For the past several years, I have set a reading goal for the year. I’ve found that 50 books is my sweet spot. It challenges me to stay intentional, yet it allows me to keep reading an enjoyment. Maybe a different season of life will allow for more (and maybe some for less!), but this works very well for me right now.
I always get a broad spectrum of responses when I share my goal. Some people read WAY more than I do! Other people can’t imagine how I could possibly read so many books. (I share in this post how I fit in time to read as a busy mama.) Let’s not compare ourselves to others. Look at your life and assess your personal goals! How much did you read last year? Are you content with your reading habits? If so, then great! Keep your goal the same! (That’s where I’m at). Did you aim too high and now you feel discouraged for not even coming close? Lower the goal! Something is better than nothing! Would you like to read much more than you did the year before? Set an achievable goal and break it into bite-size pieces.
One goal I love to share for those seeking to increase their reading is read a chapter a day. Depending on the book, this often takes 10 minutes or less. Everyone could commit to that, right? Most books range from 10-15 chapters in length. Do you know what that means? Reading 1 chapter every day puts you projecting to read around 2 books per month- which comes out to 24 books in a year!
When it comes to goal setting, I like to assess different areas of my life, and if I find that I am not where I want to be in an area, I ask “how can I push myself a bit more in this area?” Don’t go from reading nothing to setting a goal of 50 books in a year! But if you read 12 books last year, could you increase your goal to 15?
Types of Goals
The type of reading goal you choose can vary depending on what works best for your current season and what motivates you most. Here are some ideas to get you thinking creatively.
- A specific number of books
- A certain amount of time spent reading each day
- A certain number of chapters read each day
- A specific number of books in a variety of genres
Tracking Your Goal
I have found GoodReads to be the easiest way to keep track of my reading challenge. They have a yearly reading challenge feature on their app/website where you can plug in how many books you desire to read. Then as you read books, you mark them as “read”, and it adds it to your count. It is fun to look at the end of the year as it shows you your goal completion, pages read, books read, and more.
What to Read?
A question I get asked often is, “How do you find books that you want to read?” Well, I have a to-read list that is probably 100 books long, and I add to it more than I subract! My favorite way to find book suggestions is by recommendations from friends. That is why I love incorproating what I have read into the podcast/blog/Instagram. I tend to follow like-minded women, so when they recommend a good book, I often enjoy it as well. Hopefully, I pass that along to you!
Every quarter, I release a podcast episode with a corresponding blog post sharing the books that I have read. You can find that on the No Higher Calling podcast and throughout past blog posts. You can also find highlight reels on my Instagram.
A favorite friend to get book recommmendations from is Sarah at Faithful and Flourishing.
One other thing to note here, if you start a book and don’t like it, this is your persmission to stop immediately! There are too many wonerful books out there to waste time on things you don’t enjoy.
Ways to Read
Physical book, audio book, e-books- there are many different ways to read these days! Do what works best for you. I tend to be a physical book kind of girl. I love holding the book in my hands with highlighter ready. But in this season of motherhood, I have found that audiobooks have their place as well. I enjoy listneing while doing chores in the evening or while on a walk. I listen to audiobooks with my kids while we eat lunch. We listen to audiobooks as a family while riding in the car.
Keep Things Interesting
If you struggle to stay interested in reading, adding variety can keep you moving towards your goal. A suggestion is to change things up every month or quarter.
- Read a particular author each month/quarter
- Read a particular genre each month/quarter (ex. classic, mystery, historical fiction, nonfiction, biography, etc)
- Read a particulat topic each month/quarter (ex. parenting, healthy living, marriage, etc)
Read with a Friend
When goal setting, it is often recommened that you have an accountability partner. Having this outside check keeps you moving forward. This can be achieved in many different ways.
- Set a reading goal with your spouse (make it extra fun if you set a challenge to see who reads the most in a year!)
- Read with a friend (you and your bestie read the same book at the same time and enjoy ingiting conversations together!)
- Read with your children (“Mama, can we pleeeaaasse listen to our audiobook?!” Of course, thanks for the reminder!)
- Join a book club (in person or online)
- Post on social media (share what you’re reading on IG and let others follow along on your reading venture)
These are some thoughts on setting a reading goal that have stemmed from questions I get from others. What do you think? Have I covered everything, or did I miss something? If so, leave your question in the comments! I’d also love to hear what your reading goal for the year is!
If you enjoyed this post, check out my post Setting a Reading Goal for Kids!
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