. Reaching for a book is much better for your mental health and wellness than spending all your spare time staring at your phone.
2 – Give Yourself Reading Goals
You’ll read more if you give yourself some incentive. Develop a target. Maybe you want to read for one hour every day. Promise yourself you will read every night before you go to bed. Do you have a certain number of books you want to read by a specific date, or perhaps one book a month?
Don’t just keep these goals in your mind, where they can become misplaced and forgotten. Make sure you write this down and refer to it frequently. Give yourself a reading target, and you’re more likely to read regularly.
3 – Stop Reading When the Reading Gets Good
Why would we ask you to put down your reading material when it grabs you by the eyeballs? The reason is simple. It makes you want to pick it back up!
Sometimes when a book is really good, you keep on reading. You never want to put it down. Then you end up burning a lot of nighttime hours you should’ve been sleeping, and you feel tired the next morning. You might even finish a good book and not have a new one to start the next day. If you put a book or story down when you are engaged in what’s happening, you know you’ll be reading again soon enough.
Reading more is about turning conscious behaviors into unconscious habits. That’s what these three tips help you do. Start today prioritizing reading, and you’ll enjoy the significant boost to overall wellness that regular reading delivers.
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Once you’ve decided that you want to leave your current job to start your practice, you need an exit plan. Check out our blog post here for tips on developing an exit plan and starting your new independent practice.
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I’m Dr. Hassan, a Board-Certified Physiatrist and Independent Practice Owner. I help physiatrists start and grow their own profitable practices so they can achieve financial independence and live without limits. Please go to businessofrehab.com/contractnegotiations to pick up the free guide to help you negotiate the contract of your dreams.
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Attention, Physiatrists! Stop leaving money on the table. Sign up for the free video series: How To Build A Profitable Practice in 90 Days or Less: http://www.sixtytosuccess.com
