I don’t read on computer screens

Since my work forces me to stare at a computer screen all day, I realized that some things I simply can’t do on a computer anymore. Reading is one of them. When it comes to deep reading, I need a kind of preparation that includes removing distractions from my environment, and for me, there is nothing more distracting than a computer full of interesting things to do.

Comfort matters too. Not only the physical comfort in my posture and my eyes, but also the mental comfort of not being surrounded by noise and agitation. That is why I developed the habit of reading in a comfortable chair or in my bed, with a printed book or an e-reader with a soft backlight.

Since I work with computers all day, I had to train my brain to not be overwhelmed by everything they have to offer. I developed some strategies to filter and organize the information I’m exposed to for later consumption. Trying to consume all the content you find on the internet is like trying to drink from a fire hose. You need a workflow to keep your sanity and still make sure you consume good content.

The workflow I developed consists of three distinct stages: Capturing, Organizing, and Reading.

Capture happens when you stumble upon something interesting. It might happen when you are doing something else, and you shouldn’t stop what you are doing to read or to think hard about the quality of the content. This stage should be as quick and as frictionless as possible so you can continue doing whatever you were doing.

Organizing is when you stop to analyze all the content you have captured. In this moment, you can assess the quality of each piece and decide if you want to keep it or not. Depending on your preferences, you might group similar content in compilations so they can be consumed together. Once your compilation is ready, you can bind it and send it to your e-reader.

Reading is where the real fun happens. A good reading session should be immersive, away from distractions, and pleasurable. A good chair, a comfortable spot, and a good e-reader help a lot with the whole experience.

This workflow lived in my head and in a patchwork of tools for a while — a read-later app here, a manual EPUB conversion there — until I decided to build something purpose-built for it. I called it Passages, and I’ll write about it soon.