How to Start a Reading Journal and Set Your Goals: Reading Journal Spread Ideas
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This post is all about reading journal spread ideas and setting goals for your reading journal.
I love a good reading journal because I ALWAYS opt for an analogue approach to my hobbies and reading wherever possible. I have a million notebooks flying around at any one time, but my favourite is my reading journal.
My resolution for the rest of this year is to be super consistent with it, and I really want to spend some time making it a ritual to write in it each evening.
It always feels sooo rewarding to be able to look back at what I have read, and actually remember it. Recently I have been scrolling through Pinterest (surprise, surprise) and I have found so many super cute spreads to go with my 64 reading journal page ideas, which I will definitely be including in the upcoming months.
I will give an updated reading journal tour within the next year so you can all see where we are at! I’m really looking forward to that post, so make sure to stay tuned!
This post is all about reading journal spread ideas- goals for your reading journal.
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Why Go Analogue?
There are so many digital reading trackers out there, and some of them are really good and provide a really valuable sense of community for many readers. But, I never quite got into them.
Reading can often be a relatively solitary activity, and seems to have a particular pull towards individuals that seek a calmer, less digital life. I mean, reading about 18th century balls and circuses, and a time that feels simpler can do that to a girl.
I find the more I read the more I crave a notebook and pen, and a vast expanse of land and trees. Call me 80, but that feels pretty perfect to me.
That being said, there are many genuine benefits to opting for an analogue approach to certain things in life.
1. It’s slower
Writing by hand is quite significantly slower than typing on a keyboard. Although this sounds like a bad thing, it’s actually not. Your brain can think faster than you write, which gives you time to think better. It also helps slow down your thoughts so you will end up making fewer mistakes, or spotting mistakes faster.
2. Improve focus
Writing by hand allows for time that is uninterrupted. But it also means time away from screens. Less time with digital stimulation has a compounding effect.
Recently, I have started being super strict with myself about reducing how often I look at screens. The first hour and the last hour of the day are a huge no.
What I hoped for with this, and what it has definitely done, is reduced how often I want to look at screens in the day. This has given me so much better focus for the rest of my day!
Things I usually procrastinate and avoid feel like HALF the mountain they used to! I would definitely recommend.
3. Enhance Memory Retention
I am convinced that what helped me get through school and university with good grades was that I always wrote everything by hand.
My teachers were big on this in school, and that carried through to my university life. Writing by hand meant that I could just remember stuff way better than I ever could when I was typing.
I believe the real reason for this is that handwriting interconnects specific parts of the brain- perception, motor function and memory- which results in us better retaining what we write.
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4. More Creativity
Have you ever tried closing your laptop and writing ideas out on pen and paper. Ideas just FLOW.
5. Organisation
I mix and match my organisational tools. When I go digital, I have been LOVING click-up and that has been great for my professional life.
But my personal life flourishes on my trusty planner. I use one from Amazon, because it has always been a really affordable option for me.
I write out my life goals, what I want to eat, birthdays, to do lists and everything else.
Reading Journal Ideas for Beginners
Understandably, it can feel quite overwhelming to start a reading journal for the first time. Most reading journal spread inspiration out there is quite extravagant, not only that, but also very time consuming.
Also, chances are that if you are working a full time job, you won’t be reading 100 books a year. When that’s the case, you don’t need a million spreads to keep organised.
I would start with just these 3.
1. A Year in Pixels Reading Tracker
Why:
- Super easy to fill in daily
- Can be as detailed as you like
What you need:
- Coloured pens
- Black fine liner
- Bullet Journal
- Ruler (unless you can draw super straight lines with your hands)
2. Master Log
Why:
- Very minimal
- Only need 4 columns for book title, author, date finished and rating
What you need:
- Black fine liner
- Bullet journal
- Pastel highlighters (optional, but super cute)
3. TBR list
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Why:
- A great way to remember what you want to read
- Help you stay super organised
- When someone asks what you want for Christmas, the answer’s pretty easy.
What you need:
- Black fine liner
- Bullet journal
- Pastel highlighters (again, optional, but super cute)
These are very easy spreads to do, and take very little time in general. If you are new to reading trackers, this is the place to start.
Get used to how you like to decorate your pages, and how much time you have to give to it. If you need a step up, then there is an abundance of ideas you can begin to add.
If you need a little inspiration, here are 64 reading journal page ideas you can have for free (CLICK HERE).
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Reading Journal Printable
Reading journal printables are crazy popular for a reason.
If you are new to journaling, they are a super affordable way to have something that is super aesthetic, without the hard work and the high price.
With reading printables you simply print them off, and then bind into a binder. Or, resize on your printer settings, and glue into your reading journal.
I have so many for free on my blog, and if you are new to book journaling and you don’t have much time, these are a great place to start.
All of the reading journal printables listed below have been created by me, and are free to use.
1. Whimsical Reading Journal
2. Starry Night Reading Log
3. Summer Reading Journal
3 Tips For Being Consistent With Your Reading Journal
Having a super cute journal helps way more than you might think! It makes it so much more exciting to sit down and commit to something if you are actually excited to use it.
Create monthly spreads so your reading journal doesn’t get overwhelming. This will help you refocus and get excited again at the beginning of each month!
It doesn’t have to be complicated either!
It is always best to carve out a slice of time that you are committed to actually doing any new habit. For example, you might decide that 10 minutes, after brushing your teeth in the evening, but before getting into bed, you are going to sit at your desk and update your journal.
Maybe those ten minutes are the only time you light your favourite scented candle. By associating this time with a specific scent can help train your brain to know that when that candle is lit, it’s time to update your journal.
Tools For Having a Super Cute Reading Journal
Must haves:
- A bullet journal (a notebook with dotted marks instead of lines, you can get this from most craft stores, online, or pretty much anywhere books are sold)
- A good fine line pen you like to use
- Coloured pens (this helps massively with organisation, and allows you to colour code)
- Ruler
Additional equipment:
- Highlighters (any opportunity to splurge on pastel highlighters)
- Washi tape
- Stickers
- Water colour (a surprisingly effective way to decorate spreads, that doesn’t tend to bleed through pages)
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5 Goals for your Reading Journal
Onto the good stuff.
Setting goals when it comes to reading is pretty standard practice for most. It’spretty much the pinnacle of self improvement.
Want better mental health? Goal: Read one self development book a month.
Develop your vocabulary? Goal: Read ten classics in the next year.
Want to simply read more? Goal: Read 10 pages every night before bed.
I love setting myself goals. I find it really rewarding to be working towards something. The tip is to keep them really reasonable. If you read 5 books last year, it’s probably not a good idea to plan to read 100 this year.
(A great book to read about building new habits would be Atomic Habits by James Clear!)
Here are some reasonable reading goals and reading journal spread ideas to match.
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Goals
Read all the books on your physical TBR | Create a TBR list that is easy to read
Try a book from a new genre every month | Genre book bingo
Read 10 pages a day | Habit tracker
Find a 5 star read | Master log with star ratings
Remember what you read better | Review pages and deep dives
This article was all about how to start a reading journal and set goals with reading journal spread ideas.
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