Motivational Monday

The last few weeks I have been focused on one thing - reading. I set a goal at the beginning of the year to read 100 books. Yes, 100 books. Just a few. Recently, I heard a reader will read an average of eight books a year, so to set a goal of 100 is kinda crazy. But I did.

And for the last few weeks I've been reading my bootie off! I am this close to my goal. I reached 96 books last night, which ties me for how many books I read last year {2013}. Four more books to reach my goal.

But, how is this motivational? Well, I suppose the fact that I set a goal in January and I'm almost there is motivational. I had months where I did really well {19 books in January}, but also had months where it didn't go so well {one in April...if I had only read a few more books that month!}. Now we're 12 months into the goal and I am almost there...I kept at it even when I had months that didn't go so well. I made up the lack of April in other months.

What I'm trying to say is this, while I love to read {your goal might be something else}, it is motivational staying the course, finishing a goal. Reading may not seem like a goal to some, but to me being able to say I read 100 books in one year is incredible. I was able to do something I love and feel accomplished. I read some amazing books {and some not so much}, but I followed through. I did what I said I would.

That's what motivation is all about. Setting a goal, following through to the end through the highs and lows of it. Some days you feel like you'll never reach your goal; other days you can't believe how easy it is. But, day after day you slog on in the hopes that at the end, you will accomplish what it was you set out to do.

So, by December 31 I will be able to say I read 100 books. That is my goal and that is what I will accomplish. And by doing so, I prove to myself I can do what I set out to do, no matter what obstacles {internal or external} come my way.

There are 16 days left in 2014, what goal will you accomplish before then?

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Well, we are the end of June and that means we're halfway through the year. I had a couple of goals for the year and I am going to go over them in total in another post, but this post is dedicated to my books.

My goal this year is to read 100 books by the end of the year. I have an obsession with reading and generally am reading multiple books at a time. I read a wide variety of genres including history, science fiction, mystery, sports, historical romance, horror, and anything that falls outside those that sound interesting. The books above are on my bookshelf currently from when I wrote my M.A. thesis on "How the National Sports Media Perpetuates Fan Stereotypes." It was a lot of fun researching that!

So, where do I stand in my goal? At this point I need 50 books to be exactly on track. Drum roll please...55! Woot!! Totally on track for 100 this year!

What are some of my favorites from this year?

Fever of War ~ Carol R. Byerly
Forgotten Tales of Pennsylvania ~ Thomas White
Shadow of the Titanic ~ Andrew Wilson
The Great War As I Saw It ~ Frederick George Scott
Lost In Italy ~ Stacey Joy Netzel
Solomon's Throne ~ Jennings Wright
The Seven Steps to Closure ~ Donna Joy Usher

Just so you know, I'm getting nothing for linking them over to Amazon for you. I just thought if you were interested in checking them out this makes it easier. These books were really fun reads and if you are interested go read up on them!

With six months of the year to go I need 45 books to reach my goal of 100. Here's to the next six months!

Update: Add another book to the list. Finished one while getting my hair done today. LOL! 56 books total.
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