Why I’m Not Pushing Myself to Read 50+ Books This Year

Besides the fact that I'm not a fast reader, there are lots more reasons why I'm deciding to not push myself to read 50+ books this year.

I see others like Sage Grayson and Leonie Dawson who I deeply admire read 100's of books every year and as much as I aspire to do the same, it just doesn't happen for me.

I'll usually get excited at the beginning of the year and set a lofty goal for myself on the number of books I want to read. And most years, I disappoint myself.

Yes, there are times when your goals need to challenge + stretch you a little. But for me, reading a ton of books, I've come to find out, isn't one of those goals.

But why have I made this decision for myself?

I want to make a conscious choice to read books that will help me grow and become the person I want to be. I want books that will help me reach my goals more quickly and effectively.

But, can't I do that by reading 50+ books a year? Well, yes, I can and many people do. But here's the thing about me and reading. Let's be real...I'm a slow reader, which means it can take me a while to get through a book.

I also get distracted easily, which is a trait about myself that I am (slowly) learning to embrace. So I can have multiple books going at the same time because I often read based on the mood I'm in or the information I'm seeking at the moment.

I also want to get the most out of the books I am reading, rather than plowing through books and not retaining any information from them.

I don't do this will all my books, but there are some that I highlight + take notes in. I actually love doing this, and more so in a physical book than an ebook. There's just something magical about flipping through a book and seeing all the highlights. It allows me to quickly and easily revisit the material when I need to.

Let's break some "reading rules"

Is it just me or are there lots of "reading rules" out there? Let's break some of them, shall we?

- It's okay to not finish a book - why torture yourself and waste your precious time reading a book you're not enjoying? Put it in a box for the thrift store or give it to a friend and let someone else enjoy it because not every book is for everyone.

- Audiobooks count as "real" books - we might think that because we're not actually "reading" that audiobooks don't count. But why not? We're still getting valuable information or simple entertainment from it and it's a great way to consume content when you're on the go.

- You don't have to read every single word - unless you're reading a novel or depending on the way a book is laid out, it's okay to just read what is relevant to your current situation. Think of your books as recipe books or encyclopedias where you can skip to the parts that are of interest.

Can you think of other "reading rules" that we should be breaking? Let me know in the comments!

Some of my favourite books

This blog post would not be complete without some book recommendations, right? So here are some of my favourites (in no particular order) for you to check out:

The Desire Map by Danielle Laporte

Chill and Prosper by Denise Duffield-Thomas

The Code of the Extraordinary Mind by Vishen Lakhiani

Align + Attract by Kerry Rowett

The Gifts of Imperfection by Brené Brown

What are some of your favourite books? Leave a comment and let me know. I'm always looking for new ideas.

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