Going into the new year has everyone looking to make resolutions. Although most people tend to make resolutions about fitness, wellness, or money, I personally like to make reading resolutions. Reading is a big part of my life: I run a booktok account, I own over a thousand books, and I read nearly 100 every year. Even if reading isn’t your thing, maybe making a resolution about it could help push you to read more! Here are some reading resolutions you could try making:
“I will read x amount of books this yeaR”
This is a typical one. For me last year it was 52 (a book a week), this year it’s 100 (because I read 93 last year!). To make this resolution realistic for yourself, you’re going to want to look at a few different things:
- How many books did you read last year? For instance, If you read 5 books last year, it’d be unrealistic to set yourself a goal of 50 this year. Instead, maybe try to double your yearly reading by setting yourself a goal of 10 books a year!
- How much time do you have to read? And how much do you actually enjoy reading? You really need to think of your life and the way books fit into it.
After totalling these different factors, choose that x amount of books! I typically low ball, because you can always up the anti once you pass the initial goal. Another fun tip: give your goal a sort of reason (12 books for 12 months, 22 books because it’s 2022, etc.)! This reasoning really gives you something fun to share when talking about your goal (and what is a resolution if not something to talk about).
read more books you own than ones you don’t
This resolution is more for people who own a lot of books (this also happens to be a resolution I’m desperately trying to stick to). There are so many different ways to gain access to books (going to the library, accessing them online, etc.), but one common way is just going out and buying them. But, news flash to anyone who didn’t know: books are expensive. So, with this resolution you’re definitely looking out for your wallet.
I own a lot of books (and they cost a lot of money), so this year I’m trying to read those physical books I own. This is just a way to appreciate the money I put into them, but this resolution is about finding balance; it’s not a hard and fast rule. I want to read more books I own, but I’m not going to limit myself solely to those. If a new book comes out I’m dying to read, I’ll slap down a 20 dollar bill and pick it up. The main goal with this resolution is being able to look at the books you read this year and having the satisfaction that most of them came from your own shelves. I think sometimes we need to be reminded that maybe we actually have some good reads hiding in those bedside table book piles we’ve been using as decoration!
Diversify your shelveS!
I personally feel like this year there was an influx of people stepping forward and promoting diversity. Diversifying your shelves and reading is an important thing to do when living in a multicultural society, because it allows you to understand others’ experiences and see past your own views and privilege. Work diversity into your resolutions by making goals like ‘read x amount of POC authors this year,’ ‘read more queer books,’ only buy books that support minority groups,’ etc. These resolutions not only expand your horizons, but also help to support marginalized groups, which unfortunately may not get the same love and support from the book community or from publication houses. These resolutions are a good way to put money into supporting these authors. If you’re not sure where to start, know that there are many lists, reviews, TikToks, and more to help you find diverse books to read and grow with this new year.
DNF a book that isn’t bringing you joy
DNF (which stands for ‘did not finish’) is an abbreviation used in the book community that means you chose to stop reading a book before the ending (regardless of whether you were 10% or 90% of the way through)–if you can even believe it! After the difficult year that was 2021, we know we need to spend time enjoying the things we do truly enjoy, and leaving the things that we don’t. So, if you find yourself just trudging through a book you don’t like, put it down and stop reading it! When it comes to reading, you don’t owe anyone anything.
These are just 4 possible reading resolutions of the many that are out there. Reading is a personal hobby, so make your resolutions for yourself and let your reading flourish!