Ambition is contagious on New Year’s Day. After a long year of successes and challenges, most of us make promises–resolutions that we will accomplish more, quit our vices, and be better versions of ourselves.
According to bizjournals.com, only 8% of people who make resolutions actually succeed at keeping them. Rather than making big, ambitious resolutions and feeling defeated when you break them, experts suggest making small, incremental lifestyle changes.
Whether you believe in setting resolutions for the new year or not, WLN member libraries have plenty of books in their collections to help you make impactful changes that will last through 2018 and beyond.
The Little Book of Hygge: Danish Secrets to Happy Living by Meik Wiking
Hygge (pronounced hoo-ga) is a Danish concept that is best described as the feeling of cozy contentment and well-being through enjoying the simple things in life. Hygge is an important part of Danish culture, but the idea recently made its way across the Atlantic to the United States. The Little Book of Hygge, written by the CEO of Cophenhagen’s Happiness Research Institute, serves as a guidebook to finding the magic and comfort in every day moments.
Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat: Mastering the Elements of Good Cooking by Samin Nosrat
The majority of New Year’s resolutions deal with health and finances. Learning how to make good food at home can help with both–home-cooked meals are generally lower calorie than their restaurant counterparts, and much cheaper to prepare. While Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat does include some recipes, it is not a typical cookbook. Instead of providing lists of ingredients and directions, the author aims to help the reader understand what makes certain dishes taste great. Nosrat boils great dishes down to four elements: salt, which enhances flavor; fat, which which delivers flavor and generates texture; acid, which balances flavor; and heat, which ultimately determines the texture of food. The result is a guide that the most inexperienced home chefs can use to create restaurant-quality dishes at home.
Irresistible: The Rise of Addictive Technology and the Business of Keeping Us Hooked by Adam Alter
The ubiquitous smartphone proves to be society’s greatest connector and greatest distraction. Friends, family, work, and information are right at our fingertips. Despite the convenience, two-thirds of Americans try to “unplug,” or disconnect from technology, according to The Harris Poll. Unplugging isn’t easy–according to the same poll, 86 percent of Americans say they have trouble disconnecting from just once device and cite fear of what they are missing as the main reason why they have trouble turning their smartphones off. Irresistible: The Rise of Addictive Technology and the Business of Keeping Us Hooked explores why it’s so hard for us to unplug. By understanding the root causes of technology dependence, you might find it easier to turn off.