Raise your hand if you’ve set yourself a reading goal/challenge this year. Is the deadline approaching and you’re not sure if you’re going to achieve it, have you abandoned it or have you achieved it already?
Why I no longer set challenges with deadlines
In short, I closed down my previous Goodreads account because of that bloody reading goal. I usually read between 50 and 70 books a year so I was happily achieving my goal each year, life was good. Last year, I set myself a reading goal of 75 books, my highest ever goal set – I did not achieve it. Now while I got over it, reading slumps happen, life happens, what I couldn’t get over was every time I opened GR’s, it looked me dead in my eye, taunting me “2 books behind schedule….10 books behind schedule….” And the number continued to grow, so in a fit of rage I deleted GR’s and started keeping a written journal of books read instead.
I know what you’re thinking, why not just delete the reading goal instead of the whole account? My friends, that is a good question, one that I have no good answer for except, I was not thinking rationally. I felt under pressure to read quickly as I hate failing (at school, if you were on my team for sports, it was not just a P.E lesson, we were there to WIN!).
I now have a manageable goal in my head of 1 book a week and that’s doable, I don’t feel pressured to read and reading is fun again. So much so I am currently reading my 76th book of the year (so FU last year’s reading challenge!). I am now back in my rational place and a few months ago, opened a new GR’s account.
Reading Challenges – Keeping it Fun
A challenge without a deadline is my definition of a fun reading challenge.
Presenting my new reading challenge: Amazon UK’s 100 Crime Books and Thrillers to read in a Lifetime. To see the full list of books included and take the quiz to see how many you’ve read click here.
What makes this fun – there is no deadline! Or if you want to be a dick pedantic about it, there is a deadline and that’s before I die! But should I die before completing this challenge, am I really going to be able to care?
I chose this particular challenge as I love crime books and this challenge helps me read more widely within the genre, discover new books and re-read some of my favourites.
Since starting this challenge just over a month ago, I have read 7 out of the 100 books and I’m okay with that, I have a lifetime to get to 100. When I fancy reading a book from the list, I do, it’s as simple as that.
I still have a reading goal, now it’s fun.
On the website (listchallenges.com) there are all kinds of different challenges, you can even create your own.
Do you set reading goal/challenges?
Do they have a deadline?
Let me know in the comments below.
I get what you mean about the GR pressure! One year I read all of the Game of Thrones books. Those suckers are LONG! And I missed my goal by a mile. My goal is to read 53 books thir year… One more than last 🙂 I also wonder if I should count audio books? (I do). Finally… Love the link! Going to take the quiz now and I’m sure I’ve only read a few.
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I’d definitely count audio books, it’s still time you’ve dedicated! I still need to read the GoT books. Oo let me know how many of the crime books you’ve read, I love crime fiction and I was shocked at how little I’d read!
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I wish you had Goodreads, as we have similar taste! But I’ll read your recs here 😃 I also feel the pressure and that’s why I always set the challenge too low hahaha
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I’m back on goodreads now – goodreads.com/keeperofpages
Yh I’ve definitely learned my lesson about reading challenges, I lost all my previous reviews and record of books read when I deleted my old account 😔
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