words Revathie Dhanabalan

There are three goals I try to keep to each year - achieving my career goals, attempt to be a successful adult, and keep my personal life in check. Honestly, even keeping up with these three goals can sometimes feel impossible. I trust that even some of you reading this can relate to the same struggle.

1. You start to get overwhelmed at the start of the year

2. You plan it out the upcoming year

3. You feel like you’re no closer to where you started at the end of the year

But I learnt that no matter how often you may feel overwhelmed (especially in 2020), I decided that 2021 will be the year where I find the balance I’ve been looking for. But of course, I could use all the help to get to this stage. First step, I started off by creating a new way of thinking and simply organising my everyday life in the simplest way possible with BOOKS!

Luckily, there are resources and books with proven methods (may not be 100% fool-proof) and insights that will help you find the balance between living your best life. No one ever said achieving work-life balance would be easy, but these insightful books, have proven to be a great way for me to start. But as with everything we take in, a pinch of the proverbial salt always helps.

Let’s hope that this year can be a year to find true wisdom and hope within the pages of these books.

1.

Four Faces of Femininity: Heroic Women Throughout History

by Barbara McNally

This book surpassed my expectations when I first picked it up. The artwork did it for me as well (at times I do judge a book by its cover but it was an easy read and it was interesting). If you’re in need of a little inspiration from women, you’ll love this book. Sometimes, it is just really pleasant to read about successful women from all walks of life and different backgrounds.

The book was well segmented into Mother, Lover, Warrior and Sage and each segment featured different groups of women. There was a little homework at the end of each segment and that’s why this book was the perfect way for me to start on the path of self-reflection.

2.

Buy Yourself the F*cking Lilies: And Other Rituals to Fix Your Life, From Someone Who’s Been There

by Tara Schuster

And as to what attracted me to this book, I would say it was kind of evident - it is literally in the title. Buying myself flowers… that intrigued me a little. As you start reading this self-help book shows that one is able to transform her entire being and re-evaluate priorities. I always imagined it to be a mega to-do list that required big-ticket items.

Trust that this isn’t a fierce memoir like it portrays on the cover or completely revolutionary but take note of simple moments of clarity in it. It did help me to take on the various methods that the author does to move forward.

3.

The Daily Stoic: 366 Meditations on Wisdom, Perseverance, and the Art of Living

by Ryan Holiday & Stephen Hanselman

This was a kicker and one that took me about three months (in all honesty maybe four months) to complete. I decided to pick a book that my eyes would usually glaze over. But the word ‘stoic’ sounded grounded to me (and has become my favourite word). The book became exactly what I needed to build on self-knowledge.

Over time, it became a book that I reached for ever-so often when I need a mental push. 366 meditations meant one per day in a year but I decided to read through every page to take on what I truly needed for the new year. If you’re one for history, playwrights and philosophers, this is right up your alley.

4.

Untamed

by Glennon Doyle

I’ll be straight up with this one - it can be a hard read to get through without thinking that the author is just narcissistic. The book appears to be the author just patting herself on her back and how she has worked through life. It is however word-to-word, a memoir. Similar to Tara Schuster’s memoir above, there are moments of simple honesty and vulnerability that one can take away from.

Read it as a woman who was able to find herself and continued to remain true to herself. There were two main things that I took away from this: self-knowledge and compassion that she managed to develop from her experiences. And most obviously, New York Times bestseller did draw me in again (it’s clearly a strong draw when I pick out books).

5.

The Social Animal : A Story of How Success Happens

by David Brooks

I saved my favourite for last. I read this book a while ago and it’s one of the rare lots that I re-read when I need a little mental boost. The story revolves around two main characters and works through the understanding of human nature.

The author, a New York Times columnist outlines a new definition of success, highlighting hidden qualities that can't be easily measured. It is a challenging read with psychological sciences intertwined with the story of the characters. But it creates for a really informative look at how the mind works.

In truth, it can get confusing to follow the characters’ storyline but if there is one thing you can take away from it, it’s the notion of compassion.