Lit Challenge: 1 Book in 1 Month

The last lit challenge was the most viewed post to date. It was also the most tweeted and G+ed and I take that to mean that you guys really liked it. I think it is time for a new challenge. I try this one all the time and it definitely gets me reading more.

Challenge: Read one book in a month using the Kindle progress bar.

The progress bar is that little bar across the bottom of your Kindle that reads percentages and lets you know how far along you are in a book. With the average month being 30 days you can read 3% a day and be at 90% of a book. Here is the plan in a little more detail:

• Day 1: 3%
• Day 2: 3% + 3% = 6%
• Day 3: 6% + 3% = 9%
• Day 4: 9% + 3% = 12%
• Day 5: 12% + 3% = 15%
• Day 6: 15% + 4% = 19%
• Day 7: 19% + 5% = 24%

In the first week of the month you have almost read a quarter of the book. Repeat for four more weeks and voila! Since most people are busier during the week the challenge is to read 3% weekdays and 4% to 5% on weekends. Reading 3% a day leaves us with only 10% to make up during the month and that can be done by reading 1% to 2% more on days that we are not as busy, like weekends.

Depending on the length of the book and the font size used, this can be two to three page turns per percentage point; for much longer books it can be up to be fifteen page turns per percent.

I came up with this challenge because I always viewed the progress bar as a challenge. When I would read the progress bar would cheer me on. If I was on 19% of a book I could not put it down until I reached 20%. The 1% would nag me until I reached it. 20% seems like a much nicer place to stop than 19%, anyone else feel this way? I originally did this in 5% increments but I found that I normally had the time for that on weekends and so I adjusted it so that I could finish a book in one month as opposed to twenty days or three weeks.

3% percent is small enough that it is easily doable but enough of a challenge that you can complete a novel or anything else in one month.

Variation: 

A simple variation of this challenge would be to read 3% - 4% of anything you have on your Kindle every time you pick it up. Since I normally read multiple books at once this comes in handy to keep up with reading. Even if I didn’t complete a single book in a month I finish about a book in a month.

I find that if I am a little more lenient with a challenge I am more likely to finish it. Let me explain this. If I forget to read the 3% on a certain day I don’t worry about it too much. I spread out the 3% over the next three days by reading 1% more each day. Thursday I read 4%, Friday 4% and Saturday I read 5% to catch up. This amounts to 5 to 10 minutes a day of reading more per day. Even when I am extremely busy with work and school and watching my daughter I can find 10 minutes to catch up on reading. I love to prioritize my reading because I think it makes me a better conversationalist. When talking with a friend I always have a new book I am reading or just finished. The same way I recommend books here I do it in real life.

Challenge yourself and try the challenge! You have one month to complete this challenge. Think of this as an expansion of the last challenge. By reading 3% a day for a month you can read that book you have been planning. There is no better way to finish that book you been meaning to read than to start reading it today! If you forget a day or have too much to do do not worry. Just spread out that day's reading into the next few days and you will stay on track.

Don’t have a book to read? Try last year's Pulitzer prize winner in fiction. 
A Visit from the Goon Squad

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