52 Books in 1 year Challenge: The Test Run

     

As much as I want to make reading a priority, I can't help feeling panicked about the challenge I have set out for myself next year. How on earth am I going to make the time to read a book a week, draft a new book and revise my existing books, AND oversee my kid's remote learning.  There just can’t be enough time in the day.

This fear skittered around my brain ever since I wrote my last blog entry. So, I decided to see if I could actually read one book in one week while my kids were remote learning. I picked up a shorter book, Moonwalking With Einstein by Joshua Foer and broke it up into seven sections. Each section was only forty pages. Surely I could manage that! 

And I did! I read a whole book in seven days. And while I am really proud of myself, I did discover a few problems that I’m going to have to work if I’m going to keep up with this momentum.

Problem #1: Time

With the kids remote learning from home, managing a time in which I can focus isn’t easy. My boys don’t have the same breaks or even lunches. It seems that someone is always needing help with their work, computer, or just plain needing a reminder that they should be doing work and not staring out the window. 

But I did discover one time of the day when they were both focused and working, their morning meeting. So between nine and nine thirty I started reading regularly. While this time does work it did lead to a new problem...

Problem #2:  Focus

At first I thought I'd be able to read in my bedroom while my kids had their morning meetings, but I soon realized that my youngest couldn’t remain focused on his own. So, I started reading at the kitchen table while he logged in with his teacher. Now, under my careful watch, he was able to stay on track with his work. Unfortunately, my focus was now distracted. Next month, I'm going to have to figure out a way for me to retain my focus while reading in the same room with my youngest.

Problem # 3: Slow reading speed

Okay, I'm not a fast reader and not only was unable to read the forty pages in a half hour, I couldn’t even read thirty pages.  I was only getting twenty pages in and having to pick up the rest at odd times during the day or at night. Granted this slow reading speed is tightly related with my focusing problem. But, if I could pick up my reading speed even just a little bit, I'll be able to get through bigger books in one week. So, next month I'm going to have to start looking into some speed reading techniques to help me pick up my reading time. I don't need to be reading a thousand words per minute or anything, but if I could get myself up to 300 words a minute, it would save me a lot of time.

To get myself psyched for next year's challenge, I've been scouring good reads for some awesome new books to read. What books are you looking forward to reading next year?

You Write What You Read

I have decided that 2021 will be the year of reading! I’m so excited to be making reading a priority in my life. Not only do I love to read, but reading will also help me improve my writing skills.

So, what’s the goal? A book a week. That’s right 52 books in one year.  This will be a huge challenge for me, since I’m an incredibly slow reader. I honestly only read about 2 books a month at the moment. But I’m feeling incredibly inspired after watching Jim Kwiks video about how to read more and I’m ready to up my reading game.

 

How am I going to possibly accomplish this miraculous feat? 

1. Read during the day: 

I usually read right before I go to bed. I mean, is there anything better than cozying up in your blankets and diving into a story world? Sigh, I love that, but if I want to succeed at this challenge, I’m going to need to be more alert and well, more awake. My new dedicated reading time will be between 9-9:30 in the morning when the kids are having their remote morning meetings. If I don’t finish my allotted pages for the day then, I’ll follow up at night in my super cozy bed.    

            2.   Audiobooks:

 Two hours. Every single day I spend two hours making meals and cleaning up the dishes from those meals. While this is a necessity of life, it isn’t exactly enthralling. My new plan  is to listen to some audiobooks while cooking and cleaning. Not only will it help me make my goal, it’ll make these boring tasks a little more interesting.

            3.  Read Exciting Books:

January 1st I’m diving into writing a new YA fantasy so most of the books on my 2021 list will be YA fantasy. Many of these have been on my TBR list for a long time, so I cannot wait to dive in. But I’m also challenging myself to read a nonfiction book every month as well. My nonfiction selections are all over the place. They range from writing craft books to mindfulness to psychology to even investing. Wait, investing? Isn’t this section titled exciting books? Okay, so investing books aren’t necessarily exciting reads, but my husband and I are chasing our dreams of being fulltime farmers and writers. Investing can definitely help us achieve that goal, and that is exciting.

 

If any of you are interested in challenging yourself to read 52 books a year OR are interested in buddy reading with me please feel free to comment below or DM me @j_licare!  

So comment below and tell me what your 2021 goals are!