My 2021 reading books for Q1
I love reading but lately I’ve been feeling restless like I’m not necessarily applying everything in an organic way. Then there’s my big picture goals for 2021. I started thinking how can I relate what I’m reading to the bigger picture of my goals? There must be a way to learn life hacks and tips from what I’m reading right?
There is! I’ve been thinking about my key goal areas for 2021 and then I looked at the book’s on my reading list. I then picked one for each key goal. I’ve made varying progress on each book but I’m making the time to really absorb the key lessons relating to each goal.
So, what are the books I’m reading for Q1 for each of my goals? Read on to find out!
Big picture goal 1 – Find joy in the peace of routines
Book I’m reading: The Lazy Genius Way by Kendra Adachi
The idea behind this goal is to build systems that work and make my life easier. This book made complete sense and sometimes reminds of another book I read called The Joy of Missing Out. Kendra talks about being lazy with things that don’t matter to you and a genius about the things that do. I’m one chapter in and absolutely loving the volume of things I’ve already learned. Stay tuned for my next blog post where I talk about my ah-hah moments!
Big picture goal 2 – Financial Freedom
Book I’m reading: Rich Dad, Poor Dad by Robert T Kiyosaki
I’m being very intentional this year about what I spend money on. I’m tired of being pulled in one direction or another by new shiny things. The truth is once I spend money on something then I’m investing my energy and time into managing whatever I’ve bought. On a deeper level I’m also educating myself about good financial habits for life. Rich Dad, Poor Dad is VERY well written. I feel like I’m reading a story book rather than a finance guidebook. I’m half a chapter in and loving it. If you’re looking for alternative financial education that isn’t hard to read this a resource to check out!
Big picture goal 3 – Look after my body
Book I’m reading: Why We Sleep by Matthew Walker
I want to lose weight but more than that I want to build a much better relationship with my body. I want to feel stronger, more alert and more energetic in my days. Having said that I’ve decided to go back to basics with Q1 being focused on water and sleep. This ties perfectly into Why We Sleep. I’m halfway through the book and it’s an unbelievable book about the importance of sleep. I used to always convince myself I don’t need much sleep and although I didn’t feel great on 4 hours sleep I would somehow plod along. There is a lot of science and research in the book about the benefits of getting proper sleep (not just quantity but quality as in deep dream sleep).
Big picture goal 4 – Cherish the people I love
Book I’m reading: Plan A Happy Life by Stephanie Flemming
This goal is about building memories in my life with the people I care about. It’s also about being intentional with my days. After all how we spend our days is how we spend our lives right? So for me this includes things like taking photos and videos and capturing the good moments along with the challenging moments. It’s about making life mean something more than revenue and profit or just paying bills. Stephanie’s book is all about building a super intentional life whilst also having lots of planning related tips.
Big picture goal 5 – Nourish my heart and soul
Book I’m reading: Breaking the Habit of Being Yourself by Dr Joe Dispenza
This goal comes from a place of wanting to work on myself using personal development. I’m focusing on building a higher level of self-compassion and self-belief. This book is all about the mind body connection and how thoughts have a much bigger impact on reality that many people give credit for. I’ve just finished this book and am now reading Dispenza’s other book Becoming Supernatural. I can say that I absolutely loved this book as for me it was the perfect balance of science and spirituality. I can also understand that it might not be for everyone as it is quite a forward thinking book on mind science and mind-body connection. More on that in another blog post.
Stay tuned for a reading update in Q2 with my key learning points from each of the above books but until then – happy reading! Also if there is anything that you are reading connected to each of the five areas above I would love to know in the comments.
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