Ready to crush your goals? Read these books
Happy New Year party animals! I took a month off from blogging to enjoy the holiday, plan out the new year, and to honestly, to just rest and reset. I briefly recapped the last decade on my Instagram and am feeling so jazzed about this upcoming year. Remember when 2020 seemed like the straight up FUTURE? Well, it is. And here we are.
2019 felt very much like a seed-planting year to me, both in regards to business and personal matters. I’ve been a big journal fan for a long time (you know that), and in 2019 I took my mindfulness practice a bit further by really diving into the world of personal development. I don’t love the term self-help, because these books seem more mindfulness and brain-expansion-esque to me than being on the brink of some internal emotional crisis. Yeah?
Exercise is important for your body - you know that. In that same vein, I believe that constantly strengthening your and expanding your brain is just as important. You can prevent injury by working out and stretching regularly. You can strengthen your memory, your emotional awareness, and deepen your thought patterns in the exact same way - brain exercise, yo!
If you’re ready to make a big change this year and become the 2.0 version of yourself, read these books ASAP. Each of them will open up your brain in a different way, challenge your belief systems, teach you new ways of thinking, and are also just a joy to read - nothing dry here. Check them out and let me know what you think!
Now go out and crush those goals.
The Year of Less - I started practicing minimalism a few years ago as an extension of my mindfulness practice, and am constantly SHOCKED at how much calm it brings to my life. I grew up with stuff bursting out from my closets and under my bed, so making the move to less was both difficult and much-needed. I liked the honesty of this book, and also reading about how minimalism drifted in to every corner of the authors life - I’ve found the same to be true for me. This book inspired me to get rid of so many physical things and to start looking deeper into things in my brain I could let go of.
Unfuk Yourself - The subtitle for this book is get out of your head and into your life which, OK, sign me up! I took so many notes in my journal on this one that I probably just hand-wrote the entire book. A lot of mindfulness books tiptoe around real talk without providing any sort of real action plan (or content for that matter). Unfu*k Yourself has both without being too aggressive.
Belong - Community is important to have and challenging to find. What I love about Belong is that it prompts the reader to not only find community, but to be thoughtful about what that community looks like and gives clear exercises on how to cultivate yours. It’s easy to fall into whatever community is closest or most convenient which, while isn’t necessarily a bad thing, might not reap the same results as taking thoughtful action.
The Universe Has Your Back - This book is pretty woo-woo, but a great read if you are ready to dive deeper into mindfulness and the ethereal. I especially enjoyed the guided meditations (there is a free online portal in tandem with the book you can use if you choose) as well as prompts for mindset shifts. One of my favorite questions in the book was what if I approached this with love? I’ve started using it in stressful (or irritating, ha!) times.
More Than Enough - Elaine Welteroth is the former Editor in Chief of Teen Vogue and…. fully badass. Her autobiography gets real about workplace growth and downfalls without being petty, which can be a difficult line. The lessons here are relatable, thought-provoking, and raw without an ounce of preachiness. I felt inspired after reading this book to speak up for myself more in work situations, and also to spend more time mapping out my goals for the future.
Untethered Soul - There are two voices in your head: the one that is actually you, and a voice that is driven by external factors. Understanding the difference between the two, and when to tell the external voice to shut up, has been absolutely pivotal for my mental health. There is also some really fun dialogue here about where embarrassment comes from and how to banish it.
You Are a Badass - You are! You really really are! This is a top-seller for a reason, and another no-nonsense approach (are you sensing a theme here yet?!) to living your best life.
The Body Is Not an Apology - After getting in a car accident in 2017 (and getting seriously injured) I set about improving my relationship with my body because, you know, life is short and I don’t want to spend my entire life telling my body that it sucks, you know? I’d heard this book recommended in tons of wellness circles and was stoked to find it at my library. The theme for the book is everything - stop apologizing for your body. If you like audiobooks, I highly recommend listening to this instead of reading it. It’s powerful.
The Alcohol Experiment - I read this book as a guide for Sober October this year and absolutely fell in love. The Alcohol Experiment is informative without being preachy. I really appreciated that the information was broken down into bite-size pieces each day used the themes in the book to help guide my personal mindfulness work. If you are curious about what alcohol does to your body, want to drink less, and/or just find yourself up for an eye-opening health challenge, this is for you.
Atomic Habits - Making a big change or crushing a big goal starts with tiny steps - habits. The psychology of habits (especially the ones that we aren’t conscious of) is fascinating to me. Even though this book is packed with a lot of science and case-studies, I found the practices in it very digestible and easy to start implementing ASAP.
Daring Greatly - If you thought I was going to leave Brené Brown off this list you are sorely mistaken! Even though I’ve wandered off the beaten path in many ways, I still often fight the urge to stay safe within my comfort zone. As we know, that’s definitely not where the good stuff happens. Brené is a researcher, but I love how she presents her work in an approachable way. It inspires me to get out there and make shit happen.
Donuts + Down Dog is built on community. If you loved what you read, share it with a friend! It’s how we keep the lights on. And can start to change how the world views wellness. Thank you!
