Reading as a Lifestyle

"Reading furnishes the mind only with materials of knowledge; it is thinking that makes what we read ours."

- John Locke, 17th Century Philosopher

I have never been one for reading goals. To be real about it, until recently, I never knew it was a thing.

I just like to read and so I do. Then, as I delved more into #Bookstagram, reading podcasts, and Goodreads, I heard more and more conversation surrounding yearly reading goals. After being asked by some bookish friends (and podcasters asking their audience) what my personal reading goals were for the year, it got me thinking. Then, I noticed GoodReads has a handy way to create a personal Reading Challenge for yourself that required me to come up with a number.

After some thought, I felt that if I read two books a month, I would feel happy with myself. If I did more, great! If not, that's okay too. Then I started thinking that if it is a challenge, I should challenge myself, so I nudged my goal up to 35 books for 2021.

Then, I finished January 20% of the way through my goal. Should I increase more?

That's when I noticed others -- fellow Goodreads participants, bookstagramers, podcasters, reviewers... what felt like all of the book world I want to be a part of -- were reading hundreds of books a year. There was no way I could compete. I have a full-time job, kids, husband, parents, friends, literary society... a whole life outside of books. What's a person to do???

That's when I realized that reading was part of who I am. Part of my life since I was a kid. I've always loved it and always will. I don't need book goals to make me feel well read. I don't need to up my number to consume reading material. I enjoy reading too much. There are books that leave me in withdrawal and I can't just move on to the next one. There are times I need to process what I just read or spend time researching a topic I've just discovered.

English Enlightenment philosopher John Locke said, "Reading furnishes the mind only with materials of knowledge; it is thinking that makes what we read ours."

I love reading because it makes you think. It teaches you something. It pulls you out of yourself and creates empathy for the world around you. It cannot do that if we do not allow what we've read time to sit and surround us, to inhabit our thoughts and become a part of our dialogue.

I think of my family's Netflix marathons and how we have consumed so much television that it becomes difficult to remember if we've watched something or not. I don't want that to be what reading becomes for me, more mindless consumption. I want it to be something that occupies my life and makes it better, makes me better.

There is NOTHING wrong with goals, especially in reading. Some LOVE them. Others have to read and read fast because that's their job as a reviewer, editor, publisher. This is simply what reading is to me and how I want to consciously include it in my life. And, maybe, it is the same for you too and I want you to know that you are not alone.

Perhaps you like the challenge of goals and numbers. Perhaps it gets overwhelming for you as it does me. In the end we are all a family of readers and, regardless of how fast or slow we take our journey, we are all the better for it.

Do you set annual goals? How do you keep from getting caught up in it all?