New Year’s Reading: Keeping up with New Year’s resolutions has proven to increase productivity and happiness

Sitting cross-legged in my bed on Dec. 29, 2023, I opened up a new note in my Notes app and titled it “2024 New Year’s Resolutions.”

I clicked the bullet point button and started writing goals like I do every year, starting with the most daunting one:

“Read every day”

I strived to relive my bookworm days of binge reading the “Cam Jansen” books from elementary school, but I had no faith my high school self would be able to complete such a feat considering the only books I read last year were assigned by my English teachers.

Still, against my will, on Jan. 1 I picked up the book my mom gave me for Christmas — “Atomic Habits” by James Clear, and turned to page 1. 

After the first few days of squeezing in 15 minutes to read here and there, I couldn’t help but think this resolution would end up like my past resolutions of working out every day or keeping my room clean that had only lasted one week due to my short-term attention span. 

But reading is different. One week turned into two and then three, and I kept it up.

The constant repetition of reading helped rekindle my love of books from earlier in my youth. This routine not only made me feel studious, but it increased my motivation and helped cure my procrastination. 

I’ve now read for 41 days straight and have finished five books off of my personal shelf.

Since developing my routine of reading before I turn out my lights every night, I’ve found that I’m more eager to get my homework done.

If I don’t doom-scroll on Instagram for two hours and actually finish my lengthy calculus homework, my reward is reading 30 pages of “Five Feet Apart.” If I give in to my bad habit, I only get to read 10 pages. If I told my sophomore self that I have the time and energy to read every day and actually use it as a reward for myself, she’d call the police for identity theft.

This action and reward system has trained my brain to come home from school every day and buckle down to complete all my homework so I can stretch out and end my day with my favorite books about romance and fantasy.

In addition, I feel actual happiness while reading the adventures of Hazel and Gus from “The Fault in Our Stars.” A drastic shift from my previous deadpan face while watching get-ready-with-me videos.

I’ve even started to like my English class-assigned books, like “Just Mercy” by Bryan Stevenson.

Normally, I’d wait to cram in the assigned reading until the last minute, but with my new habit of reading every day, I’ve been able to keep up with each assigned chapter without a problem.

Unlike the rest of my classmates, my smile didn’t immediately disappear when my teacher assigned six chapters to read over Superbowl weekend. I didn’t feel the need to avoid eye contact with my teacher or silently pray to not be called on during the class discussion.

This confidence boost in and out of the classroom has started my year off with actual progress, making me think: Maybe New Year’s resolutions do work.

So if you’re looking to kick your procrastination habit, I have the best piece of advice: pick up a book. 

I know reading isn’t exactly like binging your favorite TV show but after some practice, binging a TV show can feel almost the exact same as getting lost in a book — only you get smarter while you do it.

You can even use your favorite TV shows as a way to find what genre would suit your fancy. “Bridgerton?” Pick up a book from the romance section. “The Vampire Diaries?” Pick up a book from the fantasy section.

Your 4th grade library teacher wasn’t lying when she said there are endless possibilities when it comes to books. It’s not too late to add to your New Year’s resolutions and join me in limitless productivity and entertainment.