Flights of Fantasy discussion

Every year I set a challenge, or 2, or 5 and every year I end up biting off more than I can chew. My mind is already churning for 2017 because there are so many reading goals I want to accomplish, with absolutely no time to do it.

So, I'm asking for help.

-Most of my books are electronic.
-Most of my paper books are series that I either want to read, or want to reread in order to catch up, or complete.

My overall goals:

- Catch up with 50% to 75% at the leat of the group reads for both FoF and AE. Posts 3 - 7

- Complete/catch up with series I've already started. - My current Series challenge set up

- Resist the temptation to begin new series; especially if I only have one or none of the books. (I'm not joking about being a series addict).

- Tackle Mt. TBR (some of which has been on the list since 2011, if not longer).

My limitations:

- Even when I have little to do, it still takes me a minimum of 3 to 4 days to complete an average novel (approx. 300 pgs)

- I always have something to do! lol Besides running my household, I'm also a student and a substitute teacher who has become frequently requested for long term assignments. That means that my work day isn't always complete when I get home. (In fact, I'll be on a 3-month assignment while taking two college classes, this fall).

-I have a really hard time DNF'ing. I feel like if I've already invested time and/or money I should at least complete the damn thing.

I'm with you on all of this. Although I don't run the household technically, I do a lot of cooking, tidying and playing with kids. I get busrides, lunchtime and maybe thirty minutes at home to read.

I watch no TV unless it is family movie time.

How about making the challenges along the lines of what you told MrsJ and aim to reduce. Quantify the books lying around and a way to quantify new books and aim to reduce unread material by n pages over the year. Or reduce total unread sunk cost by so many dollars (I like this one because it makes you reevaluate the things that cost a lot more so than the freebies which come later.

I don't DNF either. I have one book on my DNF shelf. One. And I've read some some exceedingly long-winded things. I could use some help on that.

You could also work out a challenge like the series challenges that were and still are running around here. I know mine is stagnant these days, but my reading priorities changed. The only thing I would suggest is don't penalize yourself for deciding a series isn't worth finishing. In fact, reward yourself for clearing some clutter out of your life.

I know these feels.

I do the same thing you do...so not sure if I can be but so helpful, lol.

The challenges that I have done that work the best for me in situations like this are my "catch up" challenges.

In 2014 I did the group Series Challenge that Chris created. I can't find my notes on that one but it was GREAT for keeping new series down.

In 2015 I did the "DNF Graveyard" to work through some books that I'd started but never finished. I was able to kill of 15 books with that one.

This year I'm doing a "The Mt. TBR Struggle is Real" challenge. I started this one in the HOPES that I would reach for an already owned book before buying a new one.

If only there were a reasonable way to combine the 3. lol

I love the point system of the series challenge and could probably use it as a template for the others. I just don't know what to do with the points earned, or how to come up with a realistic consequence.

I honestly never would have considered rewarding myself instead of punishing myself for DNF'ing an uninteresting series, HiMS.

I totally agree with rewarding yourself for clearing out clutter.