Every December, I used to set a wildly ambitious reading goal. "Next year, I'll read 100 books!" I'd declare, full of optimism and completely ignoring the fact that I'd set the same goal last year and read maybe 30. By February, I'd be behind schedule. By March, I'd stop tracking altogether. By December, I'd set another unrealistic goal.
It took me years to break this cycle. And the solution wasn't what I expected—it wasn't about willpower or finding more time. It was about completely rethinking what a "reading goal" should actually be.
The Problem with Book Count Goals
Let me be clear: I'm not against counting books. The 52-books-a-year challenge has motivated a lot of readers. But for many of us, focusing solely on numbers creates problems:
It Discourages Long Books
When you're chasing a number, that 1,200-page fantasy epic becomes a liability. You might avoid books you actually want to read because they'll hurt your count. That's backwards.
It Turns Reading Into a Chore
Reading is supposed to be enjoyable. When every book becomes about hitting a quota, the pleasure evaporates. I started DNFing books not because I wasn't enjoying them, but because I didn't have time for "slow" reads. That's not why I got into reading.
It Ignores Reading Quality
Does reading 100 books you don't really engage with beat reading 30 books that change your perspective? I don't think so.
The Goals That Actually Worked for Me
Time-Based Goals Instead of Book-Based
My first successful reading year happened when I switched from "read X books" to "read for 30 minutes every day." That's it. No book count. Just consistent time.
This simple switch changed everything. I stopped stressing about pace. I picked up that intimidating 1,000-page novel because the page count didn't matter—only the daily reading time. And you know what? I ended up reading more than I ever had with numerical goals.
Series Completion Goals
Another approach that worked: instead of counting books, I focused on completing series I'd abandoned. "This year, finish three incomplete series" was achievable, specific, and deeply satisfying.
There's something particularly rewarding about finally reaching the end of a series that's been languishing on your shelf. It feels like closure.
Genre Exploration Goals
One year, my goal was "try one book from five genres you usually ignore." This wasn't about quantity—it was about breadth. I discovered I actually love horror fiction (who knew?) and that literary fiction doesn't have to be boring.
How I Use the Reading Tracker
Full disclosure: I built Reading Order Books partly because I needed these tools myself. Here's how I actually use the tracker:
Marking Progress, Not Counting Numbers
I log every book I read, but I don't obsess over the total. What I care about is seeing my progress through specific series. Watching that progress bar fill up as I work through a long fantasy series is incredibly motivating.
Planning Based on What I Actually Want to Read
I keep a list of series I want to tackle next. When I finish something, I look at my list instead of randomly grabbing whatever's popular. This keeps my reading intentional.
Tracking Reading Patterns
Over time, I've learned things about my reading habits. I read more in winter. I tend to gravitate toward fantasy when I'm stressed. I read faster at the beginning of series than the end. This self-knowledge helps me set better goals.
The Goals I'm Setting This Year
For anyone curious, here's my current approach:
- Maintain daily reading habit - At least 20 minutes every day, no exceptions
- Complete the Wheel of Time - I've been stalled at book eight for two years. This is the year.
- Read one "difficult" book per quarter - Something outside my comfort zone that requires effort
- No TBR shelf additions until I clear three books off it - My to-be-read pile has achieved sentience and needs to be controlled
The Most Important Reading Goal
Here's what I've learned after years of success and failure: the only reading goal that really matters is enjoying the process. If your goals are making you miserable, they're bad goals. Reading is a pleasure, not a performance.
Set goals that enhance your reading life. Use our tracker to mark your progress. Celebrate finishing a series you've been working on. And if you don't hit some arbitrary number, so what? You're still reading. That's the point.
Happy reading.
— mrod