Reading is an experience that can be enhanced so that it can help you gain more enjoyment from literature. A method I use to always enhance my reading is in the New Year, I set new reading goals or list out reading experiences that I want exposure to. Simply, this method is writing down my reading resolutions for the year so that I have a tangible to-do list of wishes I want to complete before the year ends. Below, I have listed some reading resolutions to spark your own reading resolutions and enrich your reading experience in 2024.
Target Amount of Reading
By this I mean, set a loose goal of how many hours/books/pages you want to read this year. By no means make this a hard deadline that you have to achieve because it will remove the joy of reading. Use this number as a goal that if achieved, you can do something nice for yourself and if you don’t, you can still do some other nice thing for yourself and try again next year. Honestly, the purpose behind this suggestion is that it will inspire you to read more because you want the reward especially if you have a hard time reading. The big goal is to create a love for reading and that can only be accomplished if you consistently read.
Have a Reading Diary
A book diary can be a nice goal to make you a more consistent and thoughtful reader. In this book diary, you can create a TBR list, track the books you are reading, and review the books when you are done. This is a great way for you to know what you want to read, what you have read, and your feelings about the books. It is also nice to be able to reference favorite books and remember how you felt about old books. This method takes dedication but you can stop whenever you want. Just try your best.
PopSugar Reading Challenge
Another way to get more consistent at reading is by participating in a reading challenge. The PopSugar reading challenge is a well-known one that has a list of prompts that can be found in various books and a tracker where you write down the book and the prompt it represents. This challenge is especially great for people who are new to reading and don’t know what genre they like because it will push them to read different types of books. It is also great for people who are tired of their books as they will be able to see new books and regain their excitement for books.
Familiarize Yourself with A New Reading Format
It is easy to stick to a reading format that you love but is also important to explore the other reading formats that exist. If you love paperback books, then try reading e-books or listening to audiobooks. If you only listen to audiobooks, then try reading paperback books, or ebooks, or vice versa. The goal of this resolution is to help you interact with other reading formats in the hopes you might find the one that you enjoy the most.
Go Through Your TBR List
I think as book lovers, it is easy to let your To-Be-Read List grow uncontrollably, but it is important to try and reduce this list so that the books you initially loved can get their true recognition. Based on the size of your list, try to read at least 1-3 books a month that are from your library whether physical or digital. Plus, these books are ones that you liked so it can be easy to read through them and can help you accomplish other goals on this list.
Create a Book Club
By this resolution, I don’t mean an elaborate book club (although you can do that if you want), I mean to have weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly discussions with friends who enjoy reading. You guys can read the same book or different books and just talk about what you like about the book, what you don’t like, what you would change your ratings for, and the next book on your reading list. Basically talk about anything and everything reading related. This suggestion is so you can grow as a reader because you can learn more about yourself not just from reading but listening to other readers. This is a great way for you to make friends, create stronger friendships, have a fun social activity, and just in general enjoy yourself. So create a book club, as big or small as you want, and start talking about the books you love or maybe don’t love.
A bonus suggestion that can be a resolution is to stop trying to finish books that you don’t enjoy. You don’t have to read books that everyone likes or books that lose your interest midway through. Books are meant to be enjoyable so don’t make it a punishment by reading books that bring you no happiness. If you don’t like a book now, then stop reading it. Pick up a new book that you will like because that previous book will always be there if you want to try again.
I hope you use this reading resolution idea list to create your reading resolutions this year to make reading a more engaging and interactive process for you. Create your own beautiful reading experiences and set goals that will make you fall in love with reading and push you to be a better reader. Also, have fun with your resolutions. They don’t have to be serious, definitive, or final. They are your resolutions so they can be however you would prefer them to be. Let’s enjoy this new year with new reading goals that inspire us to read more!