“New Year, New You,” right?! It’s healthy to set new goals for yourself! These are four helpful reading habits that I’m bringing with me into 2022.
Four Reading Habits to Bring into 2022:
1.DNF’ing a book when I’m not enjoying it: If you’re unfamiliar with the term, DNF means “did not finish.” It’s the action of putting a book down. I used to feel SO much guilt {and pride} to finish any book I started. It took me way too long to prioritize my preferences and enjoyment over my desire to complete a task! Learn from my mistakes! There are way too many good books to waste your time on one you’re not enjoying!
2. Star Ratings: Giving a book a star rating used to terrify me! Who was I to “grade” a book?! I focused more on non-rating reflections, which is a great way to express thoughts! What I’ve learned though, is that by giving books some type of rating, I’ve learned more about books that I’m likely to enjoy. It takes some time to figure how to rate books in a way that works for you. If you’re like me, you’re going to through our Five Star ratings a lot in the beginning! That’s okay, as you read more and reflect on your own experience reading a book, that scale will slide and you’ll find a measurement that reflects you!
I know I’m going to get questions on how I determine a star rating- it’s totally a gut feeling! Leave it at that! Did you enjoy it? Fantastic!
I know I’m going to get questions on how I determine a star rating- it’s totally a gut feeling! Leave it at that! Did you enjoy it? Fantastic!
3. Nightly Reading Routine: Spending (at least) the last hour of my evening reading really helps me unwind and sleep better! I wake up feeling rested and refreshed! Prioritizing this time to care for myself helps me to feel reset and calm. I get grumpyyyy when I don’t get this routine time. My brains feels better when I’m reading!
I also try to start my day with 15-20 minutes of reading while waking up and enjoying my coffee! I find that it’s a great way to get my mind going and ready for the day!
4. Audiobooks: Never NOT going to listen to audiobooks again. Life. Changing. I’m much more inclined to work through chores, tasks, and errands, when I’ve got a fantastic audiobook entertaining me. It’s a powerful source to connect with books and I often feel like I’m a part of the story. (Especially when there’s an incredible narrator! Or better yet, a full cast!) My go-to apps for audios are Libro.fm and Libby.
What reading habits are you bringing into the New Year?
