New Year, New You 2018: What’s Your Resolution?

Every year the lane change from holiday indulgence to New Year, New You is so fast it can be a little whiplash-inducing. The Christmas cookies probably haven’t even run out by the time we’re supposed to be eating healthier, exercising more, etc. You probably have a vague idea of your goal for the new year, but we think that having a clear vision will help you achieve it come January 1st. The three most popular New Year’s Resolutions for 2017 were, improving diet and exercise, reading more, and learning something new. If you’re making one of these resolutions for 2018, we’ve definitely got you covered with great books to help you achieve your goal. If you’re looking for resolution inspiration, we’ve got a few ideas for you. 2018 is right around the corner–what’s your resolution?

###If your resolution is about living your life to the fullest, we recommend reading:

Awakening Your Ikigai: How the Japanese Wake Up to Joy and Purpose Every Day: Ikigai is a Japanese phenomenon commonly understood as “your reason to get up in the morning.” Ikigai can be small moments: the morning air, a cup of coffee, a compliment. It can also be deep convictions: a fulfilling job, lasting friendships, balanced health. Whether big or small, your ikigai is the path to success and happiness in your own life.

ORWake Up!: A Handbook to Living in the Here and Now: You have an unlimited capacity to have fun, meet amazing people, and feel truly awake every single day. But do you? When you’re living on autopilot (and most people are—80 percent of the time), those opportunities pass you by. With Wake Up!, you’ll learn 54 strategies to help you snap out of autopilot.

###If your resolution is to eat better, we recommend reading:

The No Meat Athlete Cookbook: This cookbook, written by No Meat Athlete founder Matt Fraizer and Stepfanie Romine, will not only have you eating healthier, it’ll get you energized to get moving. Here are 125 delicious vegan recipes, many inspired by plant-based foods from around the world, to help you put nourishing, whole foods on the table quickly and affordably.

ORHow We Eat With Our Eyes and Think With Our Stomachs: Do you try to eat better, but keep falling into the same old food traps? Through over 40 compelling questions, this book explores how our eating decisions tread the line between conscious and subconscious, and enables us to be more intelligent about food. With expert insights that draw from psychology, neuroscience, popular culture, and more, learn to see the innumerable influences behind your diet and cravings—from the size and color of your plate, to the placement of products in a supermarket, to the order in which you sit when out with friends.

###If your resolution is to be kinder to your body, we recommend reading:

Stack Your Bones: If you’re trying to give your body some TLC in 2018, there’s no better place to start than your bones. Your body is constantly responding to events and stress in your life: Your back may tense up, shoulders slouch forward, hips veer off to the right or left. Slowly, without noticing, you shift out of balance. With the 100 simple lessons in Stack Your Bones, you will improve posture, alleviate pain, and create balanced strength and flexibility.

ORThe Born Again Runner: Running is one of the most common resolutions and yet, after a few days at the gym or on the track, it’s too easy to come up with excuses: achy knees and sore ankles, advanced age and arthritis, too many cigarettes or years on the couch. The Born Again Runner is the book you need if you’ve ever had a reason not to run–through inspiration, science, and anecdote, author Pete Magill gets runners out the door; through personal action plans, he sets them on the right path; and through the best exercises to protect and rehabilitate the body, he keeps them going—showing a way forward for new and sidelined runners who haven’t before realized how close they are to fun and pain-free running!

###If your resolution is to learn something new, we recommend reading:

Paint This Book!: Learning a new skill sounds like a great resolution–fun, adventurous, achievable–but it’s easy to give up once we realize that new skills don’t come easy. With Paint This Book!, you don’t have to worry about becoming a watercolor master–as far as the authors as concerned, once you’ve put paint to page, you’re already an artist (though they will guide you through exercises and techniques as well). Paint This Book! comes with the paints, the brush, and the watercolor paper.

OROne Magic Square Vegetable Gardening: Gardening is a great skill to resolve to learn–it gets you outside, it’s good for the earth, and you just might get some tasty veggies out of it! One Magic Square Vegetable Gardening is the perfect starter guide, no matter your skill level and no matter the size of your garden! It will help first-time gardeners get started—and help veteran gardeners get results—on a 3 foot square, easy-to-maintain, plot.

###If your resolution is to read more, we recommend:

Checking out our Spring catalog–we’ve got great stuff coming that will keep you reading all year long.

###Good luck with whatever resolution you choose and Happy New Year!