The Bookish Mindset

Reflecting back on last year’s reading habit’s and practices I found that some needed a switch up and others just needed to removed altogether. Maybe you found the same and the hobby you once loved was feeling like a stress or a chore? I get it. Here are the stresses I’m doing away with this year.

Stressing about my reading streak.

Now if you’ve been around for a while, you’ll know I love the Storygraph app – it’s easy to use, Black and woman owned, and has the best graphical data. Seriously, go check it out if you’re not on there, there’s even an easy way to swap from goodreads if you’re still using that one.

Storygraph has a feature that allows you to count your reading streak: how many days in a time period you read for (which is also customisable). Last year I broke my streak of over 400 days. I was at a light festival both working and enjoying and fell into bed as soon as I got in. When I realised the next day I was gutted.

But really on reflection, it’s obviously okay. I still have my books, I’m still a reader. And you know what? I’ve even missed a few days since! It would be awesome to get back up there, but I’m okay if I don’t. Life is wonderful and magical and unpredictable at times and I don’t really need the stress of panic reading one page at 11.59pm just to keep my streak going.

So this year, I’m not worrying about that. If you love your streak or your aiming for something streak related this year then know I support you, I love that for you. But my advice would be not to make it the only thing that matters in your reading.

Putting down books I’m not enjoying.

This year I’m reading lots of books from my TBR, some that have sat unread for five years (which is both totally disgraceful and absolutely okay – I’m not judging your buying habits, just mine!). I say disgraceful because I got into a bad habit a few years ago of buying more than I was reading and it’s left me with a backlog. In the last five years I’ve definitely not been without something to read.

On the flip side I’m also saying that’s totally okay because I’m not begrudging myself, I’m accepting where I am. I had a book buying problem, I reigned it in last year and this year we tackle the TBR.

Quick interlude/reminder – I have never, or will ever, judged anyone else’s backlog. I’m judging mine because I’m running out of storage and honestly I’m sure there are some brilliant books that I just haven’t read yet and it’s a shame not to get to them.

Then equally on the flip side, I’m sure there will be some duds in that pile. So I’m not stressing this year about books that I’m not enjoying, even if I know lots of others did. Life is too short for books that don’t excite you.

Not hitting all my reading goals.

In fairness I’ve been practicing this for years but I’ve taken it up a notch this year. I’ve both met and beaten the reading goal I’ve set over the past how many years and I love that. I love a goal and I love beating it even more, it’s always a competition with myself and not others.

But there are other reading goals I didn’t meet last year – I didn’t read 75 books from my TBR for example. I did read 48 which felt like a big win still. I didn’t stress about it but I also didn’t try super hard to meet it, so it’s okay.

This year I’ve not set my self a reading goal, more to see how I fare than anything. I’ve set high goals to push myself and low goals to take the stress away in the past so this year we’re trying something different. It’s too soon to tell how I’m feeling about it and how it’s affecting my reading but I’ll be sure to report back at the end of the year.

I’ve got other reading goals again but I’m relaxed enough with them that if they don’t happen I’m okay with that. I’ve put a bit more thought and intention into how I’m approaching them this year so I won’t be upset not reaching them because I’ll certainly be a good way there.

So that’s what my reading is looking like this year; calm, collected and intentional. And honestly, it’s going pretty well so far.

I’d love to know if you have any similar goals or non-goals this year, drop me a like and comment and let me know!

If reading more is something that you’re looking at doing this year then should check my reading challenge out here! Read nine books from nine prompts over the first six months of the year and be entered into a draw to win a bundle of bookish goodies.

If you like what you’ve read and would like to access more content, I’d love if you could take a look at my patreon and consider supporting my content on there too. Patreon supports also get monthly lists of new released books!

And don’t forget you can follow me on Instagram for more bookish content too.

Happy reading folks!

Last updated 19/02/2025