Monday 1 September 2014

Books: Fifty Two in Fifty Two.

I've been debating having a crack at the fifty two in fifty two project for a while. Fifty two books in fifty two weeks... Crikey.

I heard about it a while ago - at the start of summer - and thought that it'd be a good thing to do as a New Year's resolution. I love reading. I love books. The covers and the fonts and the blurb on the back. Picking them, discussing them, that feeling of sadness (or relief) when you've finished a really good one. I love it all. I also love uniformity and starting things at the right time, and therefore kept reminding myself to start it in January. A logical place to start. Book one, week one.

But recently, I've not been doing very well at the actual reading thing. I just seem to be buying them, and never quite get round to dipping in.

I think some of it stems from my inability to relax. It's something quite a few people have commented on. I can't just sit and watch telly,  I have to be crocheting, editing photos or writing the week's menu plan. I like to spend my Sundays doing something, otherwise the overwhelming panic that I have wasted my down time overtakes. Not so much down time after all, it seems.

The only time I just sit and do nothing - well, not quite nothing - is on holiday. Maybe it's the warmth, or the lack of phone reception, or the acceptability of lying around drinking beers... I can switch off enough to just snooze, relax and read. But the one week in Greece each year isn't enough to keep my mind sane. 
Kefalonia
So that brings me back to the fifty two in fifty two challenge. After a couple of crap weeks, where I have done a lot of nothing, not in a good way, I think it's time to direct that into something productive. I want to teach myself that it is ok to just sit in my pyjamas and read. Or go out for lunch by myself and read. Just, y'know, read. Reading is relaxing. 

And so: the project begins.

2 comments:

  1. This was really interesting to read, because I am definitely of the type who struggles to sit still and 'do nothing'; I'm always rushing from one project or chore to the next. However, I've managed to convince myself that reading isn't sitting doing nothing, that it's valuable time spent well (which of course is true) so I almost never feel bad about sitting for a couple of hours with my head in a book. I think for types like us, having a goal that we're trying to achieve (such as 52 in 52!) works really well. Good luck!

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  2. Good luck with the challenge! :) xx

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