Guess what? With only a few weeks left in the year, it’s official I won’t be making my year-end reading goals. And guess what else? I’m okay with that. *Insert shocked face here*
Admittedly for me, Goodreads for the most part has been a place for me to track my reading, but oddly enough even with a reading goal of 100 books, it’s more of a number to keep me in balance than one for me to strive for. In 2019 I closed the year out with 201 books. Yes, you read that right. 201. It was a great reading year, but I also 1. signed up for too much and 2. spent so much time in books that I both hid in books and neglected other areas of my life. In 2020 I met my goal, but that was ONLY because I was significantly ahead before Covid hit, and I listened to audiobooks while I was at work. 2021? It’s been a year of healing and rediscovering who I am as a person and daughter of the King as I spent the first few months packing up my life, and the second half getting established in a new place. It’s been a big year with a lot of changes, but it’s also been a very necessary year for me. I may be behind in my expected reading goal, but I’m reading again and enjoying it. I’m feeling like I can breathe again and it’s as if I’m coming back to life.
So while I will be finishing the year out about 25 books shy of my goal, I’m still taking this year as a win. Y’all know I love my books. That hasn’t changed. And next year my goal will remain at 100. I think it’s a good number that allows me to spend a lot of time doing something I love but it also helps keep me balanced.
I know we all have our own unique stories and hurdles we’ve been dealing with, but my hope in this post is to let people know that it’s okay to rest when life becomes overwhelming. Sadly, I have several friends that have left the blogging world this year. I myself took several months off. And while I’m still not back to the level of activity I had in the past, I’m working toward figuring out my new normal while maintaining healthy goals and boundaries without burning myself out.
So no, I have not (and will not) make my 2021 reading goals. But at the end of the day I still love my books, and continue to add them to my TBR (and bookshelves) faster than I’ll ever be able to read in this lifetime. I am and will continue to be a bookaholic, and I’m okay with that 🙂
This was so refreshing to read! I resonate with what you said about “hiding in books” and that it’s really a win to have more of that balance, and ESPECIALLY to return to your identity as a daughter of the King ❤️💜❤️
Oh, hugs!!
Yay for you, balance, and recovery!! Still trying to figure the balance thing out!!
The struggle is real… seriously lol
It’s a process lo
[…] I started the year out with my fairly typical goal of 100 books (although in the past several years–minus 2020–I surpassed that number by quite a bit). Through packing and moving and all the craziness that has been life, I’ve still managed to read 80 this year which I am still considering a win. (If you want to read a little more about this read my post: Confessions of a Bookaholic in 2021). […]