December is the month I reserve for reviewing my current year’s progress. I work on big dreams, setting audacious goals, and plotting a strategy to move toward my desired destination. One area I have been analyzing is the number of books I read. This year’s total was abysmal, by my standards. Then, I started thinking about my online reading. I access blogs, emails, newsletters, essays, reviews, and how-to instructions on my laptop or phone, but I don’t include those documents in my goal count. It’s ridiculous.

In the past, I carried physical novels for my downtime, but books are heavy. My cell, tucked in my pocket, is ready to provide me with educational material or a blank screen for my writing. While I enjoy a real book, with my busy life, having one handy is not practical. Dedicating large chunks of time to curl up with a favorite read to meet my goals is a luxury I can ill afford.

The struggle happens when I want to reference a web article, pass the information to a friend or track my reading. So, I am in search of a tracking method. Bookmarks are cumbersome, and syncing across devices is difficult. There are apps like Evernote that can help, but they don’t guard against the dreaded 404 error. I haven’t decided on an approach that works for me. I am adding another task I need to complete.

Do you keep track of your online reading?

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Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer