The beginning of a new year is a wonderful. It's bright, shiny and full of possibilities. So we dutifully fill it up with hopes and goals. There's just under seven weeks left in 2009 which makes it a good time to check in with your reading goals.

I think Amanda said it best at the Blog Jar when she said, "THE END OF THE YEAR IS FAST APPROACHING?!" Indeed it is. I know. You are simultaneously saying that you don't want to hear that we're that close to the end of the year, meanwhile you are convincing yourself that you have plenty of time to finish all those 2009 goals. You are right on both points.

There's seven weeks left in the year. You can read a lot in seven weeks, even with all the holiday hubbub. Some people will do up a detailed plan of attack of what they want to read. Others will just take stock and keep plugging away. But before you can figure out your plan of action, the first thing you need to do in order to meet your goals is revisit them so that you remember what they are.

Now I'll admit it, I get off easy here. You see, in 2009 I resolved not to make any reading resolutions. I wanted to have nothing but joyful reading this year. I've mostly succeeded. I've had reading ups and downs this year and the downs seemed so very down and the ups were not as gloriously high as I had hoped. But I'm satisfied with what I've read and how much I've read.

Pinkflipflops, who blogs at The Many Thoughts of a reader is not going meet her 2009 reading goals. She's really kind of hoping that some of you aren't either.

Every year is a learning experience. Our goals can get more or less specific depending on how the previous year went. Adrienne at CYA: Children & Young Adults Reading Blog set her goals, but she didn't set up how to track them.

had a goal this year to try and read 100 books. However, my goal did not take in account how to keep track of what I read. It is easy for me to finish a book and pick up another one without pause. And, what constituted “finishing” a book?

Word Lily faced facts earlier this month - there are just some goals she's not going to meet this year.

I have known for awhile now that I will not end up meeting some of my personal reading goals for 2009. And while this saddens me, what am I to do? For now, I’m simply laying it out there, acknowledging in public where I stand.

It's not all unsuccessful. Kailana has completed almost all of her reading challenges - something I never really could do. (I cannot read happily from a list of books. It brings out my hidden rebellious streak.Oh hush, it is too hidden.)

I love what Lezlie at Books 'n Border Collies had to say about learning from reading challenges. The important thing isn't that we complete them, it's that we open ourselves up to new things and learn and enjoy them along the way.

Fourth, I learned that not reaching my reading goals is in no way a failure. Sometimes I'm not learning what I meant to learn, but I'm finding new and fascinating topics that I didn't know I was interested in. Or I'm discovering that a big project I had mapped out isn't nearly as easy to conduct as it sounded when I started. As long as I'm reading and learning, I'm bettering myself which helps me to better the world around me.

How are you doing with your 2009 reading goals?

Contributing Editor Sassymonkey also blogs at Sassymonkey and Sassymonkey Reads.