I`ve been thinking about this for quite a while, but I think with the end of the year coming near, this is a good time to start implementing some new things for 2015.
This is specifically regarding books and reading.
You see, the problem is that for a while now, I haven`t enjoyed reading as much as I used to. I think this is caused by several things: mental illness, forcing myself through books other people claim are great, forcing myself through books because they`re “classics”, forcing myself through them because I`m stubborn like hell and I want to finish this story, damn it.
And it has to stop.
So I decided upon some new rules (and I use “rules” in the loosest sense possible) for 2015 to hopefully find some joy in reading again:
1) No more forcing myself through books. I`m going to try to read the first 50~100 pages, and if it doesn`t work, the book has to go.
2) No more keeping books I tried reading once but gave up on and put back on the to-read stack. If it doesn`t work for me, it doesn`t work for me, and I`m not going to keep it lying around for that miracle moment in the future where it does suddenly work.
3) No more buying books just because everyone else says they`re great. Yes, I`ve come across some great books that way, even if I thought otherwise. But the vast majority was dreadful (I`m looking at you, The 100-Year Old Man Who Climbed Out The Window And Disappeared), and I don`t want it.
4) No more Goodreads challenges. I tried reading 50 books in 2013, and failed. I lowered it to 40 books in 2014, and am about to fail that as well.
Basically, what this all comes down to is: I`m letting go of all the rules and challenges I had before, and letting things run free, so to speak. No more forcing myself through things. Or  at the very least less of it, because I know myself and my stubborn side.
Is anyone else here doing something similar? Let me know in the comments!
Charlotte Blogs 