Not Ladylike Hikes is my most successful club. I don’t think it’s a secret that I struggle with acknowledging my successes, so in this post I will try and convince myself. And in doing so, hopefully entice more people to join in on the fun.
VISION AND MISSION
One of the areas I see the most opportunity for improvement, is better communicating my vision and the mission of our group.
Our mission is to build community while we explore nature.
Working on solidifying this message begins now. There are some other resources I have found to help me do this, but it’snot like I have a fancy coach or anything to talk this though with! NLL Hikes continues to be a fun hobby, and I walk a very fine line between that and something “more official”. Is that my ultimate goal? Not really, as I enjoy the casual aspect of the hikes. And again, I am only one person. We’ll see what happens this year!
SUMMARY OF OUR 2022 HIKES
2022 was the year I started purposefully tracking number stats for our group. A simply designed document printed out and stored in my planner, it made it easy to track a few key stats each week.
GOALS FOR 2023
Tracking distance, weather and number of hikers worked really well in 2022, so I will continue to track those numbers for fun in 2023. I have also set up a new system for planning and organizing the upcoming trailheads. I have approximately 35 hikes to choose from in my list currently, and no true system for choosing hikes for the upcoming months. It would be so helpful to get this flowing more smoothly.
Land acknowledgements and introductions every time. More fun hikes with props. More day hikes! All of these depend highly on my energy levels, and how vulnerable I am willing to get.
I set a goal in 2022 to “expand NLL Hikes”. More specifically, I wanted to get more folks interacting with us on social media, and ultimately coming out to hikes. This became a S.M.A.R.T. goal, with dedicated next steps. It worked fractionally, as we had five new folks out to hikes this year. My goal hasn’t changed and I would still love to see more folks out on our hikes. The questionnaire I sent out in the fall gave me mixed results, and I nmow realize I have a lot of relationship building to do first if I want to see any of the tire kickers come out.
FURTHER READING AND RESOURCES
The Edmonton Nature Centres Foundation (with the assistance of the Wild Rose Ramblers walking group) has put together some trail maps for some parks around the City. They include details about the location’s history of use, and important figures.
You can find the full list of upcoming trailheads on our site here, with a month lead time. We also post more details about the trails, including more accessibility details on our Instagram (@notladylikehikes) and Facebook.
You may remember from my recent post “How To Read 80 Books a Year” that I made some pretty lofty book-related goals this year. Well unfortunately for my reading goals I didn’t even come close to reaching them! This meant that I was busy chasing other goals, which is great for me as a whole. I read a lot of great books this year, 48 to be exact. Here are some of my favourites.
MY TOP SIX BOOKS OF 2022
These are the books that I would want to talk to people about, if people in my life talked about books. Alas, those people do not exist for me, so instead I will shout into the void of my blog.
Top Non-Fiction
Confessions of a Recovering Engineer: Transportation for a Strong Town by Charles L. Marohn Jr. If you encountered me shortly after I finished this book, I talked to you about it. Guaranteed. One of my passions is planning our cities and communities – and building them – so they actually benefit our residents. And this guy builds his whole life around that premise. It was mind blowing to read so many of my random, unfinished thoughts actually planned out with data to back them up.
Rooted: Life at the Crossroads of Science, Nature, and a Spirit by Lyanda Lynn Haupt. This book came at a time in my year when I was thinking and feeling more about my space in nature. It came at the best time.
How to Do Nothing: Resisting the Attention Economy by Jenny Odell. Y’all might think this book teaches you how to quit social media, but it is so much more than that. Full of heart and hubris too, she really shaped a lot of my internal dialogue for the rest of the year.
Top Science Fiction
Gideon the Ninth and Harrow the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir. You know those books that you read, and wish you could go back and read again for the first time because they were so spectacular? I put the third in the series on hold immediately, and y’all, the library doesn’t even own a copy yet. Dark science fiction, gothic horror, this book is also a puzzle. You might solve it, but it will probably also kill you. Super gay.
This is How You Lose the Time Warby Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone. I grabbed this one as my souvenir from Munro’s Books in Victoria B.C. It’s written like a poem, with each chapter alternating perspectives between the two protagonists. Who are also trying to kill each other. And they can time travel. And then they fall in love. And then YOU fall in love. And oh, it ends so perfectly. Super gay.
I had some more specific goals within my larger goal for the year. These are crafted around my values, and are meant as a challenge.
Read 10 books by Canadians
Read 10 books by authors with marginalized identities (intersections of BIPOC, queer, trans, immigrant/migrant)
Read 10 short story or essay collections (4/10)
Read 1 book of poetry (1/1)
Read 1 book translated into english
Read 20 non-fiction books (7/20)
Some of these challenges were difficult to track. I think it’s disrepectful and sometimes just wrong to call Indigenous folks who live in Canada, “Canadians”. Some bios aren’t clear on sexuality (which, why should they be). Science fiction (and fantasy) will always be my top picks, but I like to push the genre boundaries too. Thank goodness I found food mysteries last year. I don’t think that would make a great challenge goal unfortunately.
WHAT’S IN STORE FOR 2023
Over the past many years of me making book goals and tracking my reading, I have consistently reached 70 to 80 books read. This year I didn’t even come close. I have already reduced my big number goal down to 60, and adjusted some of my challenge goals to match my values, but avoid the ick factor of tracking people’s identities. I have a bunch of books on hold at the library, I’ve got a monthly book club, and I might even get back into audio books. The sky is the limit!
FURTHER READING AND RESOURCES
Charles Marohn Jr. and his team publish a lot of great stuff over at Strong Towns if you’re interested in city – and street – planning.
Get Booked, my favourite podcast for book recommendations isn’t publishing new episodes, but there are hundreds of old episodes that I can still troll through.
No longer buying new books – unless they are for a gift or a souvenir – means I am getting better at finding good spots to grab used books. Some of my favourite spots in Edmonton are: Alhambra Books, Paper Birch Books, Wee Book Inn, and the library!
And not that I think anyone on God’s green earth would be interested, here is my tracking spreadsheet! Follow along as I add books throughout the year.
This was a fun exercise I did for myself back in October. I can’t remember what prompted it, but everyone loves a Venn diagram, right?
I love everything. When asked a direct question about my interests, I either freeze up, or I list a dozen and have a dozen more on my lips. It can be hard for me to focus on one passion. So I try to do everything, and I stay generalized without becoming an expert on any one topic. This exercise helped me reframe that distraction into intersecting groups.
CREATIVITY – THE OUTDOORS – JUSTICE
Generalists are like omnivores. We tend to survive when the going gets tough and our niche speciality becomes unsustainable. I may not be an expert on any one thing, but I know a little bit about a lot of things AND I am always open to learning. They say a little knowledge is a dangerous thing, but I have tempered that with swaths of self doubt that I am slowly correcting to simply “keeping an open mind.” Being flexible with my opinions, and free with my knowledge sharing, and acceptance.
I think the rainbow in the middle represents that LEARNING and SHARING.
SO WHAT?
You might be asking, who cares if you made a Venn Diagram of yourself. Fair enough! I think it is interesting as a neurodivergent person to continually learn how my brain-body system works best. And recognize positive and unique things about myself that I used to think were broken. Sharing this is my way of finding other folks who feel the same. Or encouraging neuro-normalized folks to recognize that there is a different way that is not better or worse.
I’m making connections in my thoughts, and hopefully making connections with community members.
These connections will ultimately help me make decisions that make the best use of my energy. Unfortunately, I can’t do everything, and trying leaves me cranky and burnt out. Any guiding tool or lens is a welcome source of relief.
Land acknowledgment: Jasper National Park suffered the effects of another large forest fire this summer. We waited to return until we knew it was safe for us to do so. We as a society now know that the Indigenous fire keepers of the past kept the forests of the mountains healthy and strong. But the cultural burns they cultivated were made illegal on “public land”, and their communities were forced from their homes and their traditional territories to make space for White people to experience “wilderness”. Ignoring Indigenous wisom, combined with the impacts of climate change means we have been seeing larger, hotter and more frequent fires in these lands. The National Park Service has only recently started to welcome back the Indigenous peoples who have called this land home since time immemorial. Traditional ways of thinking and ways of being that might seem like new ways to some of us, make our land, our non-human kin, and our communities stronger.
INTRODUCTION AND HISTORY
Dan, Lucas & I have been doing some form of this trip since 2016. Jasper in November has become a lovely family tradition. The specifics change, but the core stays the same: cabin at Bear Hill Lodge, hike on Saturday. The impetus came from a trip that Dan & I took in 2014 to a different set of cabins (now called Miette Mountain Cabins). But really, the inspiration for these trips came 30+ years ago thanks to my maternal grandparents, who took my sister and I to Jasper each Thanksgiving. We stayed in a cabin, did a lot of hiking and exploring, played games, and ate a turkey dinner at a restaurant in town. It was a beautiful tradition they built for me, that I am grateful to be able to continue with my family.
OUR BASIC ITINERARY FOR THE WEEKEND
I wrote about this more indepth in 2020 (read that blog here), but here is the basic itinerary set up for our trip.
Day One is travel day. It works best for us when Dan & I take the day off to pack and prepare, then pick up Lucas from school and head straight out of town. This gets us out of Edmonton around 4:00pm, into Edson for dinner, and into Jasper between 8:00 and 9:00 pm. The less dark, winter, late night driving I have to do in the mountains, the better. In my younger, wilder days, I used to be able to make the drive in much less time, but I stopped speeding years ago. We get there when we get there, as safely as possible.
Day Two is the only full day we have, so we sleep in and take our time. Ha! Honestly, this trip is equal parts “gruelling” hike to lazy bones chill fest. Breakfast is made in our cabin, usually eggs for me and Dan, and toast and fruit for Lucas. Truthfully, Lucas is not a breakfast person, so I let him choose what he wants to nibble on to give him some energy for the trek ahead. We always make lunch to eat on the trail, then bundle up and head out the door. This year we left the cabin around 11am.
Next up, the hike! See the next section for the write up.
Finally, back to our cabin for some more relaxing before dinner. We alternately nap, read, and play Switch for an hour or so until we’re ready to eat dinner. Over the years this part has taken a few forms. In the early days, I would bring food to cook, to make use of the full kitchen. The past few years we have been ordering pizza takeout or delivery. And this year we decided to go into town and eat at the Korean restaurant. After dinner we do more relaxing. Or “chill-axing” as Dan calls it, to make me cringe.
Day Three. We have to get up slightly earlier on Sunday, as it’s check out day. Breakfast in our cabin, followed by packing the car. After a final sweep of the rooms, we are on our way. I like to stay in Jasper for as long as possible because it makes me feel nourished to be in this place. Some years we have headed to a more “touristy” part of the park that is close by – Maligne Canyon, Pyramid Lake, Athabasca Falls for example. This year, we walked through town, and poked our heads into some of the (lame) souvenir shops. Then got snacks and drinks at The Other Paw, an excellent bakery-cafe with two locations in downtown Jasper.
HIKE COORDINATOR FOR MY FAMILY
If readers are looking for some hot tips about hiking in Jasper, I am afraid this post might not be it. My only strict requirement for selecting a trail on these trips is its accessibilty from the front door of our cabin. I’m not looking for grand peaks, and we’re not chasing waterfalls. The purpose is to be together in the snow, moving through the National Park.
That being said, I still have to be mindful of some basic trail selection tips. This year we found that heavy snowfall in some areas eclipsed the trail and we had to wade through the snow. That was less than appealing for Lucas and his fabric boots. This also meant that the trail effectively disappeared, and we had to take to the road. Also less appealing, but thankfully there was not a lot of vehicle traffic to contend with. It is difficult to know the trail conditions ahead of time, so we take it slow and easy and prepare for whatever detours we need or want to take. This is where the generalized goal for the hike comes in handy. I’m rarely disappointed if things don’t work out according to plan, because there was no plan!
We started from our cabin and headed south into town. I was aiming for a trail – 12A – that would take us along the Athabasca River down to Wapiti Campground. This appeared to be a more popular route out of town, as there were a lot of footprints to follow. This became important when we “lost” the trail a few times. I was not going by a map or app, simply watching for trail markers along the way and heading in what I knew was the general direction of the campground. We wandered throug two vacation cabin properties, which is always fun in the winter when no one is around! The Athabasca River is really neat this time of year. It’s there, but a lot of it is covered in huge chunks of snow and ice. We followed it all the way to Wapiti, where we cut into the trees and into the campground. Another cool place to see in the winter with no one around.
I wanted to check out Whistlers Campground as well, which is on the opposite side of the highway from Wapiti, and back toward town. So we hiked the highway for about a kilometre. Not as fun as being in the trees, but it shaved some time off our trek. Whistlers has undergone renovations over the past few years, so you can see most of the campground from within it. And a perfect view of Whistlers and Pyramid Mountains, two iconic views in Jasper. We poked around here for a bit, but we were already at the 10km mark, Lucas was tired and had wet feet, and we still had to make it all the way back to town. So we popped out of the campground and back on to the highway. Boring, but fast. Again, the park isn’t super busy this time of year, so there wasn’t a lot of vehicle traffic to watch out for. I feel like the trails just outside the townsite don’t get enough love from the tourists. We passed a cool bike park, and walked alongside a train, which is an accidental tradition for us on these trips as well. Our cabins are located on the north side of town, so we walked through the commercial section and picked out our dinner location – Kimchi House. All told, our hike was 15.5km and we were on the trails for 4.5 hours.
If you’re looking for a tip for winter hiking in Jasper National Park, I guess I have a few:
Keep your plan loose and general. One year I really wanted to head up into the trails behind town, but the trailhead was so slippery we couldn’t actually get up there. Also, weather can change fast in the mountains, especially if you are in a higher altitude. A change of plans might become a necessity for safety reasons too.
Come as prepared as possible within your ability. This might look like poles and snowshoes if you have access to that gear.
Plan for your least advanced hiker. For us, that’s Lucas. There was only one section he struggled on – he took a tumble off the trail down an incline – and while I wasn’t super concerned for his safety, I know that he was no longer having fun in that moment.
There is some benefit to sticking to the popular trails in the winter, because that way you know it will be marked in some way, even if that’s just the footprints of the people who came before.
Hiking on a paved trail, or an “easy” traill is still hiking. Anyone who tells you otherwise is gatekeeping the outdoors and I just don’t have time for that nonsense.
MOM GUILT AND THE FUTURE OF THIS TRIP
I have a 17 year old son on the precipice of the rest of his life. Just like when he was transitioning out of babyhood, I will have many “lasts” to grapple with this year.
Almost the moment we stepped foot into our cabin after the hike, Lucas told us he doesn’t want to come next year. I have a feeling that a lot of that statement was influened by the snow in his boots, but he also got me thinking. He will be 18 next November, and finished school. He will be required to make other choices of how he wants to spend his time – work, post-secondary – so why would this family vacation be any different? It was always my intent to make this a vacation about fun and rest for all of us, but I missed the signs that Lucas was outgrowing it. That his tastes were moving on. Do I pivot and try to tailor next year’s vacation to his changing ways? Or do I keep doing what I have always done, and hope he sees the value of this time together. Whatever happens, my rational mind knows that it will be fine and good whatever he chooses. My Mom mind however, feels a tonne of guilt. I don’t have any answers today. But I will increase my communication with him around this trip and any others I plan. So that we can continue our traditions, even if they have to be tweaked a bit.
FURTHER READING AND RESOURCES
It looks like I’ve blogged only a few of these family tradition trips: 2019 & 2020. This trip that Dan & I took in 2014 the one that started it all. My family has been traveling to Jasper National Park since before I was born. And I have been documenting my trips in many ways, for many years. You can find all of my Jasper-related posts on my old blog here.
I have learned a lot over the years about the dark colonial history of our Parks system, and am always open to sharing what I’ve found. Please know that this is difficult subject, so prepare yourself accordingly, but White folks and settlers, we need to rise to this challenge.
DECEMBER MEMORY KEEPING AND WHY I QUIT “DECEMBER DAILY”
I started writing this Blog in December of 2021, but I never posted it. Now it’s creeping up on December 2022, and I find that I am feeling all the same feelings. I know that the tradition of creating a “December Daily” is something that is important to many folks in the crafting, scrapbooking, and journaling spheres. As always, I would encourage anyone who is feeling “meh” about it, to critically examine why that is. And if there are better uses of your time and energy (and money!) in celebrating this season. It’s okay to let traditions go if they are no longer serving us, no longer align with our values, or make us downright cranky.
Select pages from my 2012 “December Daily”, which remains unfinished.
We’re all friends here right? I can be honest without y’all judging me too hardly?
I hate this project.
Yes, I realize that “hate” is a strong word, but the more I think about it (and try to write this blog) the more I am being honest with myself. A “December Daily” is a habit I have been trying to build for many years. And I don’t think it serves me anymore. December 2022 might be months and months away, but I think this is the year I let it go.
KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM MY 2021 DECEMBER DAILY
Say I was to try this again for next December. Here are some of my key takeaways from how the project went in 2021 (and some reasons that I want to cut this tradition off).
I didn’t print my photos often enough, and trying to play catch up all the time was exhausting
I printed too many photos and tried to tell too many stories
I didn’t have the finished product in mind when I started, so there was no cohesive theme and the size of the book didn’t make sense
I wasn’t thinking sustainability, not just over the course of the month, but over the life of this book: where was the album going to live, why was I doing this project, what did I really want to share and with who
I don’t have time to spend on this! aka I didn’t make time, but also making time was not a priority
The “professional” December Daily albums I see on social media and websites continue to set unrealistic targets, and encourage careless consuming within a craft that I no longer find myself fitting in to
WHAT’S NEXT FOR DECEMBER MEMORY KEEPING?
The answer to this might honestly be “nothing” and I’ve got some time to come to terms with that. January has always been a powerful month for me creatively-speaking. This is when I start my goal setting and word planning. Having an unfinished “December Daily” hanging over my head is depressing and zaps my energy and excitement for the new year.
Perhaps instead I can focus my December creative energy on preparing for Yule, and building my intentions for the new calendar year. I have excised many Christmas traditions from my life since leaving my ex. Perhaps 2022 is the year I have time and space to build a few new ones.
And so now that it is actually December 2022, and I realize that I can breathe a sigh of relief that I am not prepping for a memory-keeping project that I don’t want in my life, I can focus on building other traditions. Ones that are more in line with my interests and values. This might be a lonely time for me, as many of the folks I interact with are Christmas-obsessed. The way Christmas has morphed into this uber-capitalist holiday, where it seems like the only socially acceptable ways to celebrate – and document those celebrations – are with shiny and fervent commercialism, actually makes me very angry. I continue to address those feelings, while I untangle myself from them and search for folks who feel the same. I’ve also been thinking about hosting more community-minded options to celebrate the end of the year. Y’all I just want to sing traditional Christmas carols, light some candles, and eat warm food in the company of non-assholes…is that so impossible?!
FURTHER READING AND RESOURCES
All of my December Daily posts from my old blog are linked here. There aren’t that many! I have always struggled with this project. In fact, here are some more DEEP THOUGHTS on the pressure of a December Daily. And finally, because some folks really dig this tradition, a little background and intro from the creator of December Daily – Ali Edwards – is here.
Ideally, every Monday morning I open up my planner and do a little review. Sometimes this exercise is beyond my energy capacity, but I try not to ruminate on those days or weeks when it remains incomplete. This exercise has become important to my routine, and invaluable to my personal growth. It is an easy way to integrate goal review into my weekly routine, and check-in with my feelings and capacity. It also gives me a chance to prioritize rest and recovery. I want to share my prompts with you and explore why I complete this activity, in hopes that it offers inspiration or a starting point for you to integrate this practice into your weekly routine as well.
WHY DO I COMPLETE A WEEKLY CHECK-IN
There are loads of reasons why we “should” check-in on our goals, but here are my personal reasons for completing a weekly check-in in this manner.
Because it allows me to review my goals and action items, and recalibrate as needed
Because it helps me process my feelings about my schedule
Because I value the structure and routine it provides
Because it helps me to purposely incorporate rest into my week, which is core value that is sometimes difficult for me to attain
Because I enjoy the quiet reflection time
Because it feels good in my brain
Your reasons will probably look different from mine, but I hope you allow some softness and forgiveness into your check in as well.
BUILDING THE CHECKLIST
When I decided to try this format for my Monday journaling routine, I went looking for ideas. The winner jumped out at me on Pinterest of all places. It was very productivity-focused which is not one of my values, and kind of missed the mark on how I envisioned this unfolding. But it was a good start, so I printed it off. After the first few rounds, I could see what was working and what wasn’t. I started tweaking some questions, and filling in the holes with statements that more aligned with my values and goals for the year.
After many rounds of edits – sometimes as small as one word – I landed on a checklist that works for 90% of my weeks. Or at the very least, gives me a chance to pause for a moment and look at the bigger picture before moving on to the next task.
COMPLETING THE WEEKLY REVIEW
I had a dedicated journal for this, and I filled it up. So we’ve moved on to another one, but it’s only sort of working out. Isn’t it funny how that makes such a difference? But perfect is the enemy of good and the enemy of complete so I am trying to get comfortable with grabbing whatever paper is laying around. It’s interesting to read through previous week’s reviews, but that’s not the primary goal of this exercise. The main goal of the checklist is actually the first thing on the list: get things out of my head and on to paper.
And this might not even be “on paper” for you. I work best when I am able to write things down, but it would be just as easy to create an online document or note in your phone to review your check-in prompts on a schedule that makes sense for you. I formatted the list to the same size as my planner, and printed them on a sheet of purple paper so the sheet lives in my planner binder. Once I complete it, I move it to the next week in my binder. It’s presence serves as its own reminder.
HOW DO I REVIEW MY GOALS
You’ll notice there isn’t a specific prompt to “Review Goals”. Because that is too huge, too general. And terrifying, to be honest. One of the reasons I love the weekly review prompts in this format is because it breaks things down into bite-sized chunks. Teeny, easily digestible morsels. So whether you realise it or not, you are evaluating a goal (or an action item) with each response. My word of the year usually guides my goal-setting, and this year was no different. Although my goals have been hard to measure, which can make them hard to evaluate. The prompts guide me toward those feelings and I can adjust or create any actions that might move me forward if I feel stuck. What makes these weekly review prompts so great is that even if you don’t have big, specific goals, you can still do some personal reflection.
As I am always telling my Accountability Club, if a goal or action isn’t working for you, be honest and either change it or get rid of it. There is no harm in that. In fact it makes zero sense to keep pushing something that’s not working right now. Any kind of reflection works for this, it doesn’t have to be weekly. Find what works for you! Accountability Club meets online together once a month, and for many of the participants this timing works well for reflection and a reset.
CHECK IN PROMPTS IN FLUX
These check-in prompts are not carved in stone. Thank goodness! They can and will change as I change what and how I want to review my goals or commitments. In fact, I think a change is coming soon. While sorting through some items leftover from my previous job, I found two sticky notes. The questions I wrote on there used to be my quick version of a check-in. They still resonate with me, so I will be finding a way to incorporate these notes in my current weekly check-in prompts. They are very feelings based, which I think there needs to be more space for when evaluating goals.
SLOW DOWN AND SOFTEN UP
I try to push back against mainstream messages of productivity where I can, and I found this post starting to go there. So let me clarify. This is just a tool that I use to help me slow down and take notice of what I am doing.
What did I learn about myself, what did I notice this week about my life, about myself. What made me happy or sad, and why. What is something that I am proud of. Rather than the capitalist focus on productivity and self-development, personal growth and individualism, my weekly check-ins serve to ground my being in the slow ways of personal empathy and community-mindedness. They help me integrate new ways of knowing and process new ways of being that I have been exposed to. As a reflection tool, the questions change based on my growth and new knowledge. Completing the check-in helps me continuously build a better check in system for myself, my values, and my goals.
We move through our lives so quickly, rarely stopping to appreciate the changes that we have made. Or acknowledge the changes that were made without our control. My weekly check-in allows me to work within the framework of my mental illness and get shit done. But it also gives me the opportunity to be kind to myself, and better understand my patterns.
HERE ARE THE PROMPTS
Y’all here is what I’m sure you have all been waiting for. The actual prompts! Again, I welcome you to approach this with an open heart and mind, and adjust the prompts to comfort and challenge you in balance.
Capture
Get things out of my head and on to paper
Collect any relevant notes laying around
Process into the right places
Reflect on the previous week
Did I get everything done? If no, why not?
What needs to get moved to this week’s to-dos and what can get scrapped completely?
How are my daily routines and habits going?
What brought me JOY this week?
Where did my WORD show up?
Review next week
What commitments do I have?
What preparation do I need to do?
How much (realistically) can I do in a day?
Add in actions related to my goals and tasks
Block off time I need to rest
Review the week after next
What events are in there, and
Do I need to do anything about them this week?
Review goals and projects
Do they have clear next action points to work on?
Edit out impossible things and things I’ve let go of
First of all keep in mind that some years this will be easier than others! 2022 was a hard year for me to read 80 books. I stopped tracking in July, had a bunch of duds in a row, and by November I had read only 38 books!
So I put together the best tips that I use to achieve my reading goals. I am taking my own advice with these tips on how to read 80 books per year.
FINDING BOOKS TO READ
These are not tips on where to buy books, although as an environmentalist, and a book-minimalist, I always find myself recommending the library and second hand book stores over buying new. There are so many sustainable – and accessible – ways to read 80 books every year! This section is for folks who don’t know what title or author to read next. How do you find new books to add to your TBR – to be read – pile? Where do you look for recommendations? Here are some tips on how to read 80 books per year if finding books to read is hard for you.
1.Join a book club. Being in a book club is one of my greatest goals, and this year I have finally experienced a bit of success! Every two months we get to vote on three books. The one with the most votes is the one we discuss at our next meeting. So right there is at least 18 books I can add to my TBR pile! If you aren’t already in abook club you can find one through your local library.
2. Speaking of your local library, they have loads of resources for finding new books to read. At my local library I really like the mystery bags. They also have a really strong staff picks section at each branch. And are always featuring new titles or authors on their website and blog.
4. Ask your friends what they are reading. I have one internet pal who I know reads the same theme of books as I do. So when I am in a desparte drought, I put the call out to Sarah for some ideas!
5. Listen to a podcast about books. My favourite is Get Booked from Book Riot, but they have dozens of podcasts to choose from.
HOW TO READ MORE
Let’s be honest, 80 books is a lot of books for most folks. I mean, I think it’s a lot. I have a high school pal who reads over 100 books per year and please pick my jaw up off the floor. Some books take me the full 3 weeks of my library time, and a few overdue weeks as well. If “how to read 80 books in a year” seems overwhelming and impossible, maybe you need to start with 40 or 10! Whatever number seems doable and challenging. That’s the sweet spot to try and hit.
So now you’ve set your numbers goal. How do you ensure you can read more books. Here are 6 tips to help you read more books.
1. Don’t forget that audiobooks are “real” books. It really cheeses me off when people say that an audiobook isn’t a real book. Are you getting emotionally involved in the charcater development? Are you learning and being challenged by the material? IT COUNTS so you better count it. Plus, audiobooks are more accessible to some folks, so it is ableist to say that audiobooks aren’t real books.
2. If you don’t like it, quit it. I know what I like and what I don’t like when it comes to books. And I can usually tell pretty quickly with a book if it is one I am going to enjoy. If it is not, I feel no remorse for quitting it early. Why struggle through a title that you don’t even like, just to get a checkmark on your year? Life is short. Let’s make sure our reading material is interesting or entertaining. That’s not to say that you shouldn’t read hard books. Part of my goal setting every year is to find books that challenge my world view or understanding of things. This is important especially for white, cis, straight readers.
3. Put a book in your bag. This is especially handy if you read e-books or audiobooks! But it can be done with your favourite hardcover as well. This enables you to read on the bus, or while waiting for an appointment. Just make sure you don’t get so involved in the plot that you miss your stop!
4. Start Tracking. It’s pretty traditional goal-setting advice that if you aren’t tracking your goal, how will you know and measure success? It doesn’t have to be fancy either. I started a really simple Google Sheet where I can track the title, author, and component of the book that matches my other goals (essays, non-fiction, Canadian authors, etc.). Maybe you have a nice notebook, planner, or Bu Jo (Bullet journal) where you can jot titles down as you go. This will give you a great place to go back to as well if you are running out of ideas.
5. Stretch Goals. If you reach 70 by October, set an even bigger goal for the end of the year.
6. Break up the year into sections. Maybe you know that your summers are very busy with work-travel-kids, etc. so you only plan to reach 10 books from June to September. Or maybe summer is when you get most of your reading done so you put 40 books on the list for those months.
Like I wrote at the start, setting book goals can be difficult some years. If you are really keen on creating a better habit for reading more books, it can be difficult to “find time”. Sometimes you have to be really intentional to carve out time to reach your “80 Books a Year” goal. Grab your book while dinner is cooking and get a few pages in. Instead of playing on your phone while waiting for an appointment, put on an audio book or e-book. A few pages a day adds up. And some days maybe you’ll get more read. Where I live, we get snow and cold in the winter. I love a good stormy, snow day for cozying up on the couch and reading an entire goofy mystery.
Do you have any tips for reaching big reading goals? And reading 80 – or more – books per year?
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