Impact Over Numbers
My goal in 2025 is to read 52 books to see how my life improves. I will be documenting this year-long journey in blog posts. I am now only a few books in but I have some initial thoughts on this experience.
For starters, my overall goal is self-improvement. I want to focus less on the number of books and more on the impact they have on me.
The Benefit of Structure
For Productivity
That being said, setting a numerical goal for myself has been a great way to give structure to my year of self-improvement. It keeps me on a schedule. I am less inclined to slack off if I am eyeing a future goal. I certainly would not have read so much so far if I didn’t have a number in mind.
For Creativity
Reading books also gives context to my blog posts.
I am new to blogging, but it has felt like a natural thing to do. A big reason why is that I do not have to come up with the material on my own each week. Each book I read gives me a prompt, I reflect on it in my own life and write a blog post about it. It is a soft-launch into writing creatively. I can piggyback off of other people’s inspiration and wisdom in order to reflect on my own.
This is I guess true for everyone. Creativity never comes from nothingness. We all pull inspiration from the world around us. This method has helped give me baby steps to reach my own thoughts.
Balancing Productivity With Stillness
A downside to the structure of this challenge will be the timing.
I want to be able to absorb each book before rushing onto the next one. This will be a balancing act that I have not quite mastered.
Going forward, I will try to mix up the books more. I will follow a serious book with a light-hearted one or a long book with a graphic novel. This can help me to absorb the contents of each book without getting overwhelmed by their content. I want this year to be productive from a self-improvement perspective but not anxiety-inducing.
Messy Bun Book Lover
(Originally posted on Apr. 2, 2025)