In 2017, I started more books than I finished. And I’m proud of that. For every page turned and word read I’ve grown. Now that doesn’t mean that there isn’t a part of me wanting to do better and read more books, but in this season I’m happy with what I am accomplishing.
Even with having multiple books started and not finishing as many as I set as a goal. I believe I am better today because I was actively reading. Too often we discount what we have accomplished because it is less than we purposed to do. So I want to share my 9 literary wins for 2017 and my reading goal for 2018.
Here are my completed 2017 books, I would recommend all of them as outstanding in their respective genre.
- The Synergist – Les McKeown
- The Gift of Sex – Clifford & Joyce Penner (school)
- Power For Life – Jeff Leake
- To Be Told – Dan Allender
- Phoenix – Mark Dawson
- Leadership and the One Minute Manager – Kenneth Blanchard
- Transition Companion – Tim Austin
- Live It – Jairek Robbins
- What Most Successful People Do Before – Laura Vanderkam
9 books in 12 months. I’m happy with that achievement. That’s one book every 5.76 weeks. This year I’m working to become just a little more efficient and read 12 books in 12 months. That’s one book every 4.33 weeks. I know the math is staggering.
So what does 2018 look like for me? Here are the 12 books I’ve intentionally picked to improve my health (physically, emotionally, professionally, socially, & spiritually).
- Finish – Jon Acuff
- The Forgotten Jesus – Robby Gallaty
- Long Walk to Freedom – Nelson Mandela’s
- Halftime – Bob Bufort
- Tribe – Seth Goden
- Messy Grace – Caleb Kaltenbach
- School of Greatness – Lewis Howes
- Sybil – Flora Rheta Scheiber
- 52 ways to have fun, fantastic sex – Penner & Penner
- Virtual Culture – Bryan Miles
- Tribe of Mentors – Tim Farris
- Wooden – John Wooden, Steve Jamison
Each one of these books represents an area I want to become better in. I want to become a better finisher, grow as a Christian, become a more compassionate human, build a better marriage, learn more about business, develop my communication skills, and become a proficient therapist.
Just in case I get froggy and wind up finishing my 12 before 31 December, I have a standby list.
- Speak like Churchill, stand like Lincoln – James C. Humes
- Ted Talks storytelling: 23 story telling techniques – Akash Karia
- The mentor leader – Tony Dungy
- Star Wars: The Rise of The Empire
I’ve heard it said that if you’re not reading you’re not learning. I would agree, though we can learn from so many genres and media types. One of the best insights I gained in 2017 was from a novel. The perspective of the character conveyed a truth that was powerful and a helpful aid in counseling.
[tweetthis twitter_handles=”@pritchard_an” remove_hidden_hashtags=”true” remove_hidden_urls=”true”]If you are no reading you are not learning.[/tweetthis]
This year I want to encourage you first to set a reading goal. If you want to improve your reading skills check out Jon Acuff’s free resource “How to read 100 books in a year“.
Maybe you have never completed a book before, this can be your year.
Maybe you love novels, but could benefit from a memoir.
Maybe you have a dream of being an entrepreneur or business owner and need the insight of fellow trailblazers.
[tweetthis remove_twitter_handles=”true” remove_hidden_hashtags=”true” remove_hidden_urls=”true”]2018 is your year.[/tweetthis]
Lastly, here are a few of the author websites, from the books I’ve mentioned above, so you can do a little exploring. They are my 5 favorite places to visit right now and challenge me to grow daily.
Check out Jon Acuff, Carey Nieuwhof, Mark Dawson, Lewis Howes, and Seth Godin
(on a side note I read about 27 textbooks per year for my graduate program, which I’m completing this summer! So that brings the total books read up to 36 in 2017.)
What are you reading in 2018? Do you have a plan? Share your list in the comments below.