The Problem with Reading Goals

Every January, countless people set a goal to read more books. By March, most have quietly abandoned it. The failure usually isn't lack of desire — it's that the approach doesn't match reality. Setting a goal of "50 books this year" without changing any habits is just wishful thinking dressed up as a plan.

Reading more is absolutely achievable, even with a full schedule. But it requires realistic expectations, strategic use of time, and a few practical adjustments to your daily life.

Start with an Honest Audit

Before committing to any reading goal, look at where your time actually goes. Most people discover significant pockets of time they hadn't considered:

  • Morning and evening commutes
  • Waiting in queues or waiting rooms
  • The 20–30 minutes before sleep (often lost to scrolling)
  • Lunch breaks
  • Time between meetings

You don't need to carve out large reading sessions. Even 15 minutes twice a day adds up to roughly 180 hours of reading per year — enough for 20 to 30 books depending on length.

Make Reading the Path of Least Resistance

We default to whatever is easiest in the moment. If your phone is on the nightstand and your book is across the room, you'll reach for your phone every time. Redesign your environment:

  • Keep a book on the kitchen table, by the sofa, and on your bedside table
  • Use an e-reader on your phone so a book is always in your pocket
  • Move social media apps off your home screen and replace them with a reading app
  • Charge your phone outside the bedroom — this alone drives up reading time significantly

Use Audiobooks and Podcasts Strategically

If traditional reading feels hard to fit in, audiobooks unlock listening time: commuting, exercising, cooking, doing chores. This isn't cheating — consuming a book's content in audio form is still genuinely learning and engaging with ideas.

Many public libraries offer free audiobook access through apps. Check what your local library provides before purchasing a subscription.

How to Choose What to Read

One underappreciated reason people stop reading is that they're slogging through books they don't actually enjoy. Give yourself permission to quit a book that isn't working for you. Life is too short for obligatory reading. Guidelines for choosing well:

  1. Pick books that answer questions you're genuinely curious about right now
  2. Ask friends or colleagues what they've found genuinely useful or enjoyable recently
  3. Mix formats — alternate between lighter and more demanding reads
  4. Don't feel obligated to finish every book you start

Set a Sustainable Daily Habit

Rather than tracking books finished, track reading sessions. Aim for a daily reading habit — even if it's just 10 pages. Small, consistent effort outperforms sporadic marathon sessions every time. Attach it to an existing habit:

  • After I make my morning coffee, I'll read for 15 minutes
  • When I get into bed, I'll read before any screen time

A Realistic Annual Target

With 20 focused minutes of reading per day, most people can finish 15–20 books per year. That's transformative. Rather than fixating on a high number, aim for consistency and let the books accumulate naturally. One good book, absorbed and reflected on, is worth ten skimmed in a rush to hit a target.