Midway through last year, I made a decision. Since embarking on a career, and having a full-time job which sadly requires some in-office time nowadays, I have had pangs of guilt when looking at how behind I am on my reading challenge. My job, like so many people’s, is tiring, and there are some weekdays where I only read a few pages. Gone are the days where I would sit down as a student, and hungrily read a book from cover to cover in a single sitting. I have so many more distractions and responsibilities, and so many drains on my time.
I always want to be able to enjoy my reading life, but looking at the Storygraph and Goodreads from time to time in 2023 has made me realise that I have come to see reading as something of a chore. It is still a hobby I very much enjoy, and I hope to always be able to say that. However, my ‘pages challenge’ on the Storygraph for 2023 reminded me constantly how behind I was, with the goal of an ambitious 50,000 pages slipping farther away from my reach. ‘Only 1,215 pages to go until you’re caught up!’ it would remind me. ‘Keep going!’
I want to ‘keep going’ with my reading, but in 2024, I have decided to read entirely for pleasure, not pressure. No longer will I put off the longer titles on my physical TBR or my library list, because I’m behind on a reading challenge and need to keep up. The numbers are arbitrary. Does anyone really care if I manage to read 200 books a year, which my challenge from 2023 was set at? I’m not even sure that I do any more.
So, a clean slate for 2024. I will still keep track of what I am reading, but whether I read 50 books or 200, it doesn’t matter. I have been setting a reading goal for myself since I was in my teens, so this will seem like an odd embarkation, I’m sure. Still, I am looking forward to having no challenge, and no competition, even if the only person I was competing with to reach those hefty goals was my past self.
What are your reading challenges for this year, or, like me, are you eschewing them? I’d love to know!
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