How is it already 2024? 2023 was a very full year for me in a variety of ways . . . some of them good, some of them bad. I feel like I learned a lot about myself this year, and I’m hoping 2024 will be a better year. With that being said, let’s have an honest discussion about some 2024 reading goals (with some non-reading goals too).

2024 Reading Goals

In 2024, my reading goals are fairly simple. They also don’t necessarily follow the SMART goal logic, but I’ll deal with that. Some of these are really just by feel.

1. Read 75 books.

This is the same number of books as my 2023 goal. It feels like an attainable number without making reading feel like a chore (like it did a few years ago).

2. Read more genres.

This is one of those that I don’t have specific numbers tied to. I read a lot of mysteries and thrillers. There’s nothing wrong with that, but I would like to expand my horizons a bit! For me, some of the thrillers and mysteries are starting to get too predictable, so I need to break the cycle. If you have any recommendations for books in other genres (not romance), let me know!

3. Let the jar decide more!

I created the book jar as a way to choose for me what book I should read next. I’ve made excuses about being a mood reader as my reason for not using the jar. I also think it’s a contributing factor in me not reading more genres (I promise that I own a variety of genres). It will help me read through my TBR AND achieve goal #2.

4. Read more than 25,000 pages.

In 2023, it looks like I read close to 27,000 pages (thanks Storygraph!). If I’m being entirely honest, I think I tossed this goal in the mix so that I had another specific goal with a number on it. I also put this goal into works before seeing how many pages I read in 2023.

Speaking of Storygraph, I recently discovered that they have an entire library (pun intended) of reading challenges you can participate in! My friend Emma (@ebook.em) posted about how she created a library challenge, and then I went into a deep dive. There are challenges for EVERYTHING. If you aren’t on Storygraph, you absolutely should be (and let’s be friends!).

Some other things to know about my goals and 2024 books:

• I want to only read new-to-me books. However, I am open to the occasional comfort read if I need to make myself feel a bit better.
• Some (probably not noticeable to you) changes to the blog. I want to only talk about books that I’d recommend! I get inundated reviewing each and every book and then I get overwhelmed and fall behind and stress myself out. Moving forward, you can come to Down the Book Jar to get recommendations of books that I think you should read. Plus, this leaves more time for round ups, gift ideas, and other random bookish thoughts.

2024 Non-Reading Goals

Going into every year for the last ~6 years or so, I have chosen a word for the year. A word that I want to come back to when things are tough. 2023 was “worthy”. Years before that (in an order I don’t super remember): extraordinary (that was a lofty one), passion (this was definitely 2020 because it bit me in the booty), intention, flourish . . .

In past years, a word has kind of come out and smacked me in the face as a point of inspiration. For 2024, not so much. I’ve done some research, lots of Pinterest and journaling, to try and figure out a word for the year. If you’ve been reading along, you’ve already seen what I have chosen.

This doesn’t necessarily mean that I want it to be a better year than years past (though I definitely wouldn’t say no to that). This is about me doing better for myself.

Eating better. Adulting better. Reading better. Working better.

I just want to do better across the board. It kind of seems like a lot, a word with a heavy burden, but I’m trying to put that part of it away and just prioritize positivity.

Now that’s all out of the way, let’s talk about some personal goals:

• Reach my goal weight (in a healthy way). I’m not going to share that number with you (or anyone). However, with the ups and downs that I experienced in 2023, my weight fluctuated quite a bit. I am a stress eater and an emotional non-eater. This ties into me both eating better and feeling better.
• Reach 5,000 followers on TikTok. Yes, this is a vanity metric, but I want to put more into the platform and grow my audience. I see other people do it, so why can’t I?
• Go on one solo date per month. I get so anxious and “self-centered” about going to places by myself, thinking everyone will judge me for it. I want to get away from that and take myself out somewhere to do something nice for myself once a month. Whether that’s a manicure or to dinner or just to read at a brewery, I want to do it once per month.
• Journal more! This has been on my list for YEARS. But I just bought a new bullet journal, and I’m going to try and get away from my need for it to be perfect. I don’t have perfect layouts. it will be a mixture of tracking things and just my thoughts.
• Keep a tidy house. To be clear, I don’t live in squalor. However, I am someone with a bad habit of taking my dishes from breakfast or lunch and just leaving them by my sink. Take the 90 seconds to put them in the dishwasher! Or I will let my laundry pile up in my bathroom for a couple of days before putting it in the hamper. It’s a grand total of 10 steps to put it in a hamper. These small things add up, and I want to keep house a bit better.

Now, I know myself, and I know that I am going to try and throw myself into ALLLLL of these things all at once. Spoiler alert: That’s how I fail. I’m not magically going to cook 3 new healthy recipes every week, starting the first week in January. I want to be intentional in these goals so that I can actually achieve them.

Here’s to hoping, friends. What are your goals or resolutions this year?

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