My head was so full of digital noise that it felt like my brain was about to blow a fuse (导火线). I had no greater power of concentration than the lifeless stare of a goldfish. As a writer, I was ashamed to admit that my love of books had been compromised by a brain that simply could not sit still.
So, this year I committed myself to restoring books to the place that they held in my life before the Internet broke my brain.
My goal was 52 books: It seemed like an impossible task. A 400-page book will take the average person around eight hours to read. Finding the time to read was a challenge but here's how I did it. Firstly, I decided to treat my mind like a misbehaving child who needs some rules laid down. Then I decided that I would read for an hour or two at a time without distraction each day. It was something I hadn't done in years and it was scary how difficult it was.
In his book, The Distracted Mind, Larry Rosen says that the more we practice spending time away from our electronic devices, the calmer and more focused we become. And this is what I found. Again and again, I would gently bring myself back to the page, resisting the urge to reach for that screen. I took inspiration from Nikki Gemmell, who describes in On Quiet, how investing in a safe to lock away her family's devices for long periods had opened up a space for deep reflection. For me, finding that quiet time meant finding time in my day just to read. It was like a date between me and my book. And it meant actively choosing to read at times when I normally would reach for my phone. I read on the tram, at the park, in bed at night and on lunch breaks.
By reawakening my love with books I created a sacred space where I could press pause and found inspiration, knowledge, reflection and escape. In our modern world, reading is a powerful and beneficial way for us to slow down and be ourselves.