Are you interested in getting into reading? Or maybe you used to be a reader, and want to get back into it? Or maybe you are a reader currently but you want to be able to read more? If any of these are you, then welcome to my 2026 Monthly Reading Challenges!

In 2026, my goal is to get more people reading, or get readers reading more, and I'm going to be using Bindery and Discord to host monthly reading challenges. Through these challenges, we're going to slowly work our way up to help you hit whatever your goal is. Whether your goal is to read 1 book this year, or 100, I want to help you get there!

So how will it work? Each month will have a theme, and the themes will build on themselves. There will be Bindery-exclusive content for these challenges, and we will also have a support system and active discussion through Discord. Active participants each month will be eligible to received a monthly $25 Bookshop.org gift card, and at the end of the year there will be a grand prize as well! You are welcome to join months as you see fit - if a month doesn't apply to you, no pressure, you can always com back the next month!

To start the year off, the first thing we need to do is figure out where you're spending your time, what your goals are, and then start to implement your plan. Hence, our January theme will be Find the Time!

Find the Time: 

• January 5 - 18: I am going to have you do a time audit, and a screen time audit.

  • The time audit form is provided in a suggested format, but make it what you want and what works for you. 

  • For the screen time audit, use whatever phone tracking system you have available to you. 

  • We can analyze your time audits, and come up with a plan

• January 19 - 25: I am going to have you pick a goal for making time to read. This doesn’t have to be a ton of time - even 15 minutes a day adds up! We are also going to pick a book for you to start based on where you are in your reading and your interests. You will test out and tweak things this week. 

• January 26 - February 1: You will implement your plan, keep tabs on your progress, and evaluate how its going. 

Resources

• Discord Server: we have a great group of active readers over on Discord, and there is a specific forum channel (like Reddit) where you can ask questions, talk about your struggles, and get advice. 

• Bindery: I will actively monitor comments and respond there, although Discord is much more “real time.”

• Time audit form (download and use/manipulate as you see fit)

• January Overview

Time Audit Guidelines

• Track your activities. Whether you print the form out or download it to your phone or a device, keep it handy through the day. I have broken the day up into 30 minute chunks as I have found this ideal in my own prior time audits, but adjust as you see fit (get as granular or big picture as you want). But be HONEST!

• At the end of the two weeks you can calculate average time and percentages spent in each category each day.

• For your time audit, I would suggest the following categories as labels for what you are doing during your days. This will help you at the end see what proportion of your time is spent in different areas. Of course, feel free to make your own. 

  • Sleep: This is obvious I hope 🙂

  • Personal: Activities that we all have to do: eating, grooming, exercise, personal maintenance

  • Family time: Time spent with significant others, kids

  • Work: Again, hopefully obvious

  • Hobbies: Non-reading hobbies

  • Screen time: Time spent on your phone, watching TV, on a tablet

  • Reading

I'm so excited to get into these challenges, and to help people hit their reading goals. If you are interested in a discussion about how to set reading goals, I've also included a YouTube video I have on this very topic. Hope to see you here or on Discord!