Reading challenges are a great way to incentivize your reading. These challenges can range from reading several books in a week or a month to simply reading a story that has been on your to be read list (TBR) for ages. I find that by assigning yourself two reading challenges, one for the first half of the year and one for the second, that you can add a bit of intrigue and fun into your reading habits. Switching up what and how you read can be an excellent motivator and help you avoid falling into a reading slump. There are several challenges that you can choose from and you can cater these challenges to your own reading habits and interests. If you are unsure where to begin looking for fun reading challenges, I would suggest looking online for inspiration. Some of my favorite reading challenges include finishing a series that you have been waiting to read, reading all of one of your favorite author’s work, rereading a childhood series or book that you haven’t revisited in awhile, and reading a random book with a cover you gravitate towards. While these challenges can be daunting, writing a couple reading challenges into your list of resolutions can help give a boost to your reading habits.
I have said it before, and I’ll say it again: reading logs are extremely helpful to avoid falling into a reading slump. Reading logs can often feel elementary and add a layer of authority that may pull some of the fun out of reading, but tracking your reading can end up feeling rewarding the longer you do it. Once you have logged several of the books you have read, your thoughts on them, and how long it took you to read each one, reading begins to feel like a sort of game. Tracking your reading doesn’t have to be tedious or dull. I highly recommend getting a composition notebook or journal and using colorful pens/markers to track each book. You can also use stickers for the number of stars you give it or doodle your favorite character or scene from the book. By turning your reading log into its own creative outlet, you will find yourself more motivated to complete each book. Reading logs can be difficult to keep for a whole year, so begin your reading log with your list of reading resolutions. By writing down the books you read and your reading resolutions in one place, you have a constant reminder of how you are improving.
Not everyone can read several books at once, but if you are the type of person who can manage more than one book at a time, I highly recommend downloading a few audiobooks in advance for the year. By having audiobooks on your phone or Kindle, you can play these books while doing the monotonous tasks you dread. If it is a chore day or you have a long trip, listen to an audiobook. This is possibly the simplest resolution on this list, as it just asks you to promise yourself that you will turn on an audiobook to give those boring tasks a little extra fun when you are doing something uninteresting or tedious.
You know that book that has been sitting on your nightstand for months? The one that you pick up and put down after a paragraph or two? I hate to be the one to tell you this, but it isn’t worth it. This is another simple reading resolution, but I have found that it is of great help when you feel a reading slump on the way. It is totally okay to not finish a book, especially if the book is one that is limiting or stopping you from reading something you are actually interested in. My recommendation is to simply write a reminder to yourself that it is okay to not finish books. Moving on is part of the process and will help you to feel more productive in the long run.
Your reading resolutions do not have to be complex or difficult. They don’t even have to be the ideas I listed. The most important part of creating reading resolutions is making sure that they fit your needs and that you have a way to hold yourself accountable for them. If your resolutions aren’t working, try new ones. These are your goals and as long as they are manageable, trackable, and measurable, you are setting yourself up for success in another year of reading!
Jenica Delaney, Pine Reads Review Writer