Buried In Books - Digging My Way Out & Making The Year Intentional

Am I a reader or collector?

Photo by @felipepelaquim on Unsplash

I Am Buried in E-books

They’re so easy to buy; cheap and don’t take up a lot of space. But I’m only digging deeper and deeper holes for myself. There’s that feeling of overwhelm when I scroll through my library. And guilt when I forgot I’d bought that book I really wanted. Then I see deals and continue to get more when I know I haven’t read the past twenty books I bought.

Maybe you’re a deal shopper like me. I signed up for a newsletter that shows me when there are deals on books I may enjoy so I get free or low-priced books almost daily. I also frequently check my tabletop sites for games on sale or bundles, and I order my Steam wishlist from the lowest price so I can get them when they’re on sale. And I am absolutely buried.

Whenever I decide to read or play a game and start scrolling, I usually end up shaking my head and getting off with decision fatigue.

“A confused mind always says ‘no.’” - Abbie Emmons, Youtube Author

This collection has led me to say no to things I really want to do.

Do My Things Own Me?

I’ve been noticing this issue for a while and finally realized that if I don’t start being more intentional, I’m going to keep wasting money collecting things I want to engage with instead.

I would need to slow down on those purchases by unsubscribing from my favorite newsletter, avoiding sites and videos that make me want to shop, and especially avoiding free things. It‘s not about saving money right now (although that is a huge bonus); it’s about enjoying what I already have. That’s why I buy them in the first place.

I know it might be tough to avoid those shiny new things, but there’s no reason to keep buying them if I’m never going to use them. So, my intention for the year (and hopefully beyond) is to be more intentional.

Intentional Organization

I started by organizing my books into the folders “Love to Read” and “Like to Read.” Everything else could wait. It greatly narrowed down my options when opening my Kindle or games folders which narrowed down the overwhelm.

I also have an archive folder where I put things I’m no longer interested in but don’t want to delete permanently which gets more options out of the way.

Doubts & Reframing Thoughts

Being able to pay bills and buy food should be my main motivation for work, but my motivation to make money is getting a new e-book or tabletop game. But if I’m not getting these things for a while, it could make work more of a slog. Unless I learn to reframe it.

I’m sure I’ll end up buying a few things but it’ll be a lot less than usual and that will be a huge help.

We’ll See How It Goes

Will I make it through everything I’ve collected? I highly doubt it. But I will hopefully make it through my “Love to Read” folder and hopefully a little of my “Like to Read,” as well.

Going through my “Love to Read” collection on my Kindle has gotten me very excited about this coming year. I’m looking forward to not feeling guilty about adding to the collection and letting my things gather e-dust.

What books are you most excited to read this year? Do you have a goal to reach a certain number?

Thank You

If you’re anything like me, I hope this helps you get a little more organized and catch up on what you’ve been missing! I’m using the same system for movies and series I want to watch as well.

If you’ve already got a system like this, let me know in the comments how you do it! And if you have any goals or intentions for the new year, feel free to share!

Thanks as always for being here. If you know anyone who might like these letters, please share my publication with them.

Talk to you next month, or join us on Threads or Discord.

---

ALL LINKS | THREADS | DISCORD | MY BOOKS | ARCHIVES

---

Hi! I’m Candye. I write Paranormal Mystery and Sci-Fi with dark, cozy vibes and light-hearted adventures. I aim to invite awe into daily life and provide a place where you feel seen and heard.

When I'm not writing, I'm either reading my Kindle in the sunlight, playing cozy games, watching movies and cartoons, or drinking herbal tea with extra honey.

---