We can’t help but look at the New Year with renewed optimism. We resolve that this will be the year we lose weight, succeed at work or be a better friend, parent or spouse. It’s all talk until we take action and each year a new crop of self-help books promise to help get you started. Here are a few to consider for 2017:
"See Your Way to Mindfulness: Ideas and Inspirations to Open Your I," by David Schiller (Workman, $13) Wellness is about more than eating right and exercising, but the third pillar of wellness, the mind, is often ignored. Schiller helps readers get control of their minds with a series of 26 exercises such as looking up, looking at shadows, searching for mushrooms and following strangers. Each exercise is accompanied by meditative quotes from famous poets, philosophers and others, as well as photographs and illustrations of nature.
"Healthy, Happy You: 365 Daily Micro-Actions for Lasting Change," by Nora Rosendahl, Nelli Lahteenmaki and Aleksi Hoffman (The Experiment, $15) Overhauling your life can be a daunting task, so the folks from the YOU-app found a way to offer daily micro-actions that can lead to major change. Give each of the 365 micro-actions at least one minute each day to make improvements in each of four categories: food, mind, move and love. Instead of running a marathon, you might take the stairs. Instead of cleaning your house, you might organize your kitchen cabinet. Take your time, be open to new actions, and then decide which ones you want to turn into habits.
"Jump: Take the Leap of Faith to Achieve Your Live of Abundance," by Steve Harvey (Amistad, $26) Atlanta-based celebrity Steve Harvey has shifted from helping readers succeed in love to helping them succeed in life. His latest effort evolved from advice he delivered to a studio audience at the close of taping for Family Feud. It later became a viral video. The book is a faith-based manifesto for a more fulfilling life with Harvey using his own ups (founding a camp for boys) and downs (the Miss Universe mishap) to illustrate six principles that show you how to leap into the unknown.
"Exponential Living: Stop Spending 100% of Your Time on 10% of Who You Are," by Sheri Riley (New American Library, $26) Sheri Riley was at the top of Atlanta's music industry as an executive for LaFace records, but she was miserable. She set off to learn how to give more of herself to the things she really valued. Sharing years of wisdom gained from clients and friends, Riley, now a life strategist, offers nine principles accompanied by exercises and case studies, to give even the most goal-oriented individuals a path to creating a more well-rounded life.
"The Irresistible Introvert," by Michaela Chung (Skyhorse Publishing, $15) Introverts of the world can learn how to live at peak potential without giving up their inwardly focused ways. Chung offers the one-third to one-half of American introverts strategies for managing their energy, finding effective communication skills, building intimacy and learning how to stop feeling as if they have to pretend to be extroverts.
"Pogue's Basics: Money," by David Pogue (Flatiron Books, $20) David Pogue is back with the third installment in his bestselling series. This time, Pogue fills the pages with lesser known tips on how to save and make money including how to get cash from a prepaid Visa card or get airline miles without flying. Perhaps you will decide to pay your taxes with a cash back credit card or finally cut the cable cord. Whatever it is, Pogue has the inside scoop on how to get it done.
"Listen, Love, Repeat, by Karen Ehman," (Zondervan, $17) Anyone who has been on the receiving end of another person's narcissism knows that we all have opportunities to be less self-centered. In this Christian centered approach to other-centered living, Ehman encourages readers engage in acts of kindness from listening to heart drops, those moments when a person reveals his or her heart to another, to reaching out and touching even the most cantankerous and unlovable among us.
"Tough Love: Raising, Confident, Kind, Resilient Kids," edited by Lisa Stiepock, Amy Ioria and Lori Gottlieb (Simon & Schuster, $16) Parents who feel the world is changing too fast may wonder how to navigate certain challenges with school-age children. Advice from 18 experts in this book presented by Mom.me helps parents learn how to set limits with appropriate consequences, undertake sex education, encourage student athletes, make family time sacred and much more.
"The Sugar Detox Plan," by Dr. Kurt Mosetter, Dr. Wolfgang Simon, Thorsten Probost and Anna Cavelius (Countryman Press, $18) We all know sugar is the devil, but kicking the habit is hard. This three-step plan promises to help you rid yourself of the sweet stuff once and for all. In addition to sharing the horrible things sugar does to our bodies and the surprising places you may find sugar, readers are given a 12-week plan to eliminate sugar from their diets and recipes to help.
"The New Fat Flush Plan," by Ann Louise Gittleman, (McGraw Hill Education, $25) This New York Times bestseller has been updated with new research, food options and lifestyle plans. First learn the 10 root causes of weight gain, then proceed to shed pounds and inches while also cleansing your liver. New features include a Three-Day Ultra Fat Flush Tune-Up for quick results, recipes that reflect current diet trends like Paleo and Vegan, and new menus, meals and more.
"Healthy Gut, Flat Stomach," by Danielle Capalino (Countryman Press, $18) Learn what FODMAP is (foods that can cause digestive distress), where to find them and how to reduce them in your diet. A 7-day elimination diet helps you test for sensitivity followed by plan to help you develop a personalized program. With a selection of recipes and advice on eating out, you'll banish that belly bloat in no time.
