With studies showing the world’s most successful people are all voracious readers, the only thing between you and your ambition may just be how much you read. Maybe you read for fun or to educate yourself, or simply broaden your horizons. But setting yourself reading goals helps you to form habits that will have you plowing through books in no time.
By setting goals, you give yourself a target to aim for. These targets can then be used to measure your progress and ensure you are not settling for anything less than your best.
With these 7 reading goal tips, you will find yourself reading more books and enjoy them more.
Keep your goal achievable
The idea of reading 50 books in a year sounds appealing. Think of all the knowledge and ideas you could absorb, but you could be setting yourself up for failure.
By setting yourself an achievable goal – say 24 books in a year – you can plan accordingly. The prospect of finishing a book every 2 weeks is a lot more palatable than one 7 days, in which you would quickly burn out.
Read every day
If you want to start building up your mental muscles of focus and begin expanding your attention span, then you should try taking a daily dive into a good book. The more you read, the longer you will be able to focus. This, in turn, allows longer reading sessions.
“By maintaining a daily habit of 15-20 minutes, you will feel more focused and will be able to absorb more of the material you are reading,” says Naomi McLaughlin, a psychology blogger at Elite assignment help and UK Top Writers.
Have a reading list
There is no better motivator to finish your current book than an eagerness to get stuck into another. So create yourself a reading. This is a great way to achieve your reading goals. This can be done with a plain old pen and paper or a book tracking app or website.
Researching books is almost as much fun as reading them. So, get out and browse some bookshops, visit the library and start discussing books online. These are all great ways to form a backlog that will keep your reading goals in check.
Try audiobooks
Perhaps you find it difficult to stare at a page for too long, or if you just prefer hearing words read to you. Whatever the case, audiobooks are a fantastic way to absorb more books.
Downloaded to your smartphone, you can be running on the treadmill, enjoying a cup of coffee, or walking to the store, all while listening to a great book.
Audiobooks can also be played at a higher speed – often exceeding your reading speed – without affecting comprehension. This allows you to get through even more books.
Switch up genres
We all get burned out reading sometimes. After all, there are only so many sci-fi books you can read before you feel like you are retreading old ground, interplanetary, or otherwise.
Therefore, branching out into different genres is a great way to keep your reading goals on track. Switching up the genre of books you read is a sure-fire way to keep you interested. Try a non-fiction book if you have been fiction-heavy for a while. Or even try reading a couple of shorter books, less than 200 pages, if you have just finished a heavy tome.
Keeping the genre and length of your reading diverse will always be hungry for more books.
Read everywhere
With Ebook readers, smartphones, and the trusty paperback, there is no excuse not to read anywhere and everywhere.
Downtimes are great for catching up on your reading. Perhaps you are waiting in line or for the train or simply listening to an audiobook on your way home in the car. “Making the most of your downtime by using these moments to read is a simple way to get through more books in the time that would otherwise be wasted,” says Camila White, a lifestyle blogger at Big Assignments and State of writing. 
Track your reading time
We all read at a different speed. If you are a slow reader, goals based on reading so many pages or chapters a day may not be for you. While 1 chapter may take one person 15 minutes to read, someone else may take the best part of an hour.
But perhaps you are a reader who likes to take their time. Well, you could instead set yourself a goal of reading for 15-20 minutes a day or however long you feel you can manage.
There is no doubt that reading comes with its challenges. It demands your time and focus and your willingness to try new things. But the eventual reward for your efforts is more than worth it. Armed with these 7 tips, you should have no trouble achieving your reading goals and always have an appetite for reading.
