Are you in the "habit" of reading?

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I'm such a reading fanatic, it's hard for me to imagine having to take steps to develop a reading habit. But apparently, there are people out there who would like to get into the habit of reading, but just haven't made it a priority.

I came across this article, 14 Ways to Cultivate a Lifetime Reading Habit, that has some really good, practical suggestions.

And although I have no trouble finding a time to read--it's kind of like breathing to me--there are a couple of things on the list that I've only recently implemented.

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A few of them are worth highlighting here:

--Make a list. Keep a list of all the great books you want to read. You can keep this in your journal, in a pocket notebook, on your personal home page, on your personal wiki, wherever. Be sure to add to it whenever you hear about a good book, online or in person. Keep a running list, and cross out the ones you read.

I never used to have an actual to-read list until I joined Goodreads.com. It's great--whenever I hear about or read about a book I want to read (this usually happens online, through blog hops another book bloggers' reviews), it goes directly on my to-read list. I've read some amazing books this way.

In fact, I would totally recommend belonging to a site like Goodreads or Shelfari, even if you don't have to prod yourself to read. For the first time in my life, I'm keeping track of the books I've read!

--Reduce television/Internet. If you really want to read more, try cutting back on TV or Internet consumption. This may be difficult for many people. Still, every minute you reduce of Internet/TV, you could use for reading. This could create hours of book reading time.

This is something that has happened quite naturally for me as a direct result of reading. It's more difficult for me to cut down on internet, because for me, the internet is just one great big reading experience! But I've limited my television viewing to a handful of shows that I really enjoy.

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--Read to your kid. If you have children, you must, must read to them. Creating the reading habit in your kids is the best way to ensure they’ll be readers when they grow up … and it will help them to be successful in life as well. Find some great children’s books, and read to them. At the same time, you’re developing the reading habit in yourself … and spending some quality time with your child as well.

My children are grown now, but they would all tell you that I read to them extensively when they were growing up. All three of them are readers; two of them are as avid as I am about reading, and I believe it's helped them do well in college and in life.

Now, reading to my grandchildren whenever I get the chance (they live far away) is one of the great joys of my life.

So tell me...is reading something that comes naturally for you, or is it a habit you've had to cultivate? I'd love to know!

Yep, that's me! :)