Copy by Jess Lambi
January: a time for goal-setting, reevaluating and change. While I’m not the biggest fan of resolutions, I do like to consider my goals for the next 12 months…and try a little harder to accomplish the things that I always *say* I’ll do.
One of my goals for the past few years has been to read a certain number of books. At first it was 10, then 15 and this year, 18. As I slowly get in the habit of reading more, it means that I can also incorporate more range into what type of books I’m picking up. This year, I’m looking more towards “introspective” books, how-to’s or self-help, if you will. While the idea of self-help makes me cringe a little, I’m hoping to dive into some interesting and lighthearted books that will help me learn and to take small steps to self-improvement.
Here are the 5 books I’m looking forward to reading this year:
Get Your Sh*t Together
by Sarah Knight
Ah, the perfect read to get yourself into gear for conquering all of your new year’s goals. Read about power of negative thinking, three simple tools for getting it together, how to spend less and save more, ways to manage anxiety and conquer your fear of failure. This straightforward and laughable book tells it how it is, and tells you exactly how to get your sh*t together.
Self- Knowledge
a book by the School of Life
This essay book might be more of a ‘thinker’, but it dives deep into one of the most important things we can learn about: ourselves. It focuses on the idea that it is only once we truly understand ourselves that we can make sound decisions in every other aspect of our lives: work, love and life. I don’t know about you, but that seems like something I could always be improving on!
Heart Talk
by Cleo Wade
This lighthearted, easy read filled with poems, mantras and affirmations has the ability to quickly encourage and inspire, even on the roughest of days. Filled with sounds bites of practical and relatable musings, it’ll be a book that you go back to over and over again for that quick smile or pick-me-up.
The Little Book of Life Hacks
by Yumi Sakugawa
Less of a novel and more of an informative picture book, The Little Book of Life Hacks is filled with helpful tips and unexpected hacks for living your best life. Turn to just one page, and I promise you’ll be amazed by what you learn. (Plus, if you love this one, Yumi Sakuawa has a number of illustrated books such as There’s No Right Way to Meditate and Other Life Lessons and Your Illustrated Guide to Becoming One with the Universe.) I want to read them all!
Go Suck a Lemon: Strategies for Improving Your Emotional Intelligence
by Michael Cornwall
The ever-popular term ’emotional intelligence’. Outside of maybe hearing that being thrown around at your corporate job, I do think there’s a lot of value in learning about, and strengthening your emotional intelligence. If you’re new to the term, EI is defined as “the subset of social intelligence that involves the ability to monitor one’s own and others’ feelings and emotions .. and to use this information to guide one’s thinking and actions.” Really it’s about learning empathy, and I think we could all use a little bit more of that right about now.
– Rising Strong by Brene Brown
– Becoming by Michelle Obama (Duh! Who’s not reading this??)
– The Difference by Jean Chatzky
– Judgement Detox by Gabrielle Bernstein (only for a book club because I love to judge haha)
All great choices! I still have to read Becoming, I can’t wait! –Jess
Just hear to say that Heart Talk is absolutely amazing. My 60-year-old dad read it and was so moved by it that it caught me off guard. Haha!
briana | youngsophisticate.com
That’s so great to hear– I can’t wait to start it! It seems like it’s a heartfelt read. — Jess
Thank you for sharing – was on the look out for a few good reads!
Rebecca | http://www.peppermintdolly.com
Of course, let us know if you pick up any of these books! –Jess
I made a goal to read more this year. I could have met that by reading a half a page of a book compared to the last ten years, but I’ve finished two already this month. I read and listened to Cut and Run by Mary Burton and The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo. I want to read one non fiction and one fiction per month so I’m checking out your reads for non fiction.
That’s a great goal! I love the idea of mixing fiction and non-fiction books each month. Happy reading! –Jess
Go Suck A Lemon looks great – adding that to my list.
I want to read more business books this year. So hopefully I’ll stick to that resolution (I usually read the first 50 pages and then get bored though haha).
That’s great! I often feel that way about business books also, but I have high hopes for this one! –Jess