January Slow Growth Challenge - Read a chapter a day

Hey there —

Happy 2023! 🥳

With a new year on the horizon, you may have woken up this morning thinking about your goals and aspirations for the next twelve months.

And while any time is a great time to pursue growth, the fresh slate of January 1st feels like the perfect moment to challenge yourself to try something new (or make another, wiser attempt at that habit you’ve always wanted to implement).

Which also makes today the perfect kick off for our first ever Slow Growth Challenge! 🦥

On the first of every month this year, we’ll be sending you a special-edition Snail Mail (just like this one) to introduce one key habit, along with a specific daily task that can help you solidify it as a routine.

The first habit we’ll be working to build together: reading a chapter a day.

This is a great foundational habit that can have a big impact on your life because…

Books are some of our most valuable assets.

We often turn to books as a form of education and mentorship, gleaning insights from experienced creators, business owners, and thought leaders.

And as we learned in our last Snail Mail, reading fiction has benefits that go far beyond entertainment.

But reading isn’t just about finding knowledge, gaining new skills, or engaging our imaginations.

Studies have shown that readers…

😀 Are more likely to feel satisfied with their lives
😴 Get a better night’s sleep
😁 Have higher levels of confidence and self-esteem
🥰 Experience deeper connections with their community

While we may have access to centuries worth of wisdom through millions of books — many of us don’t take advantage of it.

The good news is, you don’t have to lock yourself in a library or give up your weekly Netflix marathon to read more.

Reading one chapter of a book per day is realistic for most people — whether it’s just before bed, commuting to work, or even in the restroom (everyone needs a bathroom book).

It may sound small, but those pages add up — given that most books have around 12 chapters, you would finish a book in just under a fortnight.

This is one more reason reading is a great habit to pursue, especially if you’re someone who could use the extra motivation of visible progress.

As much as we wish positive change was instantaneous, the reality is that seeing the results of our hard work can take time. That’s why following through with consistent, small steps and embracing a slow growth mentality is so important. It means you’re cultivating the patience — and focus on progress, not perfection — that will lead to big wins in the long run.

If you’ve struggled to build habits in the past because results didn’t come quickly, reading a chapter a day is the perfect way to gain momentum through an attainable, faster reward.

With each day, you’ll see tangible movement toward your final goal. It doesn’t take long to reap the benefits of reading — or get to the satisfaction of “the end”! 📙

Participate in the challenge!

Daily action: Read one chapter a day for the month of January.

To help you track your progress, download this printable Habit Tracker to mark off each day you complete your reading.

And after you’ve finished the challenge, fill out this Challenge Reflection to look back at your experience, take note of what you learned, and decide if this is a habit you want to make a permanent part of your routine.

Tips for success

🤔 Read what interests you. You’re not in school, and this isn’t a required reading list. Mystery, self-help, a graphic novel, or poetry — the library is your oyster!

🙅 Don’t be afraid to quit a book. Forcing yourself to read something that just isn’t doing it for you will only kill your motivation. This doesn’t mean you’ve failed the challenge! Just do the same thing you’d do if you’d finished the book in under 30 days — grab a new book and keep reading.

🎧 Yes, audiobooks count. “Physical books only” is a silly rule (yep, we said it), plus it’s not very considerate of our vision-impaired friends. Get your chapters in any way you like.

🤹 Make it fun! Sit down every evening with a cup of hot cocoa, a fuzzy blanket, and your chosen book. Or if you’re lucky enough to be somewhere warm, take your book to the beach! Creating a fun routine will “cue” your brain that it’s reading time and help solidify your habit.

Read with the Slow Growth team

Ashley plans to read:Untamed by Glennon Doyle
“This is a book that’s been sitting half-read on my bookshelf for *cough* over a year. And since I’ve been reading mostly fiction lately, I wanted to challenge myself to read some more non-fiction. Plus, with what I remember from the beginning of the book and everything I’ve listened to Glennon talk about on her podcast since, I have a feeling it’s going to wreck me in all the best ways.”

Kerstin plans to read: Influence by Robert Cialdini
"This classic has been in my TBR pile for a year. I want to learn more about persuasion and especially how to use an ethical approach to influence. At 500+ pages, it's a bit of a doorstop and therefore a perfect choice for this challenge: I'm much more likely to finish it because those daily chapters will keep me going."

Spencer plans to read: Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami
“I tend to gravitate toward reading books that are informative and have practical lessons as takeaways. However I recently finished Patti Smith’s Just Kids and it was a refreshing read that really brought me back to a place of getting sucked into storytelling. A friend recommended this coming of age novel for my next read. I’m a huge sucker for the genre, so I’m excited to get lost in some pages vs. my little phone screen everyday.”

Share what you’re reading by tagging us on Instagram @slowgrowth! 📖

Written by Ashley Martin

Edited by Matt D’Avella & Kerstin Sheppard