2021 Goals (this started out being about reading goals, but brevity is not my strong suit)

While I managed to surpass my quota of reading 52 books in 2020, I did not finish either the Reading Glasses Challenge or the Professional Book Nerds Challenge for last year. It bugs me a little because I don't like to leave reading challenges undone -- if I can't succeed at reading, I won't succeed at anything! -- but it was a hell of a year.

(Like this one hasn't been, but that's another story.)

I made a spreadsheet for the 2021 reading challenges from Reading Glasses, the Professional Book Nerds, and PopSugar. I may finish the first two, but I highly doubt I will do all fifty of the last one. But I'm keeping track anyway. I also set a quota of fifty-two books at Goodreads. GR doesn't discriminate between new-to-me books and rereads; if it's in their database and I've read it this year, it counts.

(I went back and checked my 2020 books on GR; At least sixty were new to me. I'm not sure about the Lumberjanes comic book series, because I'd read at least half before 2020. I was conservative and counted four of the volumes, even though the actual new-to-me number is probably six or seven. I prefer to err on the side of caution. I also do that when I'm swimming laps at the local pool; if I'm not sure whether I've swum 300 or 400 meters, I tell myself I've swum 300 and go from there. I don't want to take credit for something I may not have accomplished.)

But if I read at least fifty-two books I haven't read before in 2021, I will be content. Average one a week. Everything else is gravy. I've already finished six, and I have four more in progress.

Reading Glasses and the Professional Book Nerds are both podcasts, by the way. I don't know if I've ever mentioned either. I don't listen to PBN much, but I am a devotee of Reading Glasses. Hosts Mallory and Brea have very different tastes in books, but under the surface of settings and genres, there are a lot of similarities, too ... and I have a lot of preferences in common with one or both of them. Plus, they're just fun to listen to! They have good chemistry, they really love books, and they have a lot of interesting things to say. So listening to their podcast gives me something to look forward to every week.

Dangle some ridiculous reward in front of me, and I turn into a total wh0re. Both Kindle and Audible have "badges" for reading daily and doing other challenges, like creating bookmarks or reading over the weekend. I have been jumping through all their hoops to get those badges, even though I can't show them to anyone, and no one would be interested anyway. All the same, it's fun to see the pretties on my profile.

I resumed learning Spanish on Duolingo this year, too. It's only January 16th as I type this, so there's still plenty of time to fall off the wagon. I'm still playing catch-up, reviewing topics and vocabulary I've covered before (both at Duolingo and in high school), so it's relatively easy. But I'm having a good time, and Mom is happier with me now that I'm doing something that could strengthen my chances of employment. I've been unemployed for almost thirteen months -- thanks, COVID -- and I am going out of my mind. I did very little to improve my mind or body in 2020, and I am working to not be as rudderless this year.

I suppose it is a New Year's resolution because I resumed Duolingo on January 1st, but I refuse to call it that. Part of the timing was a video from a YouTuber who has ADHD. She put forth a 90-Day challenge in September for her followers, to give them and herself accountability. I dithered about what to do for my challenge for two weeks before I realized everyone else was half a month into their challenges, so I gave up. The YouTuber put her results video up on December 30th, and I really did miss the boat on that one. There is no challenge going right now, but I'm behaving as though there is.

Happy New Year.