One Book a Month: My 2025 Reading Challenge and the Power of Mindfulness
Links included at the bottom of the page.
Introduction to My 2025 Reading Goal
"Setting the Intent: One Book a Month in 2025"
As part of my personal growth journey for 2025, I’ve set a goal to read at least one book each month. This challenge not only serves as a commitment to expand my knowledge but also to deepen my creative practice as an artist. Recently, I came across Jim Kwik’s advice on reading—specifically, how much you can actually read if you commit to just 15 minutes a day. According to Kwik, you can read an entire book every week with just 15 minutes of reading a day.
The Power of Reading 15 Minutes a Day
"Jim Kwik’s Secret: How 15 Minutes a Day Can Change Your Reading Life"
Let’s break that down with some quick calculations. The average non-fiction book has about 250-300 pages. If you read for 15 minutes a day at a pace of around 50 pages per hour, that amounts to about 12-13 pages per day. Over the course of a week (7 days), this adds up to about 90-91 pages. This means, over the course of a month, you could read about 360-364 pages, which is the equivalent of a full-length book—often more. This approach is simple and efficient, and it’s motivated me to make reading a daily habit in 2025.
Mindfulness as an Artistic Practice
"Wherever You Go, There You Are: Learning to Be Present in My Art"
With this goal in mind, I kicked off my reading year with Wherever You Go, There You Are by Jon Kabat-Zinn. As an artist just beginning to explore the practice of mindfulness, I found this book to be the perfect starting point. Kabat-Zinn’s approach to mindfulness is simple, accessible, and deeply impactful. His teachings focus on the power of being present, which resonated with me both as an artist and as someone striving for more balance and focus in my life.
Embracing the Present Moment in My Creative Process
"Letting Go of Perfection: The Artistic Freedom Found in Mindfulness"
Kabat-Zinn’s writing encouraged me to embrace mindfulness not as a lofty ideal but as a practical tool to navigate both my creative process and my everyday life. Mindfulness, as he describes it, isn’t about perfection but about simply being—whether that’s in the studio or in the world around me. The idea that I don’t need to strive for a “perfect” creative product, but can instead embrace the act of creation without judgment, has been incredibly freeing.
Incorporating mindfulness into my art has already begun to yield results. I feel less consumed by self-doubt and more connected to the process. I’m learning to accept each moment, each brushstroke, and each idea as it comes, without trying to control or judge it. This book, and my commitment to reading regularly, has opened me up to new possibilities for both personal growth and artistic development.
Conclusion: Mindfulness, Reading, and Artistic Growth
"Mindful Reading: Cultivating Presence, Creativity, and Growth in 2025"
By reading just 15 minutes a day, I’m not only making progress on my reading goal for 2025 but also embracing a practice that will continue to nurture my creativity and presence in every aspect of life. Kabat-Zinn’s gentle wisdom reminds me that wherever I go, mindfulness is always available to guide me back to the present—and that’s the best place to start, both in art and in life.
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If you have a favorite book that you’d like to recommend, Please leave it in the comments below. I’d love to check it out!
Next book: The Creative Act by Rick Rubin
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