Babbling About New Year's Resolutions/Reading Goals

After reading Mary Lee's reading stats, I am sure you can see how lucky I feel to have her as friend and colleague! I remember years ago when she told me about reading 52 children's books a year. I somehow misunderstood and thought she said 26 so I committed to that! She was also the reason that I started to keep track of my reading and the reason that I blog. Thanks, Mary Lee!

Somehow, I stopped keeping a reading log this summer. I am not sure how it happened or what happened but I just stopped tracking my reading. I guess I figured that I blogged about almost every book I read so it seemed redundant. But, at the end of the year, I hate not having a record. I hate not being able to look back to see what kind of reader I was in 2008. Which months were great reading months? What were some patterns over the year, etc? It is something I like to do at the end of a year--thinking back to how I've changed as a reader by looking at a blog. But somewhere this year, logging my reading seemed like another job so I took a break. I think I've probably read about 45 children's novels, a ton of picture books and almost no adult novels--1-2 maybe.

I feel like 2008 was a great year for reading. So many great children's books that I've read. So many new ones that I am looking forward to. Not sure where my reading life will go in 2009, but I hope to keep up my log again as I am really missing that piece today.

During this time of year, I am usually at the bookstore buying a new Self-Help book. A new diet plan, a way to clean the house in 7 days, some plan for looking younger. And every year, I am sure that it will be the thing that helps me to be more efficient. This year, I looked at the self-help book table and sadly enough, I have most of the books they were marketing!? I knew them all quite well and had tried many of them during a recent January Resolution stage. So, I decided that there will be no goals for 2009! No New Year's Resolutions at all. No reading goals. No new diet plan. No new exercise plan. No plans to organize my house. I have come to terms that balance in my life means balance over the course of the year. Some months I read a lot. Some months I don't. Some days I eat really healthy. Some days I don't. Some weeks I am a workaholic. Some weeks I relax more. Sometimes my house is really clean. Sometimes it is a mess. Sometimes I go too long without seeing good friends and sometimes I spend lots of time with them.. And, some years, I am better at keeping track of my reading than other years! I think the biggest thing I've realized this year is that I like the way that this balance happens even if it feels chaotic. I am better at enjoying whatever mode I am. I am happy enjoying what comes my way in 2009 without giving myself the pressure of reading a certain amount of books, losing a certain amount of weight, attending boot camp every day, etc. I hope to do all of those things but without the pressure of a resolution!

I am giving myself the gift of a year without resolutions!