Why I’m setting a lower reading goal next year
(even though I’ll probably still read the exact same amount)
As we approach the end of the year (3 days left to be precise) and I am 3 whole books away from reaching my reading target for 2021 and it’s got me thinking a lot about reading goals a lot more generally and whether I actually want to set one next year or not.
My reading goal for this year was 52 books, so 1 a week. Last year was the first time I set a goal and tracked it and 52 was a fairly easily achievable goal for me last year so I thought I’d stick to the same one for 2021. However the goal has felt just a bit too much of a stretch this year. I kept telling myself I’d catch up and that it didn’t reeeeally matter or that I didn’t reeeally care (spoiler alert: I do).
As we’re fast approaching the new year and I’m still three behind, I feel somewhat (very) stressed about the fact that I’m very unlikely to reach the goal this year. I voiced this concern to my Dad when I arrived at my parent’s for Christmas and he questioned why I set the goal for myself and if it makes me enjoy reading less… to which I profusely protested saying that it makes me enjoy reading ~even more~ which is probably (definitely) due to my personality and just how much I love setting goals and working towards them (different things make different people tick ok).
Yet, I’m not entirely convinced that it’s as simple as that. Because, well, I do get pretty annoyed at myself for not reaching goals and then I get stressed which is enormously counterproductive when reading time is my relaxing time…
Also it does sometimes make me tactically choose what I’m reading. For example, I gave up on reading Shantaram earlier this year, even though 659337 people tell me it’s their favourite book ever, because it just felt like such a long thing to get through. I’m not sure I would have done the same had I been on track or ahead of my ‘reading challenge’. That’s not to say that I don’t enjoy the books I’m reading, or that I never pick challenging ones, but sometimes if the choice would directly benefit my goal, I may be inclined to go that way.
In general, I think reading goals can help encourage you to pick up a book in times where you might otherwise scroll on social or mindlessly re-watch episodes of Schitt’s Creek (speaking from my exact experience lol). I think they can also be a really satisfying thing to work towards and talk to your other bookish friends about.
But, next year I’m going to be setting myself a slightly lower goal despite knowingly I’ll probably read at a similar rate as I do now. I want to be able to pick up long or challenging books and not get annoyed at myself for getting behind on the challenge. I also feel like the pressure to read hundreds of books every year is just a bit mental. Reading is my sanctuary. I genuinely feel my mental health suffering if I haven’t made enough time to read. I don’t want to lose the enjoyment of reading from my life just because I’i've succumbed to the bookstagram pressure of reading more than I did last year. ALSO, it really doesn’t validate how ~bookish~ you are if you read 10 books in a year rather than 150 it literally just means that you spend your time exactly how you want to. With that in mind, my (unsolicited) advice to all other book people when setting your reading goals this year would be to set something super realistic because you can always increase it and never stop reading what you want to read for any reason (even if goodreads pressures u, stay strong!!).
Happy reading and happy new year friends!!!
Kath x
P.S. audiobooks count but DNF reads do not ok x