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Reading goals for children are discussed often, but what about reading goals for adults?
Setting a goal gives you something to work toward. And a reading goal can be more than just “I want to read x number of books this year.”
If you need help with reading goals for adults, I have a few ideas for you to try!
Spend More Time Reading
One of the most frequently asked questions readers get is “how do you have time to read?”
The answer? We make time.
We all make time in different ways though. Some readers never watch TV and pick up a book each night instead. Others rely on audiobooks to sneak in extra pages each day, while some readers can read a page or two here and there while waiting in lines or eating lunch.
Setting a goal to spend more time reading probably means you will have to sacrifice an activity. You may set a goal to read 30 minutes each night instead of scrolling through TikTok or watching reality TV.
Diversify Your Reading
If you find yourself reaching for the same genre, you may benefit from diversifying your reading.
Diversifying your reading is a great reading goal for adults. Make it a point to try one new genre or author each month. Or challenge yourself to read books set in different countries from your own.
A yearly reading challenge is a great way to help you meet this goal. My reading challenge features a variety of genre prompts as well as prompts that will encourage you to seek book outside your comfort zone.
Read Books You Own
If you are already a reader, you may find you have a quite large collection of unread books. In the book community, we often joke that buying books and reading books are two different hobbies!
We can all be guilty of buying books because there’s a sale or good deal on a hyped book. But then we put it on our shelves and forget about it or get distracted by library holds and new releases. Suddenly it’s been months or even years since we bought the book, and it’s still just sitting there.
So if this applies to you, you may set a goal to read the books you already own. Some readers take it to extremes and won’t allow themselves to buy more books until they read all or a certain amount of their collection. Either way, your wallet will probably thank you for setting this reading goal!
Read More Books
The most common reading goals for adults is probably setting a certain number of books to read in a year. My reading challenge is built around this basic idea-read 52 books (one book per week).
Related: Read With Allison’s 2024 Reading Challenge
A book a week may seem extreme if you aren’t already making a reading part of your routine. So you may choose to set a more attainable goal, like a book a month.
I set a numerical reading goal every year and find it motivating. But some readers say this type of goal makes reading feel too competitive or like required reading in school. And that’s okay! There are other reading goals you can set that aren’t number based.
Set a Page or Minute Goal
Another reading goal for adults is to set a goal to read a certain amount of pages or minutes each day.
I think this is a great way to make reading part of your daily routine. There are trackers you can use to color in each day that you meet your goal, which can be so satisfying! I have a reader in my Printable Reading Journal Bundle in my Etsy shop if you’re interested in checking that out.
Track Your Reading
There are so many ways to track your reading.
You can download an app like Goodreads or StoryGraph and track your read books there. There are physical and digital reading journals dedicated to tracking almost every aspect of your reading you could ever imagine. Or you can just keep a running list in the notes app of your phone.
Tracking your reading in whatever form or fashion you choose can be motivating, especially when you get to check a box or add a book to your list.
Set a Monthly TBR
If you struggle to pick your next book, you may find a set TBR beneficial.
A TBR is a “to be read” list. At the beginning of the month, you would choose a set stack of books you want to read that month and focus on this list only. TBRs are very common reading goals for adults in the online reading community.
As a mood reader, I find this challenge particularly difficult. One of my 2024 reading goals is to choose a mini TBR each month, maybe 1-2 books, that I want to read and focus on those before perusing my shelves or Kindle.
Read a Different Format
Thanks to technology, we have so many options for reading available to us. A unique reading goal for adults is to try a different format than you normally read.
Physical books are the most common reading format. However, there are also audiobooks, ebooks, and manga/graphic novels.
(Yes, listening to an audiobook counts as reading!)
If you’ve never tried an audiobook, I highly recommend giving it a chance. I was hesitant at first, but now I love them! You just have to find the right type of story for you as a listener.
I have a list of places to find audiobooks online here.
Related: Best Audiobook Services 2023
You can also easily carry a library in your purse or bag now with ereaders like Kindle or Kobo. I actually find that I read faster on my Kindle than a physical book! True ereaders (not tablets) use an e-ink technology that does not hurt your eyes. I love my Kindle Paperwhite and plan to use it more in 2024.
I hope these reading goals gave you some ideas for making reading part of your routine in 2024. Don’t get discouraged if you aren’t able to meet your goal-like most hobbies, it can be hard to make time for reading depending on the season of life you are in, and that is okay! Books will always be there waiting for you!
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