A chill in the air and New Year’s resolutions still bubbling up in conversation makes January a great time to get into a new book! I love reading non-fiction this time of year, whether it’s a tome to inspire self-improvement or a memoir that offers a peek and fresh perspective into someone else’s life.
These days, a lot of my reading time is spent on parenting books. It seems like the first few years I’ve been spent any time outside of parenting my child reading about the best ways to parent my child, from sleep and potty training, healthy attitudes with food and better communication. I’ve lately gone back to some of my favorite books on personal growth and realized they are just as beneficial to being a good parent by inspiring me to be a better person.
If you’re looking for a break from the baby books but still something to spark your mind, these are some of the books I most often go back to as a mom that have little or nothing to do with child raising!
The Four Agreements
The busier life gets, the more I like to keep things simple. What if the secret to happiness with ourselves and others was as simple as four agreements: Be impeccable with your word, don’t take anything personally, don’t make assumptions and always do your best. Don Miguel Ruiz believes these practices are at the core of happiness and feeling true personal freedom from guilt and conflict. I first read this book when I was graduating college and dating my now husband, and I believe it helped me formulate my healthiest adult behaviors and relationships. A new baby challenged me in new ways, and I’ve really leaned on this book to make sure I’m still working on my communication and personal happiness as time seems to get more scarce. We have a lot on our plates and should enjoy time with our family without conflict with ourselves and others. This book is the foundation of how I try to accomplish that!
How to Win Friends and Influence People
I know, this is a mom’s blog, not your college Business Foundations class. But, hear me out on why I feel like I use this book more on a daily basis as a mom than ever before. I first read the go-to relationship book after a hard first two years in the workforce after college. After reading this and experimenting with the ideas Carnegie lays out for how to inspire enthusiasm for your ideas with friendly persuasion rather than force, my stature in my office immediately grew and I moved into management within the year. One thing I did not expect as a mom was how much effort I would have to spend on asking other people to help me raise my child the way I want. From teachers, babysitters or even my husband, I sometimes feel like I’m spending most of my day in peer management. I’m almost constantly drawing on communication principles from this book so my tribe feels like a team and sees where I am coming from in my beliefs, feeling inspired to help rather than resentful. The best part is – it works!
The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up
Going back to the freedom of simplicity, this is one book with life-changing in the title that actually had the advertised effect on me. Since reading this book and completing the method this year, being in our home for play or family time has become an enjoyable experience. Our home is filled with the things that inspire us and make us joyful, and I don’t walk around bracing for impact or feeling stressed when I open a pantry or closet. Changing my relationship with things made me a better parent who has more time to enjoy family when I’m not chasing clutter. I’m also more content with the things I have and worry less about working more to have more. Simple is good! This is so much more than a book about cleaning your house, and I encourage all of my friends to read it. You might just get rid of your wardrobe or all of the toys!
Bossypants
By now you probably think that I could lighten up, and you’re right! I love to read memoirs by women, especially women writers and comedians. Tina Fey’s Bossypants is such a good mix of hilarious and inspiring anecdotes on leading as a woman, marriage and working motherhood. Since reading this a few years ago there’s many countless situations in my working mom life where I’ve ended up in laughter thinking about a story from Bossypants and knowing someone has lived it before! Without a lot of other friends with kids or an older sister, a good memoir is sometimes the best way to connect with someone who’s been through it before and lived to tell the tales. Fey’s sharp humor makes it all the more interesting to read.
Switch up your reading list or book club with a little non-fiction for the New Year. It might help you take a break from the mommy books while helping you be a better Mom at the same time!
What are some of your favorite new reads lately?
Jen Hatmaker’s For the Love.
SOOOO great.
I have the Four Agreements in my Amazon cart and can’t wait to read it. Oprah recommends it highly in her book “What I Know For Sure” – another great read. I’ve read and Listened to the Dale Carnegie book several times and always find it useful. Anither good one for the list is Brene Browns new one, Rising Strong. Fits perfectly with your similar taste in books.