By Ahtiya Liles
The close of the current year is always a time of reflection, especially when it comes to our habits — even reading. For me, I take this time to look back at which titles or authors I’m still thinking about months later. What about these works made them stand out to me so vividly? What did I learn about myself as a reader? What do I want from my reads going forward?
As a teacher, I’m constantly trying to encourage my students to become citizens of the world, and one of the ways I do this is by hyping up reading on a daily basis. I try to hold myself to this same stand by pushing myself to be a life-longer learner, and that includes my reading. Some may be led to believe that only non-fiction books offer opportunities for learning, but I’d like to dispel that myth immediately. Every genre offers the chance for learning and gaining a new perspective.
I’m going to share my [insert number here] end-of-year reading questions that help set me up to have an excellent reading year with established goals and achievable daily habits. Without further ado, let’s jump in!
- “How much do I want to read?” There’s quite a few ways I answer this question, and how you answer should be whatever motivates you the most. I’m the type of person that can find large goals extremely daunting and panic-inducing yet still challenging and fun, so I break up large tasks into manageable bite-sized chunks. For instance, at the end of last year, I was trying to decide how many books I wanted to read for the entire year. Enter Anxiety for Stage Left! Trying to yank a number out of the sky was getting me nowhere, so I pivoted, instead wondering, “What’s a reasonable amount of books I can get through every month?” From there, I was able to set my monthly (and with some quick multiplying, yearly) reading goal.
Reading isn’t all about numbers, of course, but numbers help guide the actions of some. Another way to answer “How much do I want to read?” is by thinking of your reading in relation to time. Setting a daily or weekly reading-time goal is the best way to start building the habit of reading. Make it manageable and achievable, and give yourself some grace if you’re not able to always fulfill the goal. When I’m emerging from a particularly dire reading slump, I try to read for thirty minutes each day. This habit closely relates to the next question I ask myself.
- “When do I want to read?” Are you a morning, afternoon, or evening reader? Can you crack open a book, listen to an audiobook, or whip out your e-reader during your commute to and from work or while running errands? If I’m on public transportation or enjoying a particularly quiet car ride, I’ll take out one of my current reads and try to get a few pages in. I always have a book on hand, even when I’m not sure I’ll get the chance to read. You never know when a moment will arise where you can read, and you’d be surprised how quickly you’re able to move through a book with 5- or 10-minute reading bursts. If I need to quickly walk to the local market during my lunch break, I’ll sometimes substitute out music for my current audiobook. Reading is a habit — a pleasurable and often fulfilling one, but a habit nonetheless. Similarly to most other habits, we have to make the conscious choice to integrate a new or waning habit into our life.
- “What do I want to read?” Is there a genre or topic you wanted to dive into? Has a series been calling your name recently? Follow your gut on this one. I’m what I like to call a “focused mood reader.” Whatever calls to me or has been whispering to my soul for a while, I stick a bookmark in it and put it in my sights. Every month, though, I still compile a TBR (to-be-read) list of books I want to prioritize and hope to get to that month. Do I always get to most or even some of the books on these lists? Of course not, but creating this list at the top of each month helps me see what I’m learning towards and excited about. It restarts my ambition and makes me excited to tackle another month of reading! I know some people prefer season or yearly TBRs because that works best for them.
Towards the end of the year, I look at my reading stats (yes, yes, I know, I’m a huge nerd, haha) and see where I want to improve or focus my efforts. For my 2021 reading year, I wanted to make a concerted effort to read more Sci-Fi; my numerical goal was 20 Sci-Fi picks, and I was actually able to surpass this goal! I also wanted to read 1 non-fiction title a month and read a ton more Middle Grade, none of which happened, and that’s okay! Reading goals are meant to be. a fun little add-on to your reading habit, not a stressful complication!
If you couldn’t tell by now, I love reading and anything book-related, so I do indeed put a lot into making sure reading is a consistent part of my life. Reading helps me be seen and gives me reasons to laugh and find the shared wonders of humanity. It assists in unwinding at the end of the day or soothes me when I’m on the cusp of an anxiety attack. If you weren’t sure where to start with your reading habit or how to make it a more prevalent aspect of your life, I hope you were able to find some advice to help you manifest an incredible year of reading in 2022!
Happy Reading!
