Happy New Year friends!
I’ve always been a person who loves the promise of Mondays. A fresh start to a week. A chance to reset my body and mind. A new theme (usually) on my course syllabus.
I feel the same about the new year. I know a lot of folks are cynical about new year’s resolutions, believing they’re too easily broken, forgotten, and cast aside. Empty promises, they say!
I once declared to a live audience that I was going to write seven new short stories that year. I could almost hear the groans and sighs of my doubters. And you know what? They were right! Life happened and I didn’t finish seven stories that year. (And who was I fooling? I’ve never been a big short story writer).
But I did do lots of other things. I finished a novel manuscript. I read a bunch of books. I published nonfiction. I also spent a lot of time just faffing around. I napped. I surfed the Internet. I binged TV shows. I hung out with my girlfriends.
But it sure did feel good to declare my intentions in public. And, ultimately, I really don’t care that I didn’t reach that specific goal. The important thing was the rush I felt in that moment. It was the energy of being alive, of looking forward to new dawns and new days and the knowledge that each rising sun was another opportunity to reach for something else.
Do you set goals at the new year? If so, let me know in the comments below. If you’d like to publicly declare your intentions, I welcome the energy!
In the past, I’ve used this free website to write a letter to myself to be delivered in the future. It’s cool to get a letter from your past self. (And a little creepy, I’m not going to lie).
So what are my goals this year?
I have a lot of the familiar ones—prioritize my health, spend more quality time with family, get my house organized. Though these are the usual ones, they’re no less important.
But here’s my main one: read more books.
I plan to read 75 books this year. That would be an all-time high for me. How do I plan to do it?
I already use the Bookly app. I’ll use it again this year to track my reading.
Read in different formats. Audio if I’m in my car or taking a walk. E-book if I’m traveling. Beautiful print copies whenever I can.
Switch it up. Novels. Poetry collections. Short story collections. Memoirs. Short books. Long ones. Dense literary stuff. Fun beach reads.
Only read books that I love. I’m too old to stick it out with the boring stuff. If the book ain’t lit, I’ve gotta quit.
Make a cozy reading spot. Use my reading light. Make tea. Wear comfy socks and clothes. Make my reading experience pleasurable.
Hang out with bookish people. Talk about books. Go to local book events. Stand in line to get my books signed by my favorite authors. Rediscover my inner book nerd and nurture her.
Don’t just order books online. Enter a bookstore or library. Browse books in person. Scan the shelves and discover a book based on its spine.
Decide to read even when there are other pressing things to do. Choose reading over scrolling on my phone. Choose reading over laundry. Choose reading over…well, you get the idea.
Don’t get discouraged if I have a low reading month. There’s always another Monday. There’s always another 1st day of the month. And, of course, there’s always summer.
I would say join a bookclub, but I have my own! I do love a good in-person bookclub gathering, though. It’s so fun, especially when there is good food.
Again, please feel free to share your resolutions in the comment section below. I promise to respond to each and every one of you.
May 2024 bring you all your heart’s intentions!!! And if it doesn’t, we will still be grateful to be alive.
Dolen
