Well, yep. It’s officially a new year again, isn’t it? And, as we all know, with a new year comes new goals.

Like… reading goals, anyone?

To be honest, I’m the worst at achieving reading goals. Like, I can accomplish pretty much any other seemingly extremely unachievable goal before I can even finish a 200 page novel. I could probably climb to the top of Mount Denali before I could finish To Kill a Mockingbird.

However, I’d like to make this year a little different. I mean… we all say that every single new year, but I think I sort of kind of mean it this time! And, I’m sure you all have landed on this here page because you’re feeling/thinking the same thing, so get ready, because I’m about to share some amazing tips and resources for you to finally reach those reading goals this year!

My Tips for Reaching Reading Goals

Some of these tips are my own ideas while others are ones I’ve heard from other avid readers. Either way, I’m giving each a try to make sure I finish as many books as I can by next January!

• Track your reading with a tangible reading tracker (ahem, see the free printable below!) or by sharing your book reading progress on a site like Goodreads. I actually love Goodreads for writing my own reviews of every book I finish, too, but you can always start off with logging how many pages of the books you’re currently reading on your account page.
• Switch to audiobooks whenever you can. Audiobooks are amazing because they literally spoon-feed books to us while we’re doing other tasks, so I always opt to rent an audiobook from my local library first before I go out and buy the ebook or hard copy of whatever book I’m interested in. (And, side note… if you’re looking for a completely free audiobook to get you started, click here!)
• Read before you go to social media. We all know we have a habit of tapping a social media icon on our phones the second we feel boredom coming on. So, next time you feel like resorting to Instagram to satisfy your need for entertainment… tap on a digital book instead! You can download eBook reading apps like Hoopla (pst, some local libraries may offer its services free to you, too!) and go to town.
• Read consistently because I’m sure there’s a study out there proving that we as humans get more done when there’s a routine involved. Try setting up 10 minutes to an hour today of time dedicated just to reading, and make it a time where you know you’ll be relaxed and in the mood for reading. For example, right before bed is a lot more relaxing reading time than right before you know you need to get ready to go to work.
• Reward yourself for reaching goals! I mean, hey, I love a slice of cake and a bubble bath as much as the next guy or gal, and I think I deserve just that once I’ve finished knocking out the first 5 books on my to-read list.

And Here’s Some Free Printables to Help, Too!

Because who doesn’t love something free with no strings attached?

I also love, love, LOVE printables, especially for organization and planning and whatnot because I’m a total neat/control freak. I have about a billion of these things saved to a Pinterest board right now, and I’m sure I’ll add about a trillion more before the end of next year.

So, without further ado, click here to download my 4-page free reading tracker printable! This download is a safe PDF file that can be sent to pretty much any home or office printer, and it includes a weekly reading tracker, a template to hand-write all of your book reviews, a blank books to-read list, and a quote saver template.

Feel free to print as many copies of each page as you need/like!

And… well, this is my first attempt at creating printables, so please let me know what you thought/think of them! Any ideas for my next freebie printable would be amazingly appreciated, too.

–Kari