Racing to Meet that Reading Goal!

Shellie Zeigler

Library Consultant

 

 

Around this time of year, a lot of my friends and co-workers start talking about meeting their Goodreads or other reading goals for the year. I hear things like, “Oh, that’s a small book, that will get me toward my goal.” or “I met my goal. I can relax now.” I get it, I do. I do the same thing. But I’m starting to have concerns about reading goals. Hear me out.

I make a reading goal every year. I started doing this seven years ago. My reading productivity, what an awful word, has increased every year since I started creating a goal (it took a small dip this year, but that’s an anomaly). So, it makes me wonder, does making a goal truly increase the amount of reading I do, or has it increased the amount of reading I feel I need to do? Let me look back just a bit.

In 2020, I read 161 books. My goal that year was 150 books. Yes, I was very elated and proud of myself, but I was also embarrassed. I didn’t want to tell people I read that many books, for several reasons. I didn’t think people would believe me. Many of those books were also audiobooks, and I know that a lot of people don’t feel that audiobooks count as reading. (I have strong opinions about this and have written about this before, but the audiobook stigma is still around). And lastly, I felt like it made me look like I don’t have a life outside of reading. I know that may sound ridiculous, but I’m laying it all out here!

In 2015, I made a goal of reading 35 books. It was my first year to make a reading goal, and I achieved it. I read 38 books that year. I feel like I felt more accomplishment that year over those 38 books than I have any year since. I think it’s because I didn’t put pressure on myself. I didn’t look at what other people’s goal were. I didn’t compare my reading goals to theirs. It really is true that “comparison is the thief of joy.”

I’ve surpassed my goal this year with an admirable 92 books. (My goal was 80). I keep thinking, "What will I do for my goal for 2022?" Will I make one? I’m sure I will because I enjoy keeping track of which books I read in which year. It’s a nice way to summarize the year--I love organization! But. I am going to work on taking the pressure off my reading self. My real 2022 reading goal will be to simply enjoy the books I choose and get off the treadmill of caring so much about the number. My wish is that you do the same.

Happy reading in 2022!