Midway Discouragement in a 52-Book Reading Challenge
This year, I am reading 52 books and documenting how my life improves because of it. I have read 30/52 books so far, which means I am about 60% through this challenge.
While this Reading Challenge has been an incredible success, I’ve been slipping into moments of discouragement and melancholy lately.
I am grateful to my past self for putting in the work. My relationships are healthier, my self-esteem is higher, and my creativity feels sharper than it has in years. And yet, I still catch myself wondering: what’s the point? Why keep pushing when it would be so much easier to zone out with Netflix?
Recognizing a Familiar Feeling
This is a familiar feeling at the midway point of any long-term goal: the discouragement that creeps in when your effort outpaces your visible results. Being halfway through can feel like the hardest part. My external world hasn’t caught up with the changes in my internal world. And it’s taking some of the wind out of my sails.
Inside, I know I am doing better. But outside? My environment still looks the same as it did in January. And sometimes that makes me feel like progress isn’t happening at all; even though I know that it is.
Attempting Progress, Not Perfection
I will take breaks in the next few weeks and enjoy my summer without always having a book in my hand. Change is happening under the surface. I just have to give it time to bloom.
When you start to feel discouraged, that is a sign to focus on progress, not perfection. This progress doesn’t have to be fast, you just have to keep going.
Messy Bun Book Lover
(Originally posted on Aug. 13, 2025)