Each year I set goals for the upcoming New Year just like everyone else! Most goals are new for what is to come, some revolve around improvement on what already striving towards, or others may be perceived the same year after year. As we like to call them, NEW YEAR RESOLUTIONS! No better time than a “New Year” to feel motivated and ready to commit to stick to something we ought to achieve!
For me, each year most of my resolutions tend to be revolved around “adding in more restorative therapy”. This past year was a bit different than most because I set up a plan of action for each goal rather than just thinking or saying the goal(s) itself. I have to say 2021 was MY Year from achieving what I planned out to succeed. This included more stretching, yoga, meditation, and reading.
I do have to admit though, it wasn’t January and a New Year for me, but it was April (my birthday month) that made me kick into gear! I started to commit to reading 10 pages a day, invested in therapy and other tools to help me focus on breathing, weekly scheduling in a yoga class and here we are 9 months later still doing it all!
Resulting in forming more habits and daily rituals that includes more restorative therapy AND LOVING IT! New Year Resolutions FINALLY achieved!
Approx. 10 pages a day will result on average of a book a month. I started in April so that resulted in reading 9 books in the year of 2021. See below my “Daily Reads of 2021”
As you go through my comments below of all the books I read this past year, realize they are my very own thoughts and comments. Therefore, what I may think about a book, you can think otherwise. The books that I love and find very resourceful you may not feel the same way. Realize, I am sharing with you the books I have recently read & sharing my perspective based on what I thought of each read. One thing I know for sure, I find something to love about any book based around personal development.
“Get out of your own way”
I’m not exactly sure why this book is selling for only $3.99 online right now. I would say the value was a bit more than $4. I did not tend to highlight as much within this book as I typically do. I believe it was because this read was more based on stories and experiences of the author himself. Which is an interesting way to put some things into perspective. A special client had given me this book to cherish and read.
“The Lazy Genius Way”
This book was chosen by my partner in life; Rocky, but ya’ll know him as Donny! We have many sayings we choose to live by and one of them is “work smarter, not harder” This book brought that saying into reality as I continued to succeed in each day as I was reading it. I felt there was a lot of resourceful information in there to allow me to view things differently; for the better. Here are some parts I highlighted:
“Constant decision-making is one od the reasons you don’t have energy for things that matter.”
Three type of “Rest” (Seasonal, Weekly, Daily) *I’ll save it for you to read as the view on 3 different
“You are Badass”
I mean this title is everything right?!
When in doubt, feeling down about yourself, pick up this read and no matter the page will be an inspiration quote, saying or perspective! Of course, one of my favorites was “Discipline is a muscle, you have to build it at your own pace”
Best quote— “Life is an illusion created by your perception and it can by changed the moment you choose to change it…”
It’s not all about quotes but it brings everything into a positive outlook or at least begin to learn how to!
“The Mind-Gut Connection”
Great reference for those that are interested in their own bodies and Nutrition as a whole.
I say reference because as I continue to work with clients and their Nutrition this is a book I can continue to refer to. MOST have gut issues, If not all. We all need to be more aware of the “mind-gut” connection. A ton of fact information on the microbiome!
Oh and once I read the page that stated “…if doctors knew thus, they’d help rather than frustrate…” I knew it was my kind of book!
However, it wasn’t exactly my type of read to initially start my days off when reading first thing in the morning.
“The Power of Ritual”
This book was hard to finish. I don’t even remember if I did finish it. Wait a minute, I did; but it was a force feed book. That should tell you what my view and rating of the book is if I didn’t want to finish it. Let me ask you, if you begin reading a book & realize it’s not for you/ your style do you continue to read it? It said some great things like “good relationships don’t just protect our bodies, but our brains which is absolutely the case and true, but it was a lot of stuff I already knew so didn’t find it an improvement read for self. Connection with self and others is important and it goes into more explanation as opposed to why.
“Burnout; The secret to unlocking the stress cycle”
I’m not exactly sure what it was about this book, but I was the most excited to read this one out of all! During a specific time of 2021, I was beginning to feel a sense of “burnout”, so I turned to this book for help, guidance and to feel in a safe zone. I would advise one to read this nook PRIOR to reaching burnout that way you can PREVENT rather than push through.
“Faster than normal”
A TOP favorite! For those of you who have ADHD or a brain like one (myself included) this is a MUST READ. I’ve shared with quite a few moms to be able to coach their kids through specific times.
This was my second time reading this book and I’ll make sure I read it a third time sometime within this upcoming next year of 2022.
“Calm the f*ck down”
& We thought “You are a Badass” title was everything how about this one! If this wasn’t calling my name on the bookshelf in the store. Except, I wasn’t totally impressed. For the most part, I have thought about a lot of what I was reading once before so it was good reminders as I continued to read.
For example, reminding you to Begin by acknowledging than accepting what is going on in the present of life. Or getting your shit together is proactive but dealing with the shit that has already happened is reactive. So it makes you ask yourself and wonder; Are you a proactive person or reactive?
“Level Up: your mental toughness bootcamp”
No better way than to end the year and prepare for an upcoming New Year! Grab a notebook and pen because this one is more of a workbook as you take some notes & it gets you thinking deep in your own thoughts why your reading! I even had my boyfriend join me in some of the exercises and he said so himself “this is fun!!”
