My 2019 Reading Challenge

Reading is to the mind what exercise is to the body -Joseph Addison

Former President Barack Obama started a tradition to compile a year end list of his favorite books, movies, and songs. His 2018 list can be found here.

After reading through this list, I had the following thoughts:

“He is truly an interesting guy.”

“I like his taste.”

“Who are some of these people?”

And the number one thought I had was:

“I really need to get back into my reading!”

Years ago, I used to spend a lot of my time reading books of all kinds. As time went on I didn’t make time for reading as much. I got caught up in television, raising kids, work, etc. Reading is still important, I just allocated less time to my personal reading. I replaced my personal reading time to reading 2-3 books to my kids each night. This is a great thing as they have a love for books and want to read to me and create their own stories. Also, with less personal reading time, I had time to get current on reality TV, Netflix documentaries, and other favorites such as This Is Us, Blackish, and Greenleaf. 

After being inspired by President Obama and wanting to put some action into my desire to jump back into reading, I created the following list of books to read in 2019. 

2019 Reading List

Becoming by Michelle Obama (already started)

Year of Yes: How to Dance It Out, Stand In the Sun and Be Your Own Person by Shonda Rhimes

You Are a Badass®: How to Stop Doubting Your Greatness and Start Living an Awesome Life by Jen Sincero

The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck: A Counterintuitive Approach to Living a Good Life by Mark Manson

Well-Read Black Girl: Finding Our Stories, Discovering Ourselves by Glory Edim

Sisters of the Yam: Black Women and Self-Recovery By bell hooks

An American Marriage: A Novel by Tayari Jones

Smart Women Finish Rich by David Bach

Women’s Worth: Finding Your Financial Confidence by Eleanor Blayney

Abundance Now: Amplify Your Life & Achieve Prosperity Today by Lisa Nichols and Janet Switzer

The Simple Path to Wealth: Your Road Map to Financial Independence and a Rich, Free Life by J L Collins

Learned Optimism: How to Change Your Mind and Your Life by Martin Seligman

The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness by Michelle Alexander

The Little Book of Common Sense Investing by John C. Bogle

With this list, I will need to read more than one book a month to complete the list by the end of 2019. This is not a lot, but I will definitely need to make time for my personal reading. Sure, I will give up some of my personal time, but I remind myself of all the knowledge I stand to gain!

How Sway?!?

So how will I do it? Well here is the plan:

• Screen Time – I gotta reduce my screen time. I don’t know how much time I spend browsing the net, but in my idle I’m scrolling on IG, Twitter, Facebook, etc. Just like setting a max screen time for my kids, I need to set a limit for myself. 

• Reading Time – Once I reduce my screen time, I will have the time to read. So, I need to do just that – read! Every day I will read some pages. Some days I will read a few chapters and other days, I may only get to a few pages. The important thing is to just read. 

• Audio Time – I love a good book. I’m talking about the actual physical book. I look the sound of opening a new book for the first time. As much as I love reading from an actual book, I can also check out audio books. Since I have at least a 30-45 minute commute to work each day, I can easily knock out some additional pages this way.

• Library Time – As a mom it’s hard to get in that “me time,” especially on the weekend. Since my kids rarely sleep on the weekends, we still need to have some quiet time. So the plan is to set aside at least an hour on Saturday and Sunday to read. While they are reading their books, I will read my books. Of course they will likely ask me to read to them, thus preventing me from reading. However, I will still get some quiet time. That works for me!

So that’s the plan. If I can get through this list of books, I can just imagine the knowledge, inspiration, and motivation  I will possess. I’m excited to get started.

What do you plan to read in 2019?