Goal Achieved

I feel speechless discussing this, this goal achieved. I kinda feel lost without it. It's hard to believe it was four years ago that launched me on my journey to achieve this behemoth goal.

Yes, it was four years ago I attended a meeting offered every January to the women in the community, 'New Year, NEW YOU!'. I needed to attend. The speaker, an inspiring, visionary woman named Linda Werner, gave many insights, but when she spoke of her goal to read 50 books each year I really perked up. I read a lot. I enjoy reading, but up to then, it had been a sporadic activity in my life, causing sporadic growth. I liked the dynamic, steady growth she spoke of as a result of her steady reading.

Break down 50 books a year and it's pretty much a book a week. That means I go on vacation with a book,  I'm making dinner with a book, the week of Thanksgiving and Christmas, yep, that's me with a book.

So, I've been silent about hurdling this goal because I just don't know what to think of it. For 2011 I'm on target but I struggle with this sort of dazed and confused feeling. A kind of what do I do? I thought It might be helpful to take a look at the BIG picture, take it in from the beginning of my journey.

Like I said all began in 2007, the same year I wrapped up my B.A. (I completed 72 semester hours in 12 months but that's a tale for another day).

I read....

39 books in '07,
42 in '08,
30 in '09
and finally (drum roll please)
50 in '10

That's a grand total of 161 books in 4 years. I have laughed, cried, followed The Man around reading aloud passages (to which he responds, "don't read it to me I WILL read it someday") and I have grown.

By leaps and bounds I've grown.

I am in love with Jane Eyre,

I have read and  re-read The White Knights 

 

and the Chronicles of Narnia (I only counted them once). 

 
My efforts have booster rocketed my kids. The Girlies have each read 20 hearty, thick books since August of 2010.

This has been a grand Goal Achieved and I'm going keep going. Maybe I can get in 52 reads this year. You can track my progress with my sidebar reading list. Check in with me for my Reading Reflections as I post thoughts from my various books.

What about you? Do you track your reads in a year? Maybe my goal is small to yours....I'd love to hear your reading plans for this new year (yes, I know it's already February but it still feels new to me).