I very rarely make resolutions mostly because I don’t view Jan 1 as a fresh start – it’s just the next day on the calendar to me. I am a goal setter – I just don’t typically wait for the ‘new year’ to start them.
There are a few exceptions. One year, I decided I was going to write a hundred poems (drafts, of course) in a year. I repeated it the next year because I found it to be a fun endeavor. But as someone that teaches goal setting (as part of a study skills course housed in the English department at my college), I know the stress that such large goals can create – this is why we break them down. So I tend to focus on smaller goals. Plus, life is unpredictable – and I don’t want a major life event to sideline an entire year-long goal.
That being said, I wanted to get into a better habit of mindfulness last year, so I set a goal of 6069 mindful minutes (2023×3). I had been on track to reach that a month or so early – but then September happened (a series of major life events). Thankfully, I was able to get back on track, and I hit the goal on Dec 30, then went over on Dec 31. I plan to continue with the habit of mindfulness, but not necessarily as a year-long goal.
A lot of friends have been posting on Facebook and Instagram this last week about their book reading goals – whether they reached them or not. Aside from the story-a-day year-long reading challenge, I’ve never set a specific number of books to try and read in a year – mostly because I never know how much time I will actually have to read. Thus, before last year, I hadn’t ever bothered tracking what I read, and I honestly don’t know why I started tracking. Curiosity, I guess. 🤷🏻♀️ This year, a woman at my local book shop told me about Storygraph, and I have to admit I enjoy the app. If only because it demonstrates that, yes, I indeed don’t get to read much when the semester is in session. One quick look, and you can see when my breaks are. 😂
I also enjoy the other data it provides – such as the moods of the books (it can even recommend books for your based on what you have read and what mood you are in). (My top five moods in 2023 were reflective, emotional, informative, funny, and adventurous.)
I also joined two book clubs through my local shop, which helped to make reading more of a requirement (though the lengthy sci-fi/fantasy books have made it a bit tricky). Reading brings me joy, but it’s not always easy to sit down at the end a day after grading papers and staring at screens and want to read – even for pleasure.
Do you create resolutions? Have you ever attempted 52 books in a year? (A friend of mine posted that she gave up TV last year – and read instead. She hit 92 books. 😮)
Ami Maxine 