Introvertedly Quirky

2017 Reading Goal Met

Posted on January 1, 2018     Leave a Comment

Somewhere around mid-year in 2016, in the process of making big changes in my life, I came to a harsh realization that hit me like a strong ocean wave in a sea of menacing tides. While I walked around, waving my accomplishment of a college degree, I started to bury myself in work with the ambition of making money. Within a few months of simply waking up for work and going back home, just to rest for a little while, then rinse and repeat for five days, I felt something terribly wrong. My body attempted many times to have a conversation about the danger taking place, but I refused to listen.

Until one day, I forcibly pushed my stubbornness to the side to listen to my body. I quickly realized, from the time I graduated, to that moment, I struggled to read as actively as I did while attending undergraduate. My brain started to crave more knowledge, but I kept refusing to feed it at the rate at which it craved. Here and there, I would pick up a book which would take me months to complete. Amid my frustration, I failed to take initiative to fix the problem, but rather, I simply did away with reading for a few months.

For a couple more weeks, I continued to drag myself to read a couple of pages here and there with little interest for the hobby. Eventually, I completed three books from July 2016 until November 2016. I told myself, I would change my reading habit in 2017, but of course, “more important” tasks hindered my progress.

From January until the middle of March, I failed to read any books until I came across a book by Darren Hardy, titled The Compound Effect. This book challenged me to take matters into my own hands to accomplish whatever tasks and goals I set my mind to. Immediately the book became a staple in the back of my head whenever I tackle a new idea, task, goal, etc. Because of this book, which I rate an easy 5 stars, I decided to slowly get back into reading more. In June of 2017, I joined Goodreads and set a reading challenge of 12 books for the year 2017. I completed my goal at exactly 11:27 pm on December 31, 2017. Yes, I spent New Year’s Eve reading and now I feel amazing and well accomplished!

In the end, I realized a little push and motivation goes a long way. From June 2017 until December 2017 alone, I read 11 books. Imagine how many more books I could have read if I had started reading in January.

The list of the books I read in 2017:

1. The Compound Effect by Darren Hardy
2. March: Book 1 by John Lewis, Andrew Aydin, and Nate Powell
3. American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang
4. Home of the Brave by Katherine Applegate
5. March: Book 2 by John Lewis, Andrew Aydin, and Nate Powell
6. March: Book 3 by John Lewis, Andrew Aydin, and Nate Powell
7. Maniac Magee by Jerry Spinelli
8. The Heart of a Woman by Maya Angelou
9. We Should All Be Feminists by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
10. Lucky or Smart?: Secrets to an Entrepreneurial Life by Bo Peabody
11. The Communist Manifesto by Karl Marx
12. French Short Stories For Beginners: 8 Unconventional Short Stories… by Olly Richards

I look forward to reading and sharing more books with you all in 2018.

List some of the books you have read, are currently reading, and would recommend.

Happy New Year and Happy reading!