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How to Set Reading Goals

 

Did someone say reading goals?

Anyone who knows me knows how much I'm obsessed with making and hitting goals. Do I always hit them? 

Nah.

Let's be honest. Goal setting is the easy part. We all think we're so much more disciplined and productive than we actually are. When we sit down to write out our goals, we envision having hours upon hours to sit with our thoughts, muse about how productive we are, and check off every item on our to-do lists with broad smiles on our faces and songs in our hearts.

Then reality hits.

The kids are whining. The pets are running amok. The husband/wife/partner/roommate is having a bad year and must detail every last second to you. The boss is on your back. Your BFF is blowing up your phone. You know the drill. You're pulled in different directions and that stack of books on your nightstand or all the books you've downloaded to your e-reader eagerly await your attention.

So, what do you do to fix that problem?

You create a manageable reading goal. That's what.

Goals of any kind have to fit into your busy life. They have to be a priority, otherwise, they don't get done. 

How do you make it a priority? Where does it rank in between carting kids off to school or sitting with them as they learn remotely and say dinner?

Those answers come from you.

Look at your schedule (if you make one). If you don't, make a list of everything you do on an average day. EVERYTHING. Did you find time to scroll through social media during the day? Did you veg out on the couch while the children went down for a nap? (First of all, do children nap? What is this napping thing and does it work for teenagers?)

The bottom line is, yes, our days are full. We hit the ground running before the sun comes up. We're busy people, but most of us find time to check Facebook or Instagram, or on Twitter. Most of us catch an episode or two of a show we've seen a thousand times. 

If you can find time for that stuff, you can find time to squeeze in a little reading every day. It doesn't have to be a lot. A few minutes before the kids open their eyes will work. How about dedicating ten minutes after the kids have gone to bed to read a chapter of a book? What about audiobooks?

I know there are many people who think listening to books isn't the same as reading them with your eyes, but I'm here to tell you to ignore them. Your parents or grandparents, teachers, and librarians read to you as a child. You absorbed the information then. Who is to say you can't do the same now?

Set a timer if you have to and read until the timer goes off. Read in the car while your kids are at practice. Read before you go to bed. Read first thing in the morning. Listen to an audiobook while you wash the dishes or fold the laundry or while you're on the treadmill or out running errands.

Figure out what works best for you, then make reading goals that work with YOUR schedule.

Happy Reading! 


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