[pinit]Happy New Year Favored Friends! How is everyone doing with their goals so far?
I must admit.. I have some work to do. Playing catch up already. š But, weāll talk more about that in my upcoming post.. the 5am challenge!
For now, letās talk about one goal that I have a plan in place for and will be totally life changingā¦
I have set a goal to read 1 book a month, which is 12 books a year. Now, I know that some people read for entertainment and have set reading goals that make this one sound embarrassingly small.Ā But, I have one goal in reading. Become better.
I want my life to be different after I finish a book. So, the only books I read are success oriented. Now, I would love to read 1 book a week.Ā But, right now.. 1 book a month seems doable and is more than I read last year.Ā In fact, I canāt even remember how many books I read in 2015, because I didnāt keep track. But, self improvement is vital for success in life.Ā And, I know we are either moving forward or moving backward in this area. So, I have decided 2016 will be a year of intentional moving forward.
Now hereās the kicker.Ā I have set reading goals before.Ā For several years actually. They would be either to read 15-20 minutes a day. Or to read ten pages a day, etc.Ā But, honestly this never motivated me. Although I loooove reading.. making time for it takes a committed focus. And, I would find that life would get in the way. And, even though I had this goal set.. by the time the day was almost over, I was exhausted and got ready for bed.. 15-20 seemed like a long time! Then the thought would come.. eh I’ll do it tomorrow. (Not a success oriented thought.. I know!)
So, this year is different.Ā Honestly I canāt believe this pattern of goal setting never occurred to me. But, my plan is to read 1 book a month.Ā So, how am I going to make sure this happens?
Well this takes a little division. Thank goodness for calculators!
I will start each month with a new book. I will see how pages are in that said book and then divide by 30/31.Ā This will tell me how many pages I need to read each day in order to meet my goal!
I know, I know.. this sounds so simple.. why didnāt I think of this before.?! Who knows.. š
So, howās it going so far? Funny you ask.. or funny I asked myself. š I ordered my book late and it just came in the mail yesterday.Ā But, I applied the same process.. just using less days.Ā And, I am so excited! Yesterday, I breezed through the pages like it was nothing and even read a couple extra pages!
I am confident that with this one little tweak, I will meet this goal and it will be life changing.
If anyone is interested in what I am reading.. January’s book is 168 Hours: You Have More Time Than You ThinkĀ Ā …this book came highly recommended by several successful bloggers. Ā I just started it, so we shall see what all the hoopla is about! š
So, how about youā¦ Did you set any reading goals this year? Please share what works for you and how you make time to read!
*This post contains affiliate links, noted by asterisks. For more information, see my disclosuresĀ here.*ā
~Here is a list of blogsĀ where IĀ āLink Upā .. Be sure to stop by and make some new friends!~
You know that I love reading! (That’s probably an understatement. I breathe reading. š ) I find that setting reading goals helps me read more. Last year I wanted to read 100 books (I read 120). This year I am hosting a reading challenge to read one book a month from different categories (a book you should have read in school but didn’t, a book about love, etc.). I also find that having an ongoing “Books to Read” list is vital. Whenever I see a book recommend by someone that I trust, I instantly add it to my list. Then, if I’m ever stuck on what to read next, I simply check my list. Your list could be on Goodreads, in an Excel sheet, or even on a piece of paper that you keep in your purse. I keep my list on my library online account. That way I can place a book on hold and not even have to go searching for it. Btw, I loved 168 Hours. I hope you enjoy it!
Sarah@TheOrthodoxMama recently posted…5 Tips for Getting Fit on a Budget
Hey Sarah! I totally thought about your when writing this. š I am just amazed at how many books you read!!! You must tell me your secret.. did you take a speed reading course or something? Also, that is a great idea.. I definitely need to be more intentional about making a list of upcoming books to read. š And, it never occurred to me to check out books from the library! Possibly because I have an obsession with highlighting in them. Haha Yes, yes, you were one of the people who recommended 168 Hours.. in fact, I’m pretty certain that I got it from your link! š So far, so good!! :):)
Reading plans are so exciting, Ciara! Great job figuring out what works for you! This year I’m thinking about shooting for 100 books, but I’m also planning to reading a book on writing each month, so I definitely have to stay focused for that one!
168 hours is a great read! I don’t agree with every examples she gives, but many of the overall themes are super helpful!
Hannah@SeeingtheLovely recently posted…How to Create a Winter Capsule Wardrobe
Happy New Year Hannah! š Thanks!! That is quite the audacious goal!! =) But, I’m sure you can achieve it.. do you know Sarah at http://www.theorthodoxmama.com? She set that goal last year and surpassed it! Totally beyond my comprehension, btw. Haha š How do you read so much? Did you take some sort of speed reading course?