How will you read in 2025? By following these five New Year resolutions, you can make sure this year is a year of great fun, great reading, and great books.
It’s a new year. There’s 12 months of reading ahead of us. 52 weeks. 365 days. 8760 hours. Except there’s not really. If we’re lucky, we might squeeze in a bit of reading time here and there, whenever we have a moment to ourselves.
So, how are you going to make the most of those precious reading sessions? Let’s take a look at a few New Year resolutions for book lovers everywhere.
Set Yourself a Reading Schedule
Modern life can move at a breakneck speed. With work, family commitments, and other drains on our time, reading can often take a backseat. While this is understandable, it’s also a huge pity – just imagine all the great stuff we’re missing out on!
Fortunately, it’s not so difficult to make time to enjoy a bit of reading here and there. It just takes a bit of discipline. Maybe you could spare yourself an hour after you get up, or before you go to bed. Perhaps you could find half an hour to yourself on your lunch break. Or even just 20 minutes. Those short periods soon add up to some serious reading time.
This could have a profound effect on your life too. You might find yourself sleeping better, or feeling more rested when it’s time to get back to work. And if not, well at least you spent some quality time with a great book.
Go Easy on Yourself
We’ve all been there – 125 pages into a 600-page book that we’re just not enjoying. It’s taken us six weeks to get this far, which means we’ve got another six months ahead of us at this pace. All of a sudden, reading becomes a chore.
Let’s not fall into that trap this year. If a book just isn’t working for you, then put it down and try another one. Don’t let a work that you’re just not clicking with get in the way of your love of reading.
Of course, there’s value in putting the time and effort in. But if you’ve read 125 pages, you’ve already put that time and effort in. There’s no shame in saying enough is enough, and starting another, more enjoyable book instead. Life is too short to read a book you’re not enjoying. Perhaps set yourself a minimum threshold – 50 pages, 75, 100 perhaps – and if you’re not hooked after that, move on to something.
Talk About Books
Reading is always a personal experience. It’s a connection between ourselves and the author, and with the world they have created. But personal doesn’t have to mean solitary. It’s great to be able to share your thoughts about a book with friends and family members.
Maybe you’d like to join a book club. If there isn’t already a club in your area, you might want to start your own. Or perhaps you’d prefer to keep it small, maybe set up a WhatsApp group where a couple of close friends can chat about the books that you love.
You’ll be able to recommend great books to your loved ones and get brilliant recommendations in return. You might also gain fresh perspectives on works you’ve enjoyed, seeing the story and the narrative through a different set of eyes. Or you might simply have a nice chat and a laugh with some dear friends – which is also a win.
Keep a Book Diary
Writing a list of the books you’ve read is a great way to keep track. But you can go further if you’d like to – you could jot down a few thoughts that the book inspired in you. It doesn’t have to be a full multi-page review (unless you really get carried away). Even just writing a few short lines can be a great way to reflect on what you’ve been reading.
It will also help you to anchor your reading in a certain place and time. Whether you’re reading five books a year, or 50+, that adds up to a lot of books over a lifetime. It’s easy to forget books you’ve read, or for chapters to get lost in the noise. Maintaining a book diary can make it easier to keep everything in order.
You don’t have to wait until you’ve finished the book either. You can just make a few notes after each reading session, or whenever you feel like it. This is a fun exercise, it’s not supposed to be homework.
Make Time for Old and New
Want to read that classic work of literature this year? Go for it. Want to check out the newest work from an author you’ve loved for some time? Perfect. Want to try something completely new? This is the year to do it.
Mixing it up is a great way to keep yourself engaged and enjoy some great reading experiences. You might also find yourself venturing out of your comfort zone here and there, safe in the knowledge that there’s something more familiar just around the corner.
However you read this year, just make sure of one thing – that you have a great time doing it. At the end of the day, that’s all that matters.
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Migz
John Burns
John has been writing ever since he was small, and is delighted to be able to make his living as a writer now he’s not quite so small. Literature has always been a big part of John’s life, and he loves sharing this passion with readers from all over the world.
