I was going to start this with something about admitting you have a problem. That’s not the point of the post, though. The point is accepting that I don’t read like I used to and that it is OK.
I’ve mentioned ad nauseam that I used to read 100 books a year.
I would read all the time.
I would carry a book with me at all times and read while I was waiting in line.
I would read during commercials back when we still watched commercials.
I would sometimes read one physical book while listening to another on my commute.
I would finish a book and immediately pick up another book and start reading.
That has all changed.
I rarely have a book with me when I leave the house unless I know there will be a long wait.
When I watch a show live, I no longer grab my book when the commercials start.
I don’t listen to books in the car, partly because I don’t drive as much as I used to.
I generally take a day between books these days unless I have one on my shelves that I am particularly excited about.
I take more breaks from the book I am reading.
I will probably be closer to 50 books this year than 100.
I used to stress about this. I hated that my reading numbers were down and saw it as a problem.
I no longer see it that way. It is just a change. It isn’t a bad change. It isn’t a good change. It just is what it is. I have accepted that.
I will read when I feel like reading. I will feed bad books to the dust bunnies without guilt. I will stop caring about an arbitrary reading goal I set on Goodreads.
Change happens. You just have to learn to live with it.
The World's Common Tater 
Nothing wrong with 50 books a year…
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No. I just had to accept the change from where I was before
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It’s all about acceptance
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I have gone through seasons where I didn’t pick up a book (except to dust) for months. But now I read 4 books a week.
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I’m sure it will be up and down for me
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What you wrote is completely true for me. I have not set a goal in Goodreads this year either. I am not trying to achieve a goal by reading. I read for my own enjoyment (and work) and I don’t need to hit a certain number. I have also changed my mindset about reading.
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I set the Goodreads goal mainly to help track for writing about my year in books later but I let myself get caught up in the goal instead of the reading.
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Enjoy reading when you feel like it. It’s neither a race nor a challenge. If a book isn’t bringing you satisfaction, then definitely set it aside. I do that a lot now. There are only so many books I can read in the rest of my life; I don’t have time for those that are a chore.
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Yeah. I just need to stop thinking I’m “wasting time” when I do other things in place of reading
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How do read a book and listen to a book at the same time ?
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I listened only in the car and made sure the audio book was different enough from the print book I read elsewhere that I didn’t get the plots confused
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Oh ok lol I thought ya meant at the same time
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I used to read a lot more too. I think I’m more distracted. When we got for long drives, we always have a book on Audible.
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There are a lot more distractions these days
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Definitely!
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I read a lot more – and without guilt – when I lived alone. I’d probably read more and watch a lot less TV if it wasn’t for Himself. Indeed, I didn’t have a TV when he moved in with me.
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I would probably read more if I lived alone or if my wife worked at the office again.
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