Every year I set my Goodreads reading challenge goal and typically I fail to meet that goal 🥴 I’ve been trying to figure out what exactly it is that keeps me from achieving my goal. I’ve come up with the following:
- Too many DNF (did not finish) books
- Time management
- Easily distracted
- Overwhelmed by my TBR (to be read) list
The first reason is easily linked to the second and third. I’d often have a book borrowed from the library too long and need to return it before I finished reading. So I had a few books that I invested a good amount of time in but never finished.
Time is very precious to a homeschool mom. There are days my time is filled with either home activities or business tasks. I do some administrative work for my husband’s business and I also have a small crafting side hustle. Some days it does feel like juggling but other times things line up nicely and get completed. I’m trying to at least have 20 minutes of reading time daily, more if I manage my time really well 😁
I have a tendency to be easily distracted. This is the reason I took some social media platforms off my phone. Often times I would jump on a social media app and just start scrolling and clicking through post, commenting and liking. Before I know it an hour has passed by with really nothing to show for it. I became really bothered by that loss of time so I made the choice to delete the apps from my phone. I only have certain times on the computer BUT I also have certain tasks that need to get done. Social media takes a back seat and recently I’ve gained some time back.
I love the Goodreads app! It is a great way to keep track of my reading progress, read book reviews, see what friends are reading, and create a booklist of books I’d like to read. That being said my list has become extensive and it’s made it hard for me to pick a book.
So I decided I needed something fun, something sort of a challenge but nothing unattainable. Over the summer our local library did a book bingo. There participants could enter a drawing if they completed a Bingo. So I decided to make my own Bingo sheet and my own incentive. Now granted if I complete each square on the sheet I’ll meet my reading challenge goal—that would be cool! But I think I should reward myself with a book purchase when I get a bingo 😁 This bingo card could also help me in choosing my books as well, so I won’t get book choice paralysis. If you want a fund way to choose and keep track of books you can download the Book Bingo worksheet below.
Do you have a reading goal for 2025? What type of books do you generally read? Share your comments below!
The Life We Build 