26 Classics to Read in One Year - Creativity Boost and Mental Detox
Luis Salazar
Global Fortune 500 Executive & Tech Entrepreneur: Building Purpose-Driven Teams and Driving Positive Change through Technology.
I take on a personal challenge every year. I seek to learn something about myself and my perception of the world, challenge my belief system, and nurture my spirit. This year I am challenging myself to read 26 classic novels and award-winning fiction books in one year; I seek both a healthy mental break and get inspired to continue reinventing myself by working at the intersection of data, technology, and positive impact.
From escaping a Dictatorship to Cancer, Arts, Gratitude, Chess, and More
In 2019 I wrote this article with details about my annual challenges: Learning music and photography, publishing a children's book, fighting skin cancer, escaping from a dictatorship, testing lifestyle changes, the power of gratitude, and learning from 57 non-fiction books.
In 2020 my goal was to build my empathy and fight my introverted nature with 100 in-person random acts of kindness. I started great, but quarantine killed the challenge by April, and I abandoned it, so you can argue I failed.
In 2021, I wanted to learn to play chess, get a rating above 1,000 in Bullet Chess and play at least 3,650 games - mission accomplished. I learned to focus on the moment, keep calm under attack, and evaluate tradeoffs when pursuing a goal.
All challenges are difficult to some degree because our days are packed, and finding the time to do something new means trading off something else.
Reading 26 Classics in One Year
In 2022, I continue to navigate my life as a Serial Social Entrepreneur and as a caregiver helping with my Dad's Alzheimer's and taking care of my mom and several family members that are refugees in Europe and South America after escaping the dictatorship in Venezuela. I started my yearly challenge in June:?To read 26 classic novels and award-winning fiction books in one year.
The rules:
My List of 26 classics to read between June 2022 and June 2023:
I provide a link to the English version of these classics below, but I always prefer the Spanish version when the original book was written in that language.
I am ahead of plan, so I welcome suggestions!