In defense of a reading goal

the pros and cons of setting a numerical goal for your reading life

At the start of every year Goodreads & The StoryGraph send emails asking me to set a reading goal. Every year I debate with myself: is this a good idea? Ultimately, I think the answer is yes.

We’re not all goal oriented people but what I like about setting a number of books to read is that it allows me to feel a sense of accomplishment. Every time I finish a book I can physically cross if off my list and my trusty book tracking apps will tell me how much closer I am to my target. I’m competitive too. And I like that the website will tell me how far ahead or behind I am in terms of books read.

Yet some people find having a reading goal stressful for many reasons. They say it prevents them from picking up longer books that they want to read because they’re fearful it will put them behind. Others think that they enjoy each book less because they’re rushing to finish it to add to their total numbers. There are many other valid concerns as well but I think there’s an easy solution.

Set a goal you know you can accomplish. It sounds simple but it works. Give yourself an easy win. If you’re a slow reader, try aiming for one book a month. If you’re a speed demon, go for 1 book a week. If you’re trying to get back into reading, just set your goal as 1. The sense of accomplishment you’ll feel when you hit your goal is worth it.

Science tells us that our brains release dopamine and serotonin when we are close to achieving our goals. You read that right. You don’t even have to hit the goal to reap the benefits. Our brains will straight up send us a little reward chemical when we get close to an accomplishment. We experience feelings of motivation, productivity, and satisfaction. No wonder I feel so much joy when I mark each book as read.

For those of you who are curious, last year I read 180 books. That’s the most I’ve ever read in an entire year. I was not expecting that at all. In fact, I set my 2022 reading goal at 60. I thought with returning to the office I would have less time to read and I wanted to be realistic. I didn’t want to put pressure on myself to read to hit a number. I wanted to read because I loved it. As the year went on and it became clear that I was going to hit an all time high, I adjusted my goal to reflect my reality. This year I’m setting the bar at 80. I’m looking forward to that dopamine hit when I get there.