Three Ways to Carve Out Valuable Time Reading by @lisaillman

by Lisa Illman | Featured Contributor 

Reading books and articles in an excellent way to learn new things, spark ideas and manifest creativity. I have been reading since I was very young, and as I grew into adulthood, reading sometimes would fall off as a priority. I always suffer the consequences when I let reading slip through the cracks, so I started to think of ways to make it a top priority in my life. Taking a pot burner type book on vacation and getting lost in it for hours, sometimes days, was easy for me. But integrating reading into my everyday life, now that can be challenging! Here are three tools I use to keep my readings at the forefront of my daily activities.

1. Add Reading to Your To Do List
After my morning journaling, I put adjust the to do list I wrote for myself the night before. As I adjust my list, I make sure reading is included on my list and even add a specific timeframe or amount of reading I will accomplish. By being specific about how many chapters I will read, or how much time I will dedicate to my article reading, I am reinforcing my efforts towards the activity. This morning I added to my to do list, “read through pages 229 of Simple Abundance” so that I have a goal and clear defining commitment to my book. Since I have a list of books I would like to read in a year, this simple act towards reading helps me stay on track and enjoy my entire list!

2. Embrace Digital Readings
Admittedly, reading hard cover books is my absolute favorite way to absorb information and enjoy getting lost in pages. I still do not even own a Kindle, and can’t imagine not having pages to turn. But with all the digital tools at my fingertips, I remind myself regularly that books are just one way to take in information. Business articles are rich in content and so easy to find. Sometimes I climb into bed with my iPad and scroll through my list of favorite Facebook Pages that consistently post business articles. I love clicking on them to read all about a new process, invention, product or service. In addition, blogs are another great way to embrace reading and what better blog then SheOwnsIt.com for new best business practices! In addition to Facebook and Blogs, I have found content rich material on LinkedIn and Twitter. Pinterest is a wonderful way to gather information and read up on helpful information. I have found Pinterest to be my favorite resource for DIY articles.

3. Use Audio books
Probably the best way to complete more book reading in a year is through listening to audio books. For those who travel to work daily, this is a wonderful way to get through those dreaded traffic jams! Audio books give us the ability to use travel time wisely. Nestled in a seat on the train or plane, or sitting behind the wheel of your car; listening while someone reads to you can be ideal. I used to hate driving more than two hours until I discovered the audio book. I actually look forward to getting in the car for long periods when I know I have a good book to keep me company!

Reading is said to be one of the top activities successful people do regularly. Get creative with ways to integrate more books and more reading into your routine. If the idea of new books sounds costly, get a library card. The library is a valuable resource for books, magazines, digital articles and audio books. Read forward, onward!

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Lisa Illman is the president and founder of Kritter Kommunity. Born in 2009 out of her passion for pets, Lisa’s vision for Kritter Kommunity was inspired by her kitty cats, Madison and Abigail. With very little cash to start her business, Lisa and her cat Abigail started blogging and tweeting to gain product exposure. They were able to take 100 orders before their new product was even available. A social media enthusiast today, Lisa and her cat Abigail still post and tweet regularly; they have over 15k pet loving followers on Twitter.

This was just the beginning of Lisa’s journey as an entrepreneur, inventor and writer for the pet industry. Coming out of the gate with no experience starting a business, Lisa took bold steps without knowing which would be mistakes, and which would take her to the next level of success. Tenacity and passion gave her the courage to pitch her own products to media contacts and landed them on many media outlets like Good Morning America. Relationship building and writing put her in a position to develop a solid reputation with the social media world of pet lovers; her furry muses cheering her every step of the way!

Hands on experience, a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from Pennsylvania State University, more than 15 years of sales and marketing experience, and numerous professional awards, Lisa has a strong foundation as she continues her journey as an entrepreneur, inventor and writer. She inspires others to capitalize on their interests through coaching and writing.

Lisa Illman

Lisa Illman is the president and founder of Kritter Kommunity. Born in 2009 out of her passion for pets, Lisa’s vision for Kritter Kommunity was inspired by her kitty cats, Madison and Abigail. With very little cash to start her business, Lisa and her cat Abigail started blogging and tweeting to gain product exposure. They were able to take 100 orders before their new product was even available. A social media enthusiast today, Lisa and her cat Abigail still post and tweet regularly; they have over 15k pet loving followers on Twitter.

This was just the beginning of Lisa’s journey as an entrepreneur, inventor and writer for the pet industry. Coming out of the gate with no experience starting a business, Lisa took bold steps without knowing which would be mistakes, and which would take her to the next level of success. Tenacity and passion gave her the courage to pitch her own products to media contacts and landed them on many media outlets like Good Morning America. Relationship building and writing put her in a position to develop a solid reputation with the social media world of pet lovers; her furry muses cheering her every step of the way!

Hands on experience, a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from Pennsylvania State University, more than 15 years of sales and marketing experience, and numerous professional awards, Lisa has a strong foundation as she continues her journey as an entrepreneur, inventor and writer. She inspires others to capitalize on their interests through coaching and writing.