Within the Bookends

Every year begins the same way.

New calendars. Fresh intentions. A quiet sense that this will be the year we finally do the thing we’ve been meaning to do.

Move our bodies more. Eat better. Learn something new.
And, inevitably, read more.

Somewhere between January resolutions and February reality, the question appears:

What’s your reading goal for the year?

On the surface, that question isn’t a bad one. For many readers, it feels motivating. Encouraging. Even exciting. But like most goals, reading challenges work best when we pause long enough to ask a more important question first: What is the purpose of this goal?

When Reading Goals Help

For readers who already feel comfortable picking up books regularly, a reading goal can be a gentle nudge.

Maybe last year you read one book a month. Twelve books total.
This year, you want to stretch that a little, not force it, but invite more reading into your days.

For goal oriented readers, a number can provide structure.
A sense of rhythm.
A way to notice patterns and growth.

And that number doesn’t need to be impressive or public. It only needs to make sense to you.

In those cases, a reading challenge can feel less like pressure and more like curiosity:
What happens if I make a little more room for books this year?

When Reading Goals Start to Hurt

The trouble begins when the number becomes the point.

When progress bars and percentages start whispering that you’re behind.
When January slips into February and the book you started is still unfinished.
When reading shifts from something you want to do into something you feel you should be doing.

Suddenly, the experience changes.

You’re no longer absorbed in the story in front of you.
You’re calculating pace.
Counting pages.
Wondering how to catch up.

And that pressure can affect every kind of reader, from longtime book lovers to those trying to return to reading after time away.

Instead of enjoyment, there’s urgency.
Instead of curiosity, there’s comparison.
Instead of presence, there’s panic.

Reading Is Not a Race

Reading was never meant to be about devouring books as quickly as possible.

Some stories fly. You’ll finish them in a weekend without trying.
Others ask more of you. They linger. They demand time, attention, and pauses.

Both experiences are valid.

A slower reading year doesn’t mean you failed.
A smaller number doesn’t mean you’re less of a reader.

Life shifts. Energy shifts. Seasons change.

There are years when reading fits easily into your days.
There are years when it has to squeeze into the margins.
Neither one says anything about your identity as a reader.

A Kinder Way to Think About Reading Goals

If you’re drawn to the idea of a reading challenge, try reframing it.

Instead of committing to an entire year, consider something smaller and more forgiving:

• One book this month
• Two books over the next few months
• A goal focused on showing up, not finishing
  

And if you don’t meet it? Nothing is lost.

You’re still allowed to enjoy the book you’re reading.
You’re still allowed to take your time.
You’re still a reader.

Reading goals can be helpful. They can also become heavy.
The difference lies in whether they support your relationship with reading or strain it.

The best measure of a reading year isn’t how many books you finished.

It’s whether reading felt like a place you wanted to return to.