As someone who has participated in the Goodreads reading challenge for more than five years now, it hurt to miss the mark entirely this past year… despite reducing my reading goal to a more manageable number!
Curious about how and why I *might* reduce my Goodreads reading goal? I wrote an article about it! Find it at Reducing my Reading Challenge.
Every year, I strive to set (reading) goals that I think will be hard to reach – but not too far beyond my ability to actually achieve. Last year was drastically reduced (even from the get-go) because my first child was due in early April and I knew there would be a lot of adjustment. Apparently, I still set my sights too high!!
Goodreads Reading Goals and Family Growth
This year I set another very low goal (for me), because baby number two is due in early May!! With not one, but two young children demanding my attention, reading (has) will most likely continue to take a backseat.
Despite the odds, and despite failing to meet my Goodreads goal this past year, I set yet another goal this year. Not an impressive number – ten books, to start – but hopefully this year (with some experience under my figurative belt) my expectations won’t be quite so lofty and the goal can be reached.
Ideas to Reach My Reading Goal
Becoming a first time mom can be daunting for anyone, but with it tends to come pre-set expectations… especially for the mother (of) herself.
One of these expectations (I had for myself) was that I would be the primary caregiver with virtually no assistance… but after nearly a year of a very young child at home while I am trying to run a business and care for a home has proven that to be unrealistic.
Here is my (revised) list of ideas… which is much more practical after nearly a year of experience!
- Stop being afraid to ask for help, even when it’s “just” personal time needed. Friends/family are often happy to step in, even if you just need time to breathe (or read)!
- Don’t be afraid to read during naptime. Just because the baby is (finally) down for a nap doesn’t mean you HAVE to do housework every time!
- Even a few minutes is better than ZERO minutes. If you are waiting for baby to wake, or some other hands-off moment, don’t eliminate the reading option… just a few minutes a day can help you get through that book you never have time to read, and is infinitely better than an endless social media scroll!!
- You can count children’s books. Although personally I have (thus far) chosen NOT to count these reads, a book is a book and reading to your children is such a special (and short lived) event that there should be no shame should you chose to count them towards your own personal reading goals.
- It’s okay to read less. This is a busy season, and completely worth it. You can catch up on reading later – but that toothless grin is only for a time.
Mamas, how did YOU make more time to read in those early years (or if those early years are now, HOW are you managing)? Let me know in the comments below!!
Christian, wife, “hybrid” mama, I run the site All Behind A Smile to help others like me.
[…] Counting children’s books would help me reach my reading goal each year, and I wouldn’t be nearly as likely to miss my goal (as I did this past year)… see: Goodreads Reading and Missing the Mark. […]