After failing reading challenge after reading challenge, I finally decided that 2023 would be my challenge-free year. I admit, at first, I was scared.
I read quite chaotically (on a good day, I’d call it intuitive), so with nothing to keep me accountable and motivated, I feared my reading would plummet significantly.
This is where I was wrong. While grappling with Goodreads goals year on year, I’d forgotten how much I enjoy reading for the experience, not to tick a box or reach a set number. I’ve always loved books, and every time I read, I get this overwhelming sense of gratitude and passion for how wonderful the act of reading is.
Who did I think I was kidding when I feared I would read almost nothing without a challenge?
And while I didn’t read as much as in previous years, this year I’ve ticked off 43 books (so far), which is almost as many as last year. The difference is that I didn’t have the pressure of a challenge which, around this time last year, sent me into full obsession, thinking about all the ways in which I could tick off as many books as possible in the short time I had left.
None of that this year. I had months where I read one book and months where I read six or more. As is my style and will always be. But what made 2023 stand out was that every reading experience was fulfilling and savoured from the first to the last page.
I also ended up reading more physical/digital books and listening to less audiobooks, maybe due to having no pressure to fill every free minute with some kind of reading to tick off a box.
And although sometimes we need that motivation to get us out of slumps and remind us why we love reading, I found myself enveloped in this liberating relief all year, that’s more powerful than any Goodreads-induced motivation.
There were many good things about going challenge-free. But I’d like to recognise that there are some benefits to reading challenges too.
Benefits of a challenge-free year:
- Enjoying books for the right reasons;
- Being more in the moment and not scolding myself for taking too long to finish a book;
- Reflecting more actively on my thoughts on books and often leaving a few days to take things in after finishing a book;
- Observing what kind of books I naturally gravitate towards when I don’t have the pressure of numbers;
- Mindfully picking books already on my shelves instead of going for short audiobooks or new books I was bound to finish faster;
- Better attitude towards DNFing;
- Diversifying my reading significantly.
Disadvantages of a challenge-free year:
- Inevitably having a more relaxed attitude to how much and how often I read, which may have prevented a few books from making it on my TBR of 2023;
- Listening to fewer audiobooks (I count this as a loss — I love audiobooks).
As things stand, I would say reading challenges are just another trend to make us treat our passion as a competition, or add unnecessary pressure to an otherwise relaxing and mindful hobby.
But I know they work to keep many readers motivated, and if that’s your vibe, keep at it. But I don’t think I’ll do a reading challenge in 2024 either.
Eliza Lita is a freelance writer based in the UK. She covers books and reading, health, fitness, lifestyle, and personal development. For more of her stories, please consider signing up for a Medium membership through her referral link.
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