Reading for Your Resolutions

Book recommendations for incorporating compassion and connections into your life. Credit: Courtesy Roundabout Books

In his 2023 book, “Hidden Potential,” Adam Grant tells the story of a polyglot who learned a new language by setting a goal of 200 mistakes a day. I love the idea of setting a goal to make mistakes, as it’s the only way we learn something new. What a wonderful way to approach New Year’s resolutions; recognizing the bravery needed to try something new and making room in life for the mistakes along the way.

“The true measure of your potential is not the height of the peak you’ve reached, but how far you’ve climbed to get there.” —Adam Grant, “Hidden Potential”

I really love the new year. I find great energy in the idea of a blank slate, exploring ideas for how I can make the coming year better, and deciding on the plans (and reading!) necessary to get there.

As you think about your New Year’s resolutions, it might be useful to consider book trends ushering us into 2024. For example, “cozy” books exploded in 2023. The publishing industry used to focus only on cozy mysteries with cats and coffee mugs on the covers. But the cozy genre has expanded into fiction, fantasy, romance and more. What is a cozy book? They usually involve low-stakes challenges and slice-of-life moments and compassionate characters and often include themes of found family and homey settings.

The cozy theme is spreading into other areas of life, too. Have you seen at least one episode of “The Great British Baking Show”? Classic Cozy. And did you see the Pantone Color for 2024 is Peach Fuzz? “A soft, heartfelt hue that expresses the desire to nurture kindness, compassion and connection — all while fostering a deep coziness as we seek a peaceful future.” I love that a color symbolizing compassion and connection is picked for an election year.

Yes, we have a presidential election in 2024, and several new political biographies and books are taking a critical look at where we are as a nation, and where we are headed. The demand this season for Liz Cheney’s book, “Oath and Honor,” and for Heather Cox Richardson’s book, “Democracy Awakening,” are indicative of the social questions we’re carrying into the new year.

Self-improvement books are also having a moment, particularly ones that focus on setting boundaries, being mindful of how we prioritize our time, communicating better and creating a happier life through connection.

I listened to a 2-hour podcast a couple weeks ago, and that’s saying a lot as I never listen to podcasts. (The guilt of not listening to a book is usually enough to focus me back on the title cued on my libro.fm account.) In this episode of “The Drive,” Peter Attia, podcast host and author of “Outlive,” interviewed author and Harvard Professor Arthur Brooks on cultivating happiness. The focal point of the conversation was on Brooks’s three pillars of happiness: enjoyment, or pleasure that includes people and making memories; satisfaction, or the joy after the struggle; and meaning, or your sense of purpose.

What fascinated me was how authors and literary references were incorporated naturally into a conversation about health, healing, happiness and growth. Despite an enormous to-be-read pile on my nightstand, these titles and authors are now part of my essential 2024 reading:

“Build the Life You Want: The Art and Science of Getting Happier” by Arthur Brooks and Ophrah Winfrey. A guide for turning challenges into opportunities, strengthening family ties and friendships, cultivating happiness.
“Outlive: The Science and Art of Longevity” by Peter Attia. The science and techniques you need to improve health and longevity, optimizing exercise, sleep, nutrition, emotional and mental health.
Thich Nhat Hanh, Thomas Aquinas and Aristotle. Hanh takes a Buddhist approach to finding satisfaction and underlines that our greatest source of misery is attachment to our opinions. Aquinas wrote that the transcendent, divine path is of willing good to another. Over 2,000 years ago, Aristotle wrote on the nature of healthy love and friendship.
“Awe: The New Science of Everyday Wonder and How It Can Transform Your Life” by Dacher Keltner. Some find transcendence in faith, some in nature. Some find it in music, genius, art or mediation. Some find it in great literature. Whichever you choose, find a way to experience Awe.
“How to Know a Person” by David Brooks. The art of truly knowing another person, fostering deeper connections at home, work and throughout our lives.
“Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals” by Oliver Burkeman. How will you prioritize your four thousand weeks?

Whether your 2024 New Year’s resolutions include reading a big stack of cozies while curled under a peach fuzz blanket, educating yourself for a better America, designing a plan to make 73,000 mistakes as you learn some new skills, or just trying to incorporate more compassion and connections into your life, I wish you much goodwill for a very good year. Cheers!