Reading goals · Examples
20 reading goal examples you can steal
Copy one, tweak the number to fit your life, and start today.
Quick answer
The best reading goal is the one you'd still want in November
Pick something specific (which book or how many), measurable (pages or minutes a day), and flexible (you can recalculate if you fall behind). The list below is a buffet, not a checklist.
| Category | Goal | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Volume | Read 12 books this year | ~10 pages/day. Beginner-friendly. |
| Volume | Read 24 books this year | ~20 pages/day. Committed reader. |
| Volume | Read 50 books this year | ~41 pages/day. Big lift. |
| Volume | Read 1 book per week | ~50 books/yr. Fast pace. |
| Habit | Read 20 minutes a day | ~20 pages. Consistent over volume. |
| Habit | Read before checking my phone in the morning | 5–10 pages, low resistance. |
| Habit | Replace 30 minutes of scrolling with reading | ~30 pages/day, 100+ books/yr. |
| Habit | Read every day for 30 days | Build the streak, then re-evaluate. |
| Variety | Read 12 books in 12 genres | One per month, no repeats. |
| Variety | Read 6 non-fiction + 6 fiction | Balanced diet. |
| Variety | Read 4 books from authors I've never tried | Anti-comfort-zone. |
| Variety | Read 3 books in translation | Expand worldview. |
| Theme | Finish my TBR pile before buying new books | Inventory-first. |
| Theme | Read the rest of [author]'s catalogue | Completionist. |
| Theme | Re-read one favorite this year | Permission to re-read. |
| Theme | Read 4 classics I 'should have' read by now | Catch-up. |
| Specific | Finish [book] by [date] | Use the pages-per-day calculator. |
| Specific | Read all my book club picks on time | Calendar-driven. |
| Specific | Finish the series I started in 2024 | Closure goal. |
| Specific | Read with my partner — same book, same week | Shared accountability. |
How to make any of these stick
- Pair the goal with a time. "20 pages with coffee" beats "20 pages a day".
- Track in one place. Two trackers = no tracking.
- Recalculate weekly. Falling behind is normal; quitting because you fell behind is the problem.
- DNF freely. Letting go of a book frees you to finish three others.
Pick a goal — get your daily number
Frequently asked
- What's a good reading goal example for a beginner?
- 'Read 12 books in 12 months' — about 10 pages a day. It's triple the average adult's annual count and fits in 10 minutes a day.
- Should my reading goal be about quantity or quality?
- Both work. Quantity goals (50 books) drive consistency. Variety or theme goals (12 genres, all of an author) drive depth. Pick whichever motivates you more.
- How specific should my reading goal be?
- Specific enough to measure. 'Read more' is a wish; 'read 20 pages every weekday' is a goal. Add a date and you'll usually hit it.