Goal setting
A reading goal you'll actually reach
5 min read · Updated
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- Reading goals fail when the number is too big, there is no fixed time, or you are stuck in the wrong book.
- Specific goals work better than "do your best" (Locke and Latham), but keep them realistic: one book a month.
- Tie reading to something you do daily, like ten pages before sleep.
- Track reading now, want to read and read; writing progress down helps (Harkin and colleagues).
"This year I'm going to read more." By March, the book on your nightstand has a receipt in it as a bookmark. Page 60.
"A list of books I'll never find again."
Reading goals fail for the same reasons other goals fail. And they're just as fixable.
Why do reading goals fail?
- The number is too big. Fifty books a year from zero is a lot.
- There's no time for it. "When I have time" never comes.
- The wrong book. You're stuck in something you don't enjoy.
- You can't see progress. No list, no ticks, no feeling of getting somewhere.
How do I set a reading goal I'll keep?
Make it specific and realistic. Goal researchers Edwin Locke and Gary Latham found that specific goals work better than "do your best". But specific doesn't mean huge.
- Too vague: Read more.
- Too big: 50 books this year.
- Just right: One book a month. Twelve this year.
Everything in sight. On one board.
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Start 7 days freeOr see all templates →When will I actually read?
Tie it to something you already do every day:
- Ten pages before sleep, phone in the other room
- On the train or bus, instead of scrolling
- With morning coffee, for fifteen minutes
What if I don't like the book?
Stop. Really. A reading goal is about reading, not about finishing books you don't enjoy.
Give a book fifty pages. If it doesn't pull you in, put it down and pick the next one. No guilt.
How do I keep track?
Keep three lists:
- Reading now: one book, maybe two
- Want to read: every recommendation, the moment you hear it
- Read: with the month and one line on what you thought
Watching the "read" list grow is half the motivation. A big review of 138 experiments by Benjamin Harkin and colleagues found that tracking progress helps people reach goals, most of all when it's written down.
Where does "want to read" go?
Somewhere you'll find it in a bookshop. Not a screenshot, not a note you'll lose. One card with every recommendation, with who recommended it.
The full goals board
Your reading goal setup
Screenshot this:
- One book a month, not fifty a year
- Ten pages at a fixed moment each day
- Fifty-page rule: not hooked? Next book.
- Three lists: reading, want to read, read
- One line on every book you finish
Tonight, read ten pages. Then put the book on your "reading now" card.
Questions
How do I set a realistic reading goal?
Make it specific and achievable, like one book a month, and tie reading to a fixed daily moment.
How many pages a day to read a book a month?
About ten pages a day is enough for most books.
Should I finish books I don't enjoy?
No. Give a book about fifty pages; if it does not pull you in, move on to the next one.
How do I keep track of books I want to read?
Keep one want-to-read list and add every recommendation the moment you hear it, with who recommended it.
Does tracking reading progress help?
Yes. Research shows tracking progress helps people reach goals, especially when it is written down.
Sources
- Locke, E. A., & Latham, G. P. (2002). Building a practically useful theory of goal setting and task motivation: A 35-year odyssey. American Psychologist, 57(9), 705–717.
- Harkin, B., Webb, T. L., Chang, B. P. I., et al. (2016). Does monitoring goal progress promote goal attainment? A meta-analysis of the experimental evidence. Psychological Bulletin, 142(2), 198–229.
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