Most of us end the day with a tired brain and a glowing screen.
What if your evenings could be the calmest, most focused 20 minutes of your day—without waking up earlier or giving up your entire night?
Here’s a simple reading routine you can use to wind down and still make progress through great books.
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## Step 1: Choose a “wind-down window”
Look for a 20-minute window that usually exists already:
– After dinner, before TV
– Right before bed
– While the kids are falling asleep
Protect that slot like an appointment with yourself.
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## Step 2: Pre-select your book
Decision fatigue kills routines.
Pick *one* main book you’ll read this week (money, mindset, creativity—whatever you’re working on). Keep it next to your bed or on the sofa table so you never waste time thinking “What should I read?”
If you like variety, keep a “secondary” fun book for nights when you’re extra tired.
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## Step 3: Create a mini ritual
Tiny rituals tell your brain, “We’re switching mode now.”
Examples:
– Make a cup of herbal tea.
– Dim the lights.
– Put your phone on airplane or Do Not Disturb.
– Turn on the same playlist every time (instrumental or lo-fi).
After a few days, these signals automatically drag you into reading mode.
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## Step 4: Use a gentle goal
At the start of your 20 minutes, set a soft target:
– 10 pages, or
– One chapter, or
– “Read until this timer rings.”
It’s not about perfection; it’s about showing up often enough that books become a normal part of your night.
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## Step 5: Capture one idea
At the end of the session, ask:
> “What is *one* idea from what I read that I want to remember?”
Write it down in a notebook or notes app. This single step turns reading from passive consumption into something you can use in real life.
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## Step 6: Give yourself credit
Don’t dismiss small sessions. 20 minutes per night is about 10–15 hours per month—enough to finish several books a year.
That’s how you quietly build a “second education” in money, mindset, and creativity without ever enrolling in a course.
If you’d like help choosing your next evening read, browse our curated book picks in the BluePack Journal book store. We only recommend titles that are worth your limited time.
