My 2017 Reading Year and 6 Takeaways – ElPropósito2 min de lectura

2017 was a good reading year for me, and 2018 is shaping up the same way. I firmly believe in the benefit of setting personal goals, especially when you write them down.

Last year I set a reading goal and published the list of books I wanted to read: "Read 30 books by December 2017." Thank God I beat it and read 37. A lot happened around that list, and I’d like to share it:

1. I didn’t read it in any particular order. This is very important for keeping reading enjoyable. It clashes a bit with setting the goal, since in theory I already liked every title on the list, but some are always better than others
2. There were books I planned to read and had to set aside (maybe for 2018). Bottom line: I had to prioritize
3. I added other titles, which took the list to 56. This matters because as the year went on, people recommended more books and new ones came out, so you have to stay open to suggestions
4. I didn’t read with the same intensity every month. At times circumstances made me set reading aside, whole days and weeks away from the page despite the reminders and my strict reading schedule. Here too, you have to stay flexible and accept that you won’t read every day
5. I confirmed that I always read more in print than on a screen. A printed page has no distractions: no alerts, news, tweets or new Facebook posts. Above all, you’re focused on a single book, while a device can hold two, three or 40 of them. I think this year I’ll stick to print
6. Finally, the commitment to yourself once you’ve set a goal. A goal brings clarity, helps you get somewhere and opens the different paths your mind will take to reach it. It has to come from something deeply personal that motivates you to take those small steps. I read a phrase I loved: "people lose their way when they lose their why"

   Here are my main motivations for reading:

Quantity and quality are always debatable. Still, I think everything around reading comes down to simply starting to read. Thousands of books go on sale every year, many of them bestsellers before they’re even published, and history holds plenty more that are the best of the best. Go for it: read, share those experiences and, above all, enjoy those special moments of calm and reflection that only reading brings.

This is the final list of books I read in 2017.

What will you read this year? What would you recommend I read?

A big hug and many thanks for your suggestions.

Author: Rodrigo Baccaro

Linkedin