Monday, January 20, 2020

My 2020 Reading Goals



Hello dear friends.

2019 was a wild ride for me, full of travel, growth in my faith, starting a new job, moving into a new apartment, and last but not least-reading.

There were months I read a lot, and months I read not at all. Of course, this had to do with  everything that was going on in my life, but it also had to do with the lack of discipline I had. Reading, yes, should be seen as fun, but I will often allow myself to veg and watch Netflix, or scroll on Instagram for an hour, versus picking up a book.

My hope this year is to read more that I did in 2020, so I created a couple of reading goals that will ideally hold me to that. Guidelines, you could say.

1. Read 60 books (5 books a month)

Last year I read 50 books, which is a lot and I'm happy with that number, but I also know I'm capable I'm reading much more than that. Half of 2019 I spent outside of the States, and while being back home, I definitely spent a large amount of time rewatching shows like Friends and The Office, instead of reading. This year, I've set the challenge to at least 60. So far this is going well, as I've already finished 5 books (yay!).

2. Read at least 1 nonfiction book a month

If I allow myself, I will mainly read fiction. Although there's nothing wrong with fiction (I love a good fiction novel), I want to be more intentional with my reading. I want to make sure to set some time aside to learn about other people, current events, history, etc. Especially if I'm studying English Lit at school, I'm going to need to make an effort to actually read something other than fiction.


3. Read at least 1 classic a month

I tend to be someone who reads classics a lot, but I can also go months without picking up a classic. Come this Spring I will be beginning my English Lit degree, so I shouldn't have too much of a challenge here, but I wanted to make it a goal nonetheless. There are countless classics I want to get to.

4. Read poetry every night before bed

Now I can't be the only person who just scrolls on their phone before bed, ya? But that is something I most certainly want to erase from my nightly routine this year. Instead, I'm trying to replace watching youtube videos or instagram stories every night with reading some poetry. This will most likely not happen every night, as I'm only human, but I'm going to do my best to make it a priority.


5. Read at least 3 books from my bookshelf a month

I've always been someone with way more books on my shelf that I haven't read, versus ones that I have. Currently I have at least 100 books on my shelf, and I've maybe read 25% of them? It's not good guys. My goal is to look at my bookshelf first for books to read, instead of buying more or only using the library (although I whole heartedly love libraries and think people should use them more). I also want to practice only keeping the books I actually enjoy or intend to read, and donating the rest to my local library, or reselling them to my favorite used bookstores.

6. Buy no more than 2 books a month

Going off of my last goal, I want to restrict myself from buying no more than 2 books a month (not including books for school). I'm going to try and buy even less than 2 books a month, but for my own book buying sanity, I've set it to 2 for now. One thing I'll do to help myself in this department is to look at my local library first before purchasing anything. Libraries are such an incredible source and should be used WAY more. Seriously, go visit your local library.

7. Write a review for every book I finish

Finally, I want to get better at writing at least a sentence or two about every book I finish. I find it such a good resource to have a record of my thoughts on every book I read. Star ratings simply are not enough.



What are your reading goals for 2020? Do you have any reading recommendations for me? I'm hoping to update you all only my reading every month, but if you want to stalk my reading life in more depth, make sure to follow me on goodreads.

Have a lovely day,

Elizabeth

Wednesday, January 15, 2020

Was it real? // Today I Noticed #1



A few months back, I began a new writing challenge. Every day (or as much as I could) I would freewrite in my journal beginning with "Today I noticed." It's something I've started to do again, but I've also been looking at some of the old entries. Some of them are full of jumbled up words because I was too tired, others have some wisdom to them, and others are just downright silly.

Today I decided to share one of my entries.

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Today I noticed just how much I question my interactions with others. I've always considered myself an open person. I want to create deep, personal relationships with others. I want to be real-and I think I am! It's after those real encounters that I begin to question the authenticity of them. 

I'm a firm believer that some of the best conversations start in the car. Liv and I carpooled to the city together today and just talked. We talked about love, travel, shame, privilege, pain. We talked about things that matter, and it felt real.

Was it real?

And you see, I begin to ask myself that question because I know the things she's said about me in the past. What if she tells people what I told her? What if I get hurt?

Today I noticed that to live a truly vulnerable life, you can't begin to question every tiny or big interaction you have with someone. You can't control what they do, or say, or feel. All you can be is truly yourself. 

Overall, I'm choosing to look at the evening as a good one. No matter how real or fake it was, I know for certain that I was real, we got to know each other better, and it was a beautiful night in the city. 

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*names and location have been changed for privacy.



Do you find vulnerability hard? Do you often feel guarded around others? Consider how leading a more vulnerable life could bless you and those around you! Remember that no matter how much you care about what others think about you, the only thoughts and mindset you can change is your own. 

Hoping you're all having a lovely day!

Elizabeth


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