The beginning of the new year usually invites a conundrum.
On the one hand, we feel as though we have all the time in the world to reinvent ourselves thanks to that freshly anointed clean slate. On the other, we feel a time crunch to kickstart our growth “on time”.
Maybe we question ourselves in reflection of who we want to be.
“Have I grown enough this year?”
“What have I actually learned?”
“I haven’t healed completely! Is next year going to be a mess?”
Why the conundrum exists
The self-development time crunch is brought to you by society’s over-fixation with all things self-love. And when we get to the Monday, or the beginning of January, it’s easy to feel a push and pull between ‘having so much time’ and none at all.
The good news is, growth looks different on everyone! The Giant Himalayan Lily, for one, can take up to 11 years to bloom.
Nonetheless, growth does take work. While I don’t advise trying to cram in self-development, I do believe that little efforts can go the mile, especially when you’ve got some free time on your hands.
If you’re looking to start the year with an enlightened bang, here are 3 wonderful reads everyone and their best friend should tackle before 2022 ends:
1. 101 Essays That Will Change The Way you Think
Brianna Weist
eBay
This book felt like a hug. Then a bit of a slap back to reality, and then a hug once again. Weist makes it incredibly easy to understand those thought patterns you might not even be aware of, and challenges you to check yourself.
Although some chapters are nods to people figuring out their twenties, the book is packed with life lessons that are ageless.
Reading this book will make you wonder if you and Brianna Weistnhave lived the same life, because of how seamlessly she navigates relating her thoughts to others. You’ll feel less alone, braver and more okay with still figuring things out.
“More is not better. Happiness is not experiencing something else; it’s continually experiencing what you already have in new and different ways.”
2. Atomic Habits
James Clear
Kobo.com
Yes, I know that everyone you know who reads has already recommended this to you, but there’s a good reason for that.
Atomic Habits is quite literally, the book version of taking things one step at a time. If your biggest struggle has been “getting started” Atomic Habits doesn’t just offer you guidance on how to do that, but also why it will work.
This isn’t your ordinary cliche ‘self-help’ book either. It’s actually actionable and brimming with pearls of wisdom.
It’ll make you focus on the little things and understand why they matter a lot more than the big things sometimes.
Especially for budding entrepreneurs, this book will remind you that the world of instant gratification is a scam, and breaking out of its confines isn’t as hard as you’ve been told.
3. The Subtle Art of Not Giving A F*ck
Mark Manson
Estoril Books
If there is one book you read this year, let it be this one.
If you aren’t laughing at how much unnecessary strain we put on our minds, Mark Manson will have you in ironic stitches.
Brilliantly blunt and the equivalent of having a deep conversation with an old friend who never shirks on sharing their own mishaps, this book will teach you what to care about, how to restructure what you value and how to distinguish between what’s worth getting worked up over and what isn’t.
It’s a solid read that will make you confront yourself, take responsibility and stop playing the victim to what in reality, is simply life’s algorithm. Striving toward unrealistic positivity isn’t as important as being okay with the negative reality. This book is for the realist, the person who needs to set boundaries on their ways of thinking, and the mind seeking out-of-the-box questions.
ALSO SEE:
5 Empowering intentions the 2023 version of you needs to embrace
Feature Image: Pexels
