Summer of Self-Improvement: 12 Goals, 12 Books
It’s hard to believe we’re almost halfway through this calendar year. I think it’s mostly hard to believe it because in so many ways it feels like a “new” year is upon us.
Summer doesn’t normally inspire in me all the righteous commitment to betterment that January does, but…I’ll admit…there is something about this summer that is that’s got me thinking about what I can accomplish in these next few weeks.
I was thinking the same might be true for others, so I reached out to some of our members and asked them about some goals they have for themselves. And then (in keeping with the Books to Badass philosophy of the club) I pulled some recent new releases for recommendations and – ta da! – The Summer of Self-Improvement was born.
I truly hope you find something on this list that aligns with a goal you have for yourself. And I know it’s far from an exhaustive list, so if you see something that’s missing, shoot me an email (hello@badasswomensbookclub.com) and I’ll give you a book rec!
Goal: Setting Boundaries
Healthy boundaries. We all know we should have them--in order to achieve work/life balance, cope with toxic people, and enjoy rewarding relationships with partners, friends, and family. But what do "healthy boundaries" really mean--and how can we successfully express our needs, say "no," and be assertive without offending others? Licensed counselor, sought-after relationship expert, and one of the most influential therapists on Instagram Nedra Glover Tawwab presents simple-yet-powerful ways to establish healthy boundaries in all aspects of life.
Goal: Loving My Body
Can you imagine how much free time you’d have if you didn’t spend so much of it body shaming yourself? Katie Sturino knows all too well what it’s like to shit talk yourself. She spent thirty years of her life feeling ashamed of her body and its self-determined wrongness. Now she doesn’t care what anyone thinks of her; she only cares that she’s happy and comfortable with herself. Body positivity and size inclusivity is still a relatively new phenomenon, but Sturino has dedicated her life to unlearning all that beauty standard BS. With Body Talk, an illustrated guide-meets-workbook, Sturino is here to help you stop obsessing about your body issues, focus on self-love, and free up space in your brain for creative and productive energy. Complete with empowering affirmations, relatable anecdotes, and actionable takeaways, as well as space to answer prompts and jot down feelings and inspirations, Body Talk encourages you to spend less time thinking about how you look and what you eat and more time discovering your inner fierceness.
Goal: Managing Anxiety
If you are one of the millions of people struggling to manage your mental health right now, stop whatever you are doing and read this interactive workbook created by comedian and mental health advocate, Kelsey Darragh. With a completely raw and honest approach to discussing, accepting, and managing debilitating anxiety, panic, and depression, Don’t F*cking Panic: The Shit They Don’t Tell You in Therapy About Anxiety Disorder, Panic Attacks, & Depression is a refreshing and often painfully hilarious guide to long-term recovery and healing.
Goal: Finding My Voice
In 2015, Arlan Hamilton was on food stamps and sleeping on the floor of the San Francisco airport, with nothing but an old laptop and a dream of breaking into the venture capital business. She couldn’t understand why people starting companies all looked the same (white and male), and she wanted the chance to invest in the ideas and people who didn’t conform to this image of how a founder is supposed to look. Hamilton had no contacts or network in Silicon Valley, no background in finance—not even a college degree. What she did have was fierce determination and the will to succeed. From a black, gay woman who broke into the boys’ club of Silicon Valley comes an empowering guide to finding your voice, working your way into any room you want to be in, and achieving your own dreams.
Goal: Navigating the New Normal of Work
Covid-19 has heightened career uncertainty in a work landscape dominated by turbulence and change, and it is directly impacting how people are entering—or re-entering—the workplace. But as Lindsey Pollak makes clear, the pandemic merely accelerated career and hiring trends that have been building. This means that the old job hunting and career success rules no longer apply. Job seekers of all generations and skill sets must learn how to thrive in this “new normal,” which will include a hybrid of remote and in-person experiences, increased reliance on virtual communication and automation, constant disruption, and renewed employer emphasis on workers’ health and well-being. Combining insights from both experts and professionals across generations, she provides encouraging, strategic, and actionable advice on making lifelong decisions about education; building a resilient personal brand; using virtual communication to remotely interview, network, and work; skilling and reskilling for the future; and maintaining self-care and mental health.
Goal: Building Stronger Connections
From the host of the popular WNYC podcast Death, Sex, & Money, Let’s Talk About Hard Things is an invitation to discuss the tough topics that all of us encounter. In Let’s Talk About Hard Things, Sale uses the best of what she’s learned from her podcast to reveal that when we have the courage to talk about hard things, we learn about ourselves, others, and the world that we make together. Diving into five of the most fraught conversation topics—death, sex, money, family, and identity—she moves between memoir, fascinating snapshots of a variety of Americans opening up about their lives, and expert opinions to show why having tough conversations is important and how to do them in a thoughtful and generous way.
Goal: Battling Imposter Syndrome
Luvvie Ajayi Jones is known for her trademark wit, warmth, and perpetual truth-telling. But even she's been challenged by the enemy of progress known as fear. She was once afraid to call herself a writer, and nearly skipped out on doing a TED talk that changed her life because of imposter syndrome. As she shares in Professional Troublemaker, she's not alone. We're all afraid. We're afraid of asking for what we want because we're afraid of hearing "no." We're afraid of being different, of being too much or not enough. We're afraid of leaving behind the known for the unknown. But in order to do the things that will truly, meaningfully change our lives, we have to become professional troublemakers: people who are committed to not letting fear talk them out of the things they need to do or say to live free. With humor and honesty, and guided by the influence of her professional troublemaking Nigerian grandmother, Funmilayo Faloyin, Luvvie walks us through what we must get right within ourselves before we can do the things that scare us; how to use our voice for a greater good; and how to put movement to the voice we've been silencing--because truth-telling is a muscle.
Goal: Being More Positive
Ever wish you were one of those upbeat, positive people who embrace every day with a can-do mindset that motivates others and simply makes life more fun? Longtime magazine editor Meaghan B Murphy is one of those high-energy people--and she's here to share her secrets for finding more yay every day. Your Fully Charged Life is Murphy's practical guide to bringing your best self to every moment, even when the pressures of daily life leave you feeling overwhelmed, exhausted, and wallowing in negative thoughts (and a pint of your favorite gelato). Spanning health, work, family time, and more, this book reveals small changes in outlook and habits that yield big results, without ever sacrificing who you are.
Goal: Building a Professional Network
Rebecca Leder’s Knock Method is a five-step framework for intentionally and genuinely connecting with others for mutual benefit as you develop your career. Whether you’re working to get to the next level at your current job, seeking a new job or career, or just kicking off your career, this book will help you build confidence to reach out and open doors. It provides a networking guide to build long-lasting relationships that will strengthen your collective network and help you bridge the gap from where you are to where you want to be.
Goal: Getting a Handle on My Finances
Individuals of all ages are buried in credit card and student loan debt. In this easy to follow, no nonsense, practical, step-by-step guide, financial coach and national speaker, Jodee Brydges’ approachable and easy to follow writing style takes the heavy burden of "Digging Out" to a lighthearted read by providing all of the steps and worksheets needed to dig out of financial debt one shovel full at a time. She also shares savvy tips to stay on track when the spending urge strikes
By the end of Digging Out, you will have a solid understanding about how to fully manage your money monthly, as well as the foundation you need to grow your financial tree and pave your path to a secure financial future.
Goal: Stop Overthinking Everything
As a 24-year-old line cook, Ellen Marie Bennett couldn't stand the kitchen staff’s poorly designed, cheaply made aprons. So when her head chef announced he was ordering a new batch, she blurted out, “Chef, I have an apron company”—even though she had no company, no business plan—just a glimmer of a design idea and a business license. Through hustle and a willingness to leap into the unknown, time and time again, she built that first order into a multi-million-dollar company called Hedley & Bennett, making aprons and kitchen gear worn by many of the world’s best chefs and home cooks everywhere. Dream First, Details Later shares Ellen's journey and her forged-in-the-fire personal playbook for starting before you stop yourself. If you've ever imagined doing something and immediately thought, "that's impossible," or "I wouldn't even know where to start," or "I'm not qualified to do that," in these pages, you'll learn how to shove aside your inner worrier and launch into action.
Goal: Feeling Less Stressed
Helping people build healthy new habits that improve their lives is more important than ever. Eschewing trendy self-care fixes or the latest health fads, Your Time to Thrive is the revolutionary guide to living and working based on Microsteps--tiny, science-backed changes. By making them too-small-to fail, we can incorporate them into our daily lives right away, and begin building healthier ways of living and working. With chapters dedicated to sleep, nutrition, movement, focus and prioritization, communication and relationships, unplugging and recharging, creativity and inspiration, and purpose/meaning, Your Time to Thrive shares practical, usable, research-supported mini-habits that will yield huge benefits and empower people to truly thrive in all parts of their lives.
Goal: Being More Myself
Jessica Zweig founded the SimplyBe. agency to revolutionize an authenticity-first approach to branding. With Be: A No-Bullsh*t Guide to Increasing Your Self Worth and Net Worth by Simply Being Yourself, she shares her most powerful secrets for building authenticity, service, and real connection into your winning brand.
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