September Reads & Ambitions: A Month of Growth

kj_320September 5, 2024

Can you believe that we are already in September?! Because I simply cannot. It feels like April was just yesterday, so I’m not sure how the heck time just passed so quickly. We are officially only three-and-a-half months away from 2025.

Unfortunately for me, I am still struggling with this prolonged reading slump which has put me several books behind schedule. Fortunately for me, I am not a quitter and I plan to claw my way out of this slump and prevail on my challenge even if it kills me!

Between the busy rotational program, I’ve been in for the last year, and the clinical trial study I’m participating in for my Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP), it’s just been an extremely tiring and draining year. I have typically always used reading as a way to escape reality or to get lost in a story that will distract me from life.

However, being on the News team for my final rotation during an increasingly chaotic and important election cycle has been a lot for me. My brain gets so overstimulated with watching the news every day, all day, that when I get home the last thing I want to do is read. Same thing applies to being in the study. The clinical visits are so long and the tests demand so much of my eyes, that when I get home the last thing I want to do is read.

I think that once my rotational program is over and I’ve transitioned back to my regular department, I’ll have more time to prioritize reading and focus on getting out of this slump.

Since September is going to be a transition month at work for me as I get back into the groove of working in my regular role, I decided to use this time to help shift and reprioritize my goals for the final few months of 2024.

My plan, and hope, is to get through three books in September. However, I’m also going to set an ambitious goal and try to read five books. If I’m able to knock out five books, I’ll have had the opportunity to catch up with my Goodreads challenge and have earned some gain in it.

I have a handful of ARC’s to get through, as well as a few new releases I’ve been looking forward to. The end of the year is coming, so I want to make sure I am extra prepared to overcome this slump. It’s been a while since I’ve had one that lasted this long, and I’d like it to not happen again!

Most importantly, I know and acknowledge that I’m struggling and I am committed to being kind to myself. I know that I will overcome this difficult period and I’ll be better in the future.

Another thing I want to do differently in September, that I believe might make it easier for me to get out of this reading slump and successfully complete my challenge, is not picking which books I’m going to read. Instead, as I mentioned above, I’ll shoot for three books (five if we’re being optimistic) and focus on hitting that goal.

I think this will alleviate some of the pressure that comes with trying to stay on track of my challenge, especially while in such a dire slump.

We’re already a few days into September, so I’m technically already slightly behind if I want to read three to five books this month. To help rectify this, I’m going to put on a short audiobook while I drive to and from work and then read a physical or kindle book when I get home.

I wrote a blog post a few weeks ago about reading slumps and my tips and tricks for overcoming them, you can read it here.

Also, make sure to follow my socials. I’ve been trying to post more about bookish stuff, to help expand my niche from just Disney and random life tidbits. Reading is such a huge part of my personality that I want to make sure I grow that following as well!