For a long time, I wanted to be “a reader.”
Not in a casual way — in a this says something good about me kind of way. I admired people who could sit still with a book for hours, who had quiet mornings and uninterrupted evenings, who made reading look effortless and calm.
That wasn’t my life.
And instead of adapting reading to fit my reality, I quietly judged myself for not doing it “right.”
✨ Wanting to Be a Reader Without Sitting Still
As a mom of four, sitting still isn’t something I get a lot of.
By the time the house is quiet, my brain is usually fried. The idea of holding a physical book and focusing long enough to absorb it feels unrealistic most days.
That used to make me feel like I was failing at reading — or worse, failing at learning.
But the truth is, I never stopped wanting to learn.
I just needed a different way in.
✨ Listening While Living Life
Audiobooks gave me that door.
I can listen while I’m driving, folding laundry, cooking dinner, or coloring. I don’t have to pause my life to learn — learning gets to move alongside me.
Instead of forcing focus, I let listening become part of my rhythm.
And that alone made learning feel lighter.
✨ Learning in Mundane Moments
Some of the most meaningful things I’ve learned lately happened in the most ordinary moments.
Ten minutes while loading the dishwasher.
A chapter during a school pickup line.
A quiet stretch while the house is asleep.
These moments don’t look impressive — but they add up.
Learning doesn’t require ideal conditions.
It just requires access.
✨ Letting Reading Fit My Life
What finally clicked for me was this:
Reading doesn’t have to look one way to count.
Audiobooks are reading.
Listening is learning.
Absorbing ideas — however you can — still matters.
Once I stopped trying to fit myself into someone else’s version of a reader, I started enjoying it.
And enjoyment makes consistency possible.
