I think a lot of people will be creating 2026 reading goals soon, and I know I will be too. But what should our reading goals look like, and how do we make them a lot less overwhelming?
I feel like just about all readers start the new year with at least some goals in mind. Whether that’s what books you want to get to in that year, or how many books you really want to read.
I think the most common goal for readers is to read a certain number of books in a year. And let me say that quite a few of us get a little ambitious. For you, I don’t know whether that’s a good thing or not, but for me it hasn’t been. I’ve been getting very ambitious and ultimately getting in a reading rut a lot this past year.
Why should you set reading goals?
There are many reasons you should set reading goals. It’s like creating goals for other parts of your life for the new year, as I’m sure many of us do. But what will make this worthwhile is if your the type of person that actually sticks with them rather than quiting by the time February comes around.
Reading goals are very helpful as long as you’re smart about it. It can help you get out of your comfort zone or read more often if you’re the type of person who hasn’t been able to be consistent with reading.
How to make your reading goals realistic?
So, how exactly do you make reading goals realistic? There are many ways that you can do this. To me, one of the best ways to do this is by making your goals trackable. Trackable? Well, if you want to read a certain amount of books, the best way to keep track of this is by using Goodreads or something similar, where you can log your books in and make sure you are able to keep track of the books you are reading.
Another way you can work on this is by incorporating good habits throughout your day. This would include reading at a certain time every day. It would also help to incorporate reading for a certain amount of time every day. Like somewhere around fifteen minutes to thirty minutes every day, that way you can start small. Just make sure your phone is no where near you so you don’t start doom scrolling while you’re trying to read. This is a good way to start slowly and slowly make reading a habit.
Reading goal ideas for adults
There are so many goals that you can start incorporating into your year. It doesn’t always have to be I want to read for thirty minutes a day or I want to read one hundred books this year. Here are some examples of what you could do.
- Read a book from a certain decade
- Read a book outside of your comfort zone
- Create and read a themed book list
- Read a book by a local author
- Read something funny
- Read a book that has a setting in a different country
- 50 state challenge (1 book from every state)
- Read a book recommended by a friend
Conclusion to 2026 reading goals
There are so many things that you can start incorporating into your reading goals. You could also join reading challenges to help with this. Let me know in the comments what your reading goals for 2026 are! I love hearing what others want to accomplish.
Also, if you want to join a reading challenge, make sure to join my 2026 reading challenge or my winter reading challenge.