On New Year’s Eve, many people make lists of plans and tasks for the next 12 months. I understand, the prospect of starting fresh on the 1st of January (and even on a Monday!) is all too appealing.And it’s quite common to come across a challenge to read 52 books in the next calendar year. The aspiration is certainly laudable. However, in my subjective opinion, it is rather destructive than useful and here’s why:
1. Quantity does not mean quality. What is more useful to read 52 books in a hurry, just to close the challenge, or to read conditionally 5 books in a year, but at the same time making notes, finding additional explanations on the Internet, outlining important elements?
2. High risk of failing the challenge by March. The 52 books in a year challenge assumes you have to read one book a week. Of course, the number of books read does not have to be evenly distributed, but if you fall far behind the expected schedule at the beginning of the year – the risk of abandoning systematic reading in principle increases. And you have to wait until next December to fall into the same trap again.
3. Subconscious choice in favour of light, “thin” books. Chasing the quantity, sooner or later, there will come a moment when subconsciously you choose a light and perhaps “empty” book, which can be read in one or two evenings. This approach will allow you to “legally” complete the challenge, but the benefit or satisfaction of the reading process itself may be forgotten.
4. Don’t you already have enough deadlines in your life?) Creating a potential source of stress from a process that should be enjoyable is a bad idea, to say the least.
My suggestion is this: it’s better to choose a specific topic that you want to explore next year. This could be anything from books on medieval Spain to cookery guides. And devote some amount of time to books on your chosen topic on a daily basis (or when there is a suitable reading opportunity). There are a huge number of guides on the internet about the art of reading, how to organise notes, remember information from reading and so on. By thoroughly studying even one book (provided it’s a good book, of course), you can learn much more than by flicking through 52 books at 2x speed.
by PapayaSpace