MY MUST READ BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS
Books are a game changer. About 5 or 6 years back a friend recommended the Slight Edge by Jeff Olson. Legit game changer. The biggest take away for me is how he articulates that the smallest changes will add up to the overall big changes. The example is given of a girl that shines shoes in an airport he frequents. In between shining shoes she reads romance novels, while complaining about how she is stuck in the job and doesn’t make enough money. He challenges this situation about changing her outcome and not being stuck anymore. What would happen if she spent those 15 minutes here and 10 minutes there on reading educational books, doing an online course or growing a business? Could her outcome have a better chance of changing?!
My fav book of 2018 – Girl, Wash Your Face By Rachel Hollis This book changed me in ways I can not even describe. If you are a working mom this is a must read!
Like how insane is that. What if instead of me watching Netflix or scrolling aimlessly on Instagram every night I read a book or what if instead of reaching for that food item that I know isn’t great for me, I drank a glass of water. The smallest daily habits truly add up. And so I am doing my best to get in more reading. Some books I will crush in a week, others drag out for the month, some I listen to on audio. Books have seriously become a habit for both Hot Ronnie and me. We are much happier people when we are in bed between 9PM – 10PM and reading before bed. Following is a list of some of the books that we have tackled over the past year that are really awesome.
- The Slight Edge by Jeff Olson
- Girl, Wash your face By Rachel Hollis GAME CHANGER – resparked me mid year to have a strong finish to the year. I have now adopted her daily habits.
- Miracle Morning By Hal Elrod
- 4 Hour Work Week By Timothy Ferris
- Braving the Wilderness By Brene Brown
- Faith Forward Future By Chad Veach
- Focal Point By Brian Tracy
- Rising Strong By Brene Brown
- Party Girl by Rachel Hollis
- The Art of Racing in the Rain
- Capital Gaines by Chip Gaines
- High Performance Habits By Brendon Burchard
- Girl, Stop Apologizing By Rachel Hollis (Yes I read this before 2018 was done cause I got an advance copy from the publisher thank you Harper Collins) Pre Order you copy Here If you are a working mom you need this book
- The 15 Invaluable Laws of Growth By John C Maxwell
- The Power of Habit By Charles Duhigg
- Essentialism By Greg McKeown
- I Declare War by Levi Lusko
- Present over Perfect By Shauna Niequist
Reading Present Over Perfect was a challenge for me but I needed to hear the message. It was challenging because I felt the author had already made it so she could step back and enjoy. I am in a season of building. Photo By Kara Rohl
My must reads if you need to narrow it down would be Girl, Stop Apologizing, High Performance Habits, Essentialism, and anything by Brene Brown. You’ve got to start somewhere. One thing that Hot Ronnie does an amazing job of is reading a minimum of 10 pages a night. He doesn’t ever scroll instagram but his time waster would be rather checking sports apps and the scores. He used to sit in front of the TV till 11 or 12 and watch endless sports plus the highlights but now he hops into bed and starts reading around 9 or 10. I will say it is especially easier to create habits when your partner is on board and so supportive.
Changing our habits to read before bed has been a game changer for us both. We go to bed happier and are consuming knowledge to help us grow.
I hope that you can take away a few reads from this list. If anything, start creating some new habits for yourself. Don’t expect immediate perfection – there’s always the chance of falling back into some bad habits like scrolling the gram or watching netflix for endless hours. BUT, have no fear – just because you fall off doesn’t mean that you can’t pick up and start again – remember you don’t need a Monday or a new month or even a year new. You just need to get back at it. Trust me, you will thank yourself. I am rooting for you and 2019 and your new healthy habits. Comment below if you have any other great reads. Can’t wait to celebrate your success and growth this year!
Off to start my next book!
XO – jess