I have engaged in a practice of yearly reflection and intention setting for the past decade and a half. I look forward to it and start early, often in September. About three years ago, I added reflecting on and setting an intention for my reading life. During that time, I have been struck by how my reading life is directly correlated to everything else that is going on. 

I’ve borrowed frameworks and questions from a number of individuals who engage in reflection, from Danielle LaPorte to Gretchen Rubin, and our very own Anne Bogel. In fact, Anne’s three questions are the simplest and easiest way to complete a reflection process. They’re where I start: what worked, what didn’t, what do I want to be different? 

Asking one more additional question allows me to go a bit deeper into the insights gleaned from answering the previous questions. And that question is: what lessons did I learn?  Often, the lessons I learn apply across different aspects of my life: finances, wellness journey, parenting, and reading life.

Lessons I learned in 2024

Explore and experiment.

I should keep my mind open to books that pique my interest and not rationalize why I won’t like them. Belle Greene by Adrienne Lapierre was an MMD Book Club flight pick for February. Since I was already reading the primary selection, The Personal Librarian by Benedict and Murray, and Belle Greene was a doorstopper at 528 pages, I was hesitant. But I read it and it is one of my best books of the year. 

If something isn’t working, stop!

While I am exploring and experimenting, I am going to read things that are not going to work. I DNF’d (Did Not Finish) a lot and that really worked for me this year. Actively stopping books (and other behaviors not serving me) has been so freeing. I have enjoyed clearing space not just from my physical bookshelves, but my mental space as well. 

Get help.

Participating in a reading project with fellow team members Donna and Brigid has helped hold me accountable and responsible for my reading intentions this year. My goal was to read, DNF, or curate 24 books from my physical shelf. At the time of writing, I am at 33. External accountability has also been pivotal not just in my reading life, but in other areas as well. 

I cannot do it all.

I want to release my incessant need to read everything: books for fun, books for my personal development, books for my work. However, I’d like to continue exploring and find what works for me. As Ramit Sethi has said “I am the solution.” I get to decide what works and what doesn’t. What books matter to me enough to read them and what don’t. 

Annie Dillard said, “I don’t know what I think until I write it down.” Just thinking about the past year doesn’t work for me. I have to write it all down, either with pen and paper or typing it into a document. Doing this allows me to notice and then to follow the threads. As I write, a direction and/or theme will emerge that I ponder for a few days or weeks (another reason that I start early).

Reviewing the lessons I learn helps me to pinpoint 1-2 intentions for the upcoming year. Writing this post enabled me to finalize my 2025 reading project: “25 5-Star Reads in 2025.” I am choosing the number 25 because of the whole “25 in 2025” thing. To accomplish this, I will continue my new-found skill of not finishing books that don’t work (stop!). This allows me the freedom to read what piques my interest (explore and experiment) without feeling like I must finish them all. This will be my only reading goal this year (I can’t do it all) and our accountability group, spearheaded by Donna, is continuing in 2025 (get help). I have no idea what lessons I’ll learn at the end of this particular reading project, but I am excited to find out. 

Here’s to a great year of reading!

What have you been thinking about and learning recently? Could these lessons direct your reading intentions for 2025? I can’t wait to read them in the comments. And if you want to help hold me accountable to my project, let me know that as well. We need all the help we can get. 

P.S. Check out the Modern Mrs Darcy Reading Life Challenge, which serves as a reflection guide for determining what you want from your reading life this year.