People tend to read less and less books, these days. A quick scan of search results will tell you that people are doing different things where, a couple of years ago, people would read a paper or a book. Judge for yourself if you're on a plane or on a train. I bet you'll see more laptops and mobile phones than books. Now, I don't say that watching a movie or reading tweets is bad, but I do think you should be thoughtful where you stick your roots.

Yes, that's right, your roots. Currently I'm reading a book which is about palms. One of the most important elements of a palm are their roots. Roots provide with food and stability. Good roots equals good fruit. The author of this book believes this counts for us as well. I think what we do, where we spend time on, whatever we are looking at, defines who we are and in what way we'll grow. So pick wisely: everything that you'll consume will be part of you in one way or the other, for the rest of your life.

I personally enjoy reading and I think it's a great way to grow your roots. This doesn't mean that it requires no effort at all. In this post, I would like to share 4 tips to get into reading.

1. Read interesting books

This seems obvious, but too many people aren't finishing their books, because they weren't ready for it. One way to be sure you'll hate reading is by picking the wrong book. Don't start with books in foreign languages if you have a hard time reading in your own language. Don't start with very old books, as they will probably be harder to read and to understand. Choose a book that people around you find inspiring, funny, interesting or just a good read. Remind yourself you are doing this for fun, not because you have to.

2. Dedicate reading time

If you are not used to read or find it hard to get started, it might be good to force yourself to read for a specific amount of time, lets say 15 minutes or so. Personally, I have set apart 20-30 minutes in the morning just after breakfast to read non-fictional, inspiring books.

Before going to sleep might be a good time for some good fiction. Remember: the light of your cellphone or laptop will suppress your melatonin level, so your body will think it's time to get up and about. Reading fiction helps to put aside the stuff of the day and relax (the latter depends on the story tough).

3. Share what you've found

There is no such thing as discussing a good book with a friend. Tell your friends about something interesting. Ask them what they think. Write about it on your blog. Pass on good books to someone who will appreciate it. Sharing will help you process the general idea of a book, explaining it to someone else is one of the best ways to really understand what you've read.

4. Track your progress

There are a lot of online resources to find new and interesting books to read. I like to highlight Goodreads, as it really helped me to read more and discover new books. Personally I like the Reading Challenge and the Currently Reading section, because it really makes it visible what I'm reading and what kind of progress I'm making.

If you're interested, you can browse my Goodreads profile. Join and lets be friends to share interesting reading material!

So, there you have it. 4 tips to get into reading. Enjoy your next book!