For Those Who Can't Read Books: How to Make Time for Reading with a Bullet Journal Brain Dump, Even When You're Busy
The reason I stopped reading books
isn't because I'm busy.
We'll scientifically explain "I can't read books" and "I can't make time to read," and introduce a brain dump planner technique to reclaim reading time, even when busy.
Before I knew it, it had been months
since I read a book.
I loved reading so much as a student.
Why not use a planner to organize that feeling of "not being able to make time to read"?
"I'm so busy with work that I don't have time for hobbies," "When I'm tired, I reach for my phone instead of a book" — many people probably have these kinds of worries.
Many of us have probably told ourselves it's because we're busy or tired. But the true nature of that "inability to read" might not actually be busyness itself.
Reiko Tanaka
Forte Diary Creative Director
Since I was a child, I've been a huge book lover. During lazy summer holidays, I would borrow three Lupin series books and read them all in three hours, then rush back to the library for more — that was me as a child. Even now as an adult, there are days when I lose track of time, forgetting to even drink water, and continue reading for hours.
But strangely enough, even when equally busy with work, there were days I could read and days I couldn't at all. I've always wondered what the difference was.
① "Not being able to read" wasn't due to a lack of willpower.
Kaho Miyake, "Why Can't We Read When We're Working?" (Shueisha Shinsho)
The "information" obtained from the internet is efficient, providing the desired answers in the shortest possible time. Reading, on the other hand, involves detours not directly related to the objective and accidental discoveries — in other words, "noise." The core perspective of this book is that if you're working in a way that demands your full attention, you lose the very space to accept this noise. Tracing the history of Japanese labor and reading, the book concludes with a proposal for a society where people live "half-heartedly," dedicating half their energy to work and half to hobbies.
It's not that you're too busy to read,
it's that your mind is too busy.
② The difference between days I can read and days I can't is my "brain state."
The "self-talk" that continues in your brain when you're not focused on the task at hand
The "Default Mode Network (DMN)," explained by Stanford University psychiatrist Professor James Doty, refers to the state of the brain that operates when not focused on the task at hand, recalling past events, worrying about the future that hasn't happened yet, or thinking about surrounding interpersonal relationships.
One day, this concept clicked for me. When something someone said earlier that day was bothering me, or an upcoming project was constantly in the back of my mind, or I was feeling uneasy about a relationship, no matter how much I opened a book, the words wouldn't register.
Conversely, no matter how busy I was, if I was just focused on the task at hand, not overly preoccupied with relationships, and not feeling anxious about a future that hadn't even happened, my brain would smoothly switch gears. I could then effortlessly read even novels and essays completely unrelated to my daily life.
③ Brain Dump to Make Time for Reading — How to Stop the "Self-Talk" in Your Head
Writing down everything that's in your head, regardless of whether it's good or bad.
The quickest way to stop the "chatter" of the DMN is to write down everything in your head on paper. If you keep it in your head, your brain unconsciously holds onto it as "unresolved" and starts to ruminate on its own. However, once you write it down on paper, your brain recognizes that you've "put it out there" and no longer needs to carry it. Try using the journal pages of the Forte Planner as a place to write things down.
You don't need to organize it perfectly. Just write down whatever comes to mind in your planner.
And if you find an item among what you've written down that requires action, we recommend transferring it to the corresponding day on the Weekly page of your Forte Planner 2027 as an action item. Once you do this, your brain will recognize that it's "now managed in the planner" and begin to quiet down. Liberated from the job of "remembering" worries and anxieties, your brain can finally regain the space to focus on the book in front of you.
④ 3 Practical Methods to Make Time for Reading Even When Busy, by Scene
Before leaving home, jot down only 3 lines of worries from the night before in yesterday's column on the Weekly page.
Write down events from the morning or anxieties about afternoon plans, and transfer them to the Weekly page if necessary.
Journal about any relationship worries from the day on a journaling page before going to sleep.
Stop blaming yourself for "not being able to read,"
just write it down. That alone will quiet your mind.
"Not being able to read" isn't because you're busy, nor is it due to a lack of willpower. It's just that your mind was full, and there was no space left. The small habit of writing things down in a planner gradually creates space in your mind, protecting "time for yourself" even in a busy daily routine.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is not being able to read a sign of weak willpower?
No. In most cases, the cause is not willpower. The real reason is that your mind is busy with the Default Mode Network (DMN), leaving no room to accept "noise" like reading.
What should I write in a brain dump?
Write down everything that comes to mind, without judgment. It can be anything from a comment that bothered you today, to anxieties about tomorrow's schedule, or relationship worries.
What should I do after writing things down?
Transfer only the items that require action to the Weekly page of your planner. This alone will make your brain recognize that it's "managed = resolved" and quiet down.
A single book for organizing your thoughts and finding space to return to reading.
Cultivate the habit of "letting go" of thoughts on the Weekly and Journal pages.
Even in your busy daily life, why not reclaim "the self that can read"?
Just flip through the pages to understand how to use it 📖
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