Books to Start Your Year Off Right!

by Jessica O'Donnell

New year, new opportunity to read some great new books. The books below changed my life for the better and I wanted to share them with you today. So many of us talk about New Year's resolutions, but I don't think you need to use the new year as an excuse to read these

amazing books!

Girl, Stop Apologizing by Rachel Hollis

I love Girl, Stop Apologizing for so many reasons. The title says it all. I never realized how often I would say “sorry” unnecessarily until my daughter started to do it! I love all things Rachel Hollis and this book is no exception.

It’s on sale this week on Amazon for only $9.99.

Book Description:

Rachel Hollis has seen it too often: women not living into their full potential. They feel a tugging on their hearts for something more, but they’re afraid of embarrassment, of falling short of perfection, of not being enough.

In Girl, Stop Apologizing, #1 New York Times bestselling author and founder of a multimillion-dollar media company, Rachel Hollis sounds a wake-up call. She knows that many women have been taught to define themselves in light of other people—whether as wife, mother, daughter, or employee—instead of learning how to own who they are and what they want. With a challenge to women everywhere to stop talking themselves out of their dreams, Hollis identifies the excuses to let go of, the behaviors to adopt, and the skills to acquire on the path to growth, confidence, and believing in yourself.

The Year of No Nonsense by Meredith Atwood

The Year of No Nonsense gives the reader a refreshing and poignant look at what may be holding you back in life and how to break free from it. Sometimes, you can be your own worst enemy when it comes to reaching your goals and finding your path to happiness.

Available on Amazon

Book Description:

Exhausted and overworked lawyer, triathlete, wife, and mom Meredith Atwood decided one morning that she'd had it. She didn't take her kids to school. She didn't go to work. She didn't go to the gym. When she pulled herself out of bed hours later than she should have, she found a note from her husband next to two empty bottles of wine and a stack of unpaid bills: You need to get your sh*t together. And that's what Meredith began to do, starting with identifying the nonsense in her life that was holding her back: saying "yes" too much, keeping frenemies around, and more. In The Year of No Nonsense, Atwood shares what she learned, tackling struggles with work, family, and body image, and also willpower and time management. Ultimately, she's the tough-as-nails coach /slash/ best friend who shares a practical plan for identifying and getting rid of your own nonsense in order to move forward and live an authentic, healthy life. From recognizing lies you believe about yourself and your abilities, to making a "nonsense" list and developing a "no nonsense blueprint," this book walks you through reclaiming yourself with grit and determination, step by step.

I Thought It Was Just Me ( But It Isn’t) by Brené Brown

In a time when social media has taken over, this book is a great reminder that no one is perfect. If we take the time to open up to others, our imperfections will bring us together.

Available on Amazon

Book Description:

The quest for perfection is exhausting and unrelenting. There is a constant barrage of social expectations that teach us that being imperfect is synonymous with being inadequate. Everywhere we turn, there are messages that tell us who, what and how we’re supposed to be. So, we learn to hide our struggles and protect ourselves from shame, judgment, criticism and blame by seeking safety in pretending and perfection.

Brené Brown, PhD, LMSW, is the leading authority on the power of vulnerability, and has inspired thousands through her top-selling books Daring Greatly, Rising Strong, and The Gifts of Imperfection, her wildly popular TEDx talks, and a PBS special. Based on seven years of her ground-breaking research and hundreds of interviews, I Thought It Was Just Me shines a long-overdue light on an important truth: Our imperfections are what connect us to each other and to our humanity. Our vulnerabilities are not weaknesses; they are powerful reminders to keep our hearts and minds open to the reality that we’re all in this together.

Carry On, Warrior: The Power of Embracing Your Messy, Beautiful Life by Glennon Doyle Melton

You guessed it! There is a theme to all of these books. Glennon Doyle’s book is about finding community in accepting the idea of imperfection. I absolutely love Glennon’s story and I bet you will too.

Available on Amazon

Book Description:

Glennon Doyle’s hilarious and poignant reflections on our universal (yet often secret) experiences have inspired a social movement by reminding women that they’re not alone. In Carry On, Warrior, she shares her personal story in moving, refreshing, and laugh-out-loud new essays and some of the best-loved material from Momastery. Her writing invites us to believe in ourselves, to be brave and kind, to let go of the idea of perfection, and to stop making motherhood, marriage, and friendship harder by pretending they’re not hard. In this one woman’s attempt to love herself and others, readers will find a wise and witty friend who shows that we can build better lives in our hearts, homes, and communities.

Everything is Figureoutable by Marie Forleo

This book isn’t about an immediate fix. I love this book because it teaches the reader a new strategy for looking at, setting, and achieving goals. Sometimes you just need a new approach and this book offers some great ideas on how to move forward it a new way towards the life you want.

Available on Amazon

Book Description:

While most self-help books offer quick fixes, Everything is Figureoutable will retrain your brain to think more creatively and positively in the face of setbacks. In the words of Cheryl Strayed, it's "a must-read for anyone who wants to face their fears, fulfill their dreams, and find a better way forward." If you're having trouble solving a problem or reaching a dream, the problem isn't you. It's that you haven't yet installed the one belief that changes everything. Marie's mom once told her, "Nothing in life is that complicated. You can do whatever you set your mind to if you roll up your sleeves. Everything is figureoutable." Whether you want to leave a dead end job, break an addiction, learn to dance, heal a relationship, or grow a business, Everything is Figureoutable will show you how.

Happy Reading!