Let’s Talk Bookish – Are Reading Goals Worth It?

Aria @ Book Nook Bits is the new host for Let’s Talk Bookish! If you aren’t following her yet, good check out her blog and give her a follow!

February 24: Are reading goals worth it? (Aria)

Prompts: We’re two months into 2023 – how are you feeling about your reading this year? Do you have a yearly reading goal? Do you think that those kinds of goals help you to feel motivated to read more books, or just causes stress? If you set yearly reading goals, when and why did you start setting them? Would you consider reading without aiming for a number? If you don’t set reading goals, why not?

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Welcome back to another week of LTB here at DTRH, everyone! It’s already the end of February somehow, and the prompt today relates directly to that. Although it’s interesting, I’ve never really considered whether goals are worth it or not. Can’t wait to hear what you all have to say on this as well!

My reading this year so far has been decent I think. While not reading consistently, I have been able to slip in some reads here and there, which I think is all I can ask for at this busy juncture. I honestly can’t believe it’s been two months already, but it’s always nice to get some reading done during downtime or waiting periods. I definitely do have a reading goal this year, but I have set it pretty low, as to have more realistic expectations of how much time I actually have.

These goals don’t necessarily help me feel more motivated to read books, but certainly do not cause me stress. If I don’t have time, I just don’t have time. They are a good reminder of the fact that I always feel great finishing another book though, so in that way it does help me feel a little more motivated to put in some reading time where I can. If goals only stress you out, I’d definitely suggest modifying those goals or setting smaller piecemeal ones that won’t stress you out as much. Although perhaps some of you read well under stress…?

I’ve set yearly reading goals (more publicly) for more than a few years now, when I got more involved on the blog. I think it’s something nice to keep track of, and I feel like no matter what number I reach, I’d be pretty proud of it, and at least happy to keep track of what books I have read so that I can suggest content to others. I definitely read no matter whether I have a goal or not, and I suspect many of us in the community would too. However, it’s still good to have a goal or at least a tracker to see how far you’ve come along on your reading journey. Sometimes the reminder of your goal serves more to remind you to read once in a while, rather than about actually finishing the goal or reaching a checkpoint.

For those of you who specifically choose not to put reading goals, do you still keep track of the books you have read somewhere? If you do have reading goals, are they worth it to you? Let me know in the comments below!