Friday 6 January 2017

2017 Reading Goals and the setting of Goals

52 BOOKS

I want to attempt to try and read 52 books again this year. I failed last year and the year before but this year I am determined to complete it! I feel this for me is a good number and manageable, plus it's only day 6 of 2016 and I have read 4 books and finished one for last year, so at the moment I am on way... But really even though I am doing so well now, I am binge reading because I have more free time so that when I am busy it doesn't affect my goal as much!

There is a trend on Goodreads where people are setting their goodreads goal to 1 at the moment and I must be an odd one because I don't really understand it.  I know for some it's to get back the enjoyment of reading instead of worrying about the quantity or the pressure to add numbers. For others it seems to be more of a political point against goodreads which to me doesn't make sense as you don't have to make a goal if you don't want to. For me, if i put one book as my goal I don't feel like I would be being true to myself, I would be lying just to make myself feel good that I have reached my goal. When you consider some people don't even a read a book a year that's an achievement, but when you are a book lover who reads tens or hundreds of books a year, you're not really doing yourself any favours. If you find yourself too focussed on reading a certain amount of books a year, reduce your goal or don't make a goal. The challenge is supposed to fun and it's personal as well. If you want to make a reading goal, make it something realistic, think about what you want out of it! Do you want to read more books this year? Do you want to push yourself? What's your life going to be like? (If you have a busy year ahead, take it easier on yourself). You can always challenge yourself to read the same or less. But one, unless that is a realistic goal for you as you don't tend to read, when you are just going to complete it within the first week or two of the year, what's the point in making a goal in the first place? If you don't want to focus on the numbers, you don't have to create a goal.  Some people feel like you are just reading for goodreads, but if goodreads wasn't around would you still like to create a reading goal for the year? I know I would. I love reading but I also love being able to track my reading, I love being able to see what I have read each year, how many books I have read and compare myself against my own goals and feel motivated to read more!

So when choosing your goal this year think about what is attainable for you? What's your focus? Do you want to focus on reading a certain amount of books, to make more time for reading? Or do you want to experiment with your reading? Try new authors, new genres, try non-fiction, poetry, get into audio books? What do you want out of 2017? 

Remember:
  • the goodreads challenge is supposed to be fun and if you're putting yours to 1 book for the year because you don't want the pressure, why set a goal anyway. 
  • You can lower your goal throughout the year, so if you feel you were over ambitious you can change it. Nothing is set in stone.
  • Your goal does not have to be quantifiable.
  • You don't have to have any goals at all.
  • It is okay to fail! Life happens and it's just about having fun!


I think if people want to set their goal to 1 that's fine, but for me it would feel like I am cheating myself and that I should have just not made a goal in the first place.  But the whole goal setting is about having fun! If you are stressing too much about your goal, you are missing the point! Obviously it is all personal. But let me know what you think?

Other reading goals this year: To have fun! Read what I enjoy and don't feel like I have to read a book because everyone else is, and feel free to read books when I want, not when they are popular. Keep less books. Spend less money on books. Read more. 

What are your reading goals for the year?


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