I’ve always loved reading. I have my mom to thank for it.. she’s always been an avid reader and passed it along to me. I remember sitting on my bedroom floor when I was little reading stories before bed. When I was old enough for chapter books, we’d still read books together, taking turns reading a chapter each evening.

We read books like Emmy Keeps a Promise (a favorite! we read that a couple times), The Box Car Children, and several other classic series.

Now that I’ve grown up, I’ve continued my reading habit and I like to create a reading list each year of books I’d like to read. I thought I’d show you how I put together a well-rounded reading plan each year.

What do you want to learn?

This is the first decision that must be made. Are you wanting to grow your business? Your relationship with God? Build your marriage? What about your relationship with your kids? Or maybe you’d like to learn a new skill, such as gardening, crocheting, web design, or something else. The options are virtually limitless.

A good place to start is to look at your priorities. Begin with books on strengthening the areas of your life that are at the top of your list of priorities.

How much time can you devote to reading?

This is where you get realistic about how many books to put on your list. It’s good to fit a certain time for reading into your schedule. You could get up a little earlier to fit in some reading time, or go to bed a little earlier to fit in a chapter or two before going to sleep.

Then you can supplement with other time here and there. I like to read on the Kindle app I have on my phone if I have to sit and wait in a waiting room.

What is recommended by people with similar tastes?

Now that you know what topics you want to cover and how many books you can handle reading throughout the year, it’s time to get ideas on what books to actually add to the reading list.

Start by browsing what others recommend and go from there. (Psst… Here’s what I’m reading this year!) Another way to find ideas is on Amazon – they will show recommended books based on what you have already looked up. From there you can read through the reviews to get a better feel for the book and if it would be one that’s beneficial for you to read.

You could always leave a few “spots” open in case you hear about a book that you just can’t wait to read, such as a new release or something recommended by a friend.

Being a frequent reader is a wonderful way to gain wisdom and insights from others that you can apply to your own life. You can learn new skills, tools, and more to grow as a person. A passion for reading will serve you well throughout your entire life.

To help you put together your own reading plan of action, here’s a free printable reading plan worksheet for you!

Be sure to sign up for the email newsletter so you don’t miss any upcoming free printables!

*This post may contain affiliate links. For more info, read my disclosure policy.