It all started with #24in48Readathon. Though I couldn't do full 24 Hours of Reading, I was happy with the outcome. I stared at the result (3 books in 15 Hours); the feeling of affinity swept over me and made a commitment: to read everyday, without missing a day for 100 Days; ergo this shameless brag.

Rules

• Read book atleast 20 minutes a day

• Track the progress through Bookly & Goodreads

• Read more on weekends

• Don't tweet daily about #100DaysOfReading

• Don't allow other commitments affect your reading streak

• 100DaysOfReading shouldn't affect other learning activities(Certifications/MOOCs/R&D)

Reading Stats

• Pages read so far - 6306 pages

• Total time so far - 115 Hours

• Books Read so far - 23 Books

• Best read day in pages - 386 Pages

• Best read day in minutes - 460 Minutes

• Longest Reading Streak - 101 days

Lessons Learnt

• It is ok to read JUST 20 minutes

• Consistency matters

• Pomodoro technique helped when not in a mood to read

• Pause & reflect.

• Kindle notes & highlights are handy

• Telling friends & guests that I am on a reading streak helped;

• Seeing the numbers & statistics of the reading streak was a huge motiviation.

• Need a better app to track the streak; Bookly tracks only books. I need something to track reading (Tech Blogs/Short Stories etc.,)

• Paperbook format is not good for Technical Books

• Don't hesitate to re-read same pages; better understanding and retaining what you read is more important than maintaining a streak

• Discuss on what you read with friends/like minded people

• It is alright to put a book on hold if not in a mood

• Need of the moment decides what book has to be read

• Binge-Reading is lot better than Binge-Watching;

• Already exceeded 2018's Reading Goal (Read 23 of 20 Books)

• Found Optimal hours for Reading

  • One hour before & after bed
  • Commute time to office (1 Hour)
  • Weekend brunch time at neighbourhood cafe

• It doesn't have to be just a 100 Days Streak; It's difficult to stop the routine.

• On Day 101, It seemed weird to say, "Let me take a break today"

• "DO NOT DISTURB" sign on home office door works quiet well.

• & Ofcourse the lessons from the books

So What's Next?

#200DaysOfReading. Yes! I am not going to break the cycle;
Build an app (ReactNative) to suit my needs

Thanks

Reading for 100 days is not an impossible thing to do; but managing other aspects of life along with reading was tough. Without the support of Aish & Aathi this wouldn't have been possible.

Thank you for being supportive in this journey; Promptly served tea & snacks were crucial catalysts; Now get ready for the next #100DaysOfX streak! 😉

What do I get from this?

I feel elated & inspired.