Today is the last day of 2015, and lately I’ve been doing a lot of thinking about my New Year’s Resolutions. I don’t really like to call them “resolutions” because I haven’t had much success keeping those in the past. I have learned, however, that I am very goal-oriented; having both short-term and long-term goals in mind helps me stay focused and productive.

That’s why I started my 50 book goal to begin with–I needed a way to make sure I didn’t let myself get too busy to enjoy reading. Sometimes my 50 book goal seems crazy and unattainable. Laboring through Moby Dick this past summer felt sort of like dragging around a whale-sized ball and chain. But even in those years where I don’t meet my goal, I’ve learned that the discipline to keep reading is just as important as the end-of-the-year product.

Last weekend I suggested six ways you could set your own reading goal, and today I’m letting you know what my personal reading goals will be for the new year. Let’s get started!

My Main Goal: Read 50 Books (Obvious, right?)

It would be kind of awkward if I decided to read sixty-two books this year, considering that I’ve started a blog called Book Fifty. So for the time being, I’m not messing with my annual goal! Fifty is a good number for me, even when it feels insane come November.

Since this would be a pretty boring post if I told you my goal was just to read 50 books, I’ve split this goal up into four “mini” reading goals that will help me focus my year.

Mini Goal #1: Read 20 Books I Already Own

I have a slight severe book-buying problem. I buy lots and lots of books, and then I never get around to actually reading them. I have several boxes full of unread books that I just haven’t had time to get to. Ultimately, that’s a waste of money and a waste of space! This year 20 of my 50 books will be books I already own but simply haven’t read or haven’t finished.

Mini Goal #2: Read Through the Bible in a Year

There are lots of reasons why this is a good idea, (like these five) and there are so many tools to help you do it! You can buy a special Bible-in-a-year in book form, you can download reading plans, or you can use built-in plans in a lot of Bible apps. This is a paper guide that I got from Tabletalk Magazine, and I plan on keeping it in my Bible so I can check off chapters as I finish.

Mini Goal #3: Study the Psalms with Tim Keller

This book was on my Christmas list, and my brother generously gave it to me! I’m excited to walk through the Psalms for an entire year. This devotional breaks down each selection into a text, a devotion, and a prayer.

  
Mini Goal #4: Tabletalk Magazine

I subscribe to Tabletalk, as I mentioned above, and each month their magazine has some awesome articles and day-by-day devotions. I have been subscribing for a while, but each month I find myself only reading the devotion and not even touching the topical magazine articles. I want to actually read those this year, instead of just collecting the magazines in a pile.

So those are my four mini-goals for 2016. There are some other books I’d like to read, like Shakespeare’s second set of history plays, and I’d also like to continue listening to audiobooks during my commute.

Are you setting New Year’s Resolutions, or are you a goal person like me? I’d love to hear in the comments what you’ll be reading this year.

Keep reading, I’ll see you in 2016!