I am not a fan of New Year’s Resolutions. I think it is a flawed strategy to plan on making major changes to some aspect of your life on an arbitrary day of the year – January 1. The research shows that a large percentage of people have broken their New Year’s Resolution by the middle of January and most by the end of January. I believe that lasting, impactful change is a result of the creation of the proper mindset to support daily habits and rituals, focused on small incremental improvement, supported by realistic self-talk and built on a foundation of why that change is important to you. 

Below are four books I would recommend you read, or listen to if you do not like to read. If you are not a fan of books in print, electronic or audio format then do a search for talks by the authors of these books. There are a number of talks and interviews by all four online. These books will help you on your journey to better health in 2021 and beyond. 

Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones by James Clear

• In this book Clear provides a framework for developing new habits. He is all about striving for small daily improvements (1% per day), which lead to significant improvement over time. He provides research to help you establish lasting habits. 

Why We Sleep: Unlocking the Power of Sleep and Dreams by Matthew Walker

• Walker is a Professor at the University of California in Berkley and one of the leading experts in the world on sleep. In this book he highlights the link between sleep and health, disease, learning, and almost every other aspect of our lives. While there is still much they do not know about sleep, they do definitively know that sleep deprivation has a huge negative impact on our mental and physical health. 

Why We Get Sick: The Hidden Epidemic at the Root of Most Chronic Disease―and How to Fight It by Benjamin Bikman

• Insulin Resistance is something you have likely heard of in relation to Type 2 Diabetes. What Bikman points out in this book is that the hormone insulin impacts every system in our body andhas an effect on every cell in every tissue of the body. He also talks about the prevalence of insulin resistance in adult populations in almost every country in the world and the link between insulin resistance and disease. In the book Dr. Bikman says, “In fact, insulin resistance is the most common health disorder worldwide, and it affects more people—adults and children—each year than any other.” Insulin resistance is also impacted by lack of sleep. Bikman explains what insulin resistance is, what causes it, how to test for it and how to cure it. 

Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art by James Nestor

• It is easy to take breathing for granted. We do it all day, every day without any conscious thought. How we breathe however, can have a significant impact on our health. If you get nothing else out of this book understand the importance of nasal breathing to your health. You will likely have to make a conscious effort to change your current breathing patterns. The benefits of doing that can be life changing. 

I would recommend starting with Atomic Habits so you have that foundational piece. Then you can work through the other three books in any order you like. As you do, look to create habits around sleep, becoming insulin sensitive and breathing effectively. I strive to only preach what I practice. I have habits and rituals in place around all three of these areas and am continually seeking small incremental improvements in all three areas. 

What’s Important Now? Create habitual behaviors, built on small incremental improvements, in key areas of your life. 

Take care.

Brian Willis

www.lifesmostpowerfulquestion.com. Maximizing human potential through Life's Most Powerful Question - What's Important Now?

www.daretobegreatleadership.com The online Dare to Be Great: Strategies for Creating a Culture of Leading workshop was created to help aspiring leaders and frontline leaders on their leadership journey. Subscribe to the weekly blog while you are there. 

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