Yearly goal or daily goal?
The most familiar reading goal is a number of books per year, as in many reading challenges. It’s easy to picture, but it has a catch: a 900-page epic counts the same as a slim novella. If you only watch the number, you may start reaching for thin books.
A daily goal in minutes or pages targets the habit instead. You can hit it every day, no matter how long your current book is. The combination that works: a daily goal as the habit, a yearly goal as the direction.
How many books a year is realistic?
This table turns a yearly goal into daily pages and minutes. It assumes 300 pages per book and a reading speed of 45 pages an hour – yours may be quite different.
| Books per year | Pages per year | Pages per day | Minutes per day | Books per month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | 1,800 | about 5 | about 7 | 0.5 |
| 12 | 3,600 | about 10 | about 13 | 1 |
| 24 | 7,200 | about 20 | about 26 | 2 |
| 36 | 10,800 | about 30 | about 39 | 3 |
| 52 | 15,600 | about 43 | about 57 | about 4.3 |
Working back from daily reading time
You can also go the other way: think about how much reading time realistically fits into your day – on the commute, at lunch, before bed – and see where it gets you.
| Minutes per day | Pages per day | Pages per year | Books per year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | about 8 | about 2,700 | about 9 |
| 15 | about 11 | about 4,100 | about 14 |
| 20 | 15 | about 5,500 | about 18 |
| 30 | about 23 | about 8,200 | about 27 |
| 45 | about 34 | about 12,300 | about 41 |
| 60 | 45 | about 16,400 | about 55 |
Find your reading speed
The math depends on your pace. To measure it, read for 20 to 30 minutes on three different days and note your start and end page. Divide the pages by the minutes and multiply by 60 – that’s your speed in pages per hour. Nonfiction, small print and demanding classics usually come in lower, light fiction higher.
Tips for a goal that lasts
- Start with a goal you can reach on an ordinary day, not on vacation
- Tie reading time to something you already do, like your evening tea
- Always have a book within reach: in your bag, on the nightstand, on your phone
- Allow yourself to quit: a book that doesn’t grab you stalls your whole goal
- Plan rest days – a streak with breaks lasts longer than one without
Popular kinds of reading goals
A goal doesn’t have to be a number of books. These variations combine well:
- Books per year: easy to picture, great for your year in review
- Minutes per day: builds a steady habit regardless of book length
- Pages per week: evens out busy and quiet days
- Genre goal: say, three nonfiction books or one classic per quarter
- TBR goal: read five books from your TBR pile before buying new ones
- Reading days per week: for example, read on five days out of seven
What if you fall behind?
If you’re behind schedule by fall, you have three fair options: adjust the goal, add a few minutes of daily reading, or deliberately slot in some shorter books. What doesn’t help is trying to catch up in the last weeks of the year. The goal is a tool for enjoying reading more, not a test.