3 Favorite Reads to Support Positive Change in the New Year
We come in hot to the new year, racing to achieve and improve ourselves – instantly. And when we don’t immediately get the results we want (that we think we should be seeing), it’s all to easy to fall off track and dismiss altogether. Here’s a rundown of three favorite books currently on my nightstand that can help us shift our mindset, focus on what really matters and bring about sustained, lasting change.
Atomic Habits | by James Clear
Focusing solely on a goal may be setting us up for failure. Instead – focus on the process, our behaviors, those seemingly insignificant daily choices and actions – and the results will follow. To form a new habit, author and ‘habit formation’ expert James Clear encourages us to follow the Four Laws of Behavior Change: make it obvious, attractive, easy, and satisfying.
Stillness is the Key | by Ryan Holiday
Prioritizing how and where we spend our time and our mental energy is the message within Stillness is the Key. I gifted this book to my team and it immediately became an unofficial book club, each of us sharing our thoughts on a chapter each week. Holiday’s writing is well-researched - yet also incredibly supportive and nonjudgmental - as he guides us through slowing our minds and worlds enough to experience better focus, self-awareness, and, ultimately, a sustainable feeling of peace.
Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less | by Greg McKeown
Separating the ‘vital few’ from the ‘trivial many’ is a core concept of “Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less” by Greg McKeown, a book that has truly changed the way I view my priorities.
Most of what we say and do is not essential, says McKeown. And if we can eliminate these nonessentials, we’ll have more time, and more tranquility. He encourages us to ask at every moment, Is this necessary? Am I investing in the right activities? – and to set extreme criteria for ourselves when we’re making decisions: it’s either a hell yeah, or a no way.
And Essentialism isn’t just about success; it’s about living a life full of meaning and purpose. I cover Essentialism in my podcast, FUELED Wellness + Nutrition, sharing key takeaways and strategies I’ve learned about where to spend our precious time and energy – living by intention, versus default.
Molly Kimball, RD, CSSD is a registered dietitian + nutrition journalist in New Orleans, and founder of Ochsner Eat Fit nonprofit restaurant initiative. Tune in to her podcast, FUELED | Wellness + Nutrition and follow her on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter at @MollyKimballRD. See more of Molly’s articles + TV segments at www.mollykimball.com, and sign up for the Eat Fit Wellness Bites weekly newsletter here.