There is something refreshing and exciting about entering a new year. We all know in our heart of hearts that the minutes which separate December 31 from January 1 hold nothing of significance, but it’s still magical. For these first few days, we set aside all of the mistakes we made over the last year and anticipate the spectacular possibilities of the new year.
To some extent, we feel this at the start of every day, week, and month, but in January it’s bigger – holds greater impact.
Resolutions aren’t part of my New Year’s plans, but I set goals and allow myself to dream big dreams. As the dreams drop into place, I formulate plans to bring them to fruition. It’s become a favorite holiday of the year as my imagination soars into the future.
My friend, Alice, posted a link to a reading challenge for 2016 that caught my attention. I re-worked it and came up with this. Do you want to join me? It should be fun!
Reading Journal
The other thing that I want to begin is keeping a better record of the books I read throughout the year. I write in my journal at the end of every day – just a few thoughts and a quick synopsis of the day’s events. The journal I use is amazing and though I don’t use it as intended, it has tons of room for me to be creative. There is a perfect space to write a few quick notes about the books I’m reading.
If you’d like to start a reading journal, be creative. If you’re like me, you have pretty little notebooks that have been given to you over the years and you hate the idea of using them for grocery lists. Pull them out and put them to good use. For that matter, you can use your grandson’s abandoned spiral notebook. It doesn’t matter – you just need paper.
Do not over-think the journal. Don’t make it such a big deal that it becomes overwhelming before February arrives. You will find plenty of methods for these journals on the Internet. Don’t let them intimidate you. There’s no way I can stop and write in a journal while I’m reading a book. We’re lucky if I take the time to highlight a sentence or quote that I love.
Simply date your entry, the book and author, when you started it, when you finish it and any thoughts you have. This is a great place to write out quotes and passages, but don’t worry about that. If you miss a book or five, that’s no problem. Just come back and start again.
Whatever works for you – do that and maybe you’ve been keeping a reading journal for years now – yeah, you!
But maybe 2016 is the year for you to attempt something different … something new. This is my challenge to myself. If you’d like to join me, I’m starting on Monday (because that’s when I turn the page in my calendar – yes, you can laugh at me).
