if you followed along to my monthly challenges series last year, for each month of last year (I started in March 2018), I set a monthly challenge, where I practiced something new for the entire month (about 30 days). I didn’t want to preselect all the challenges for the entire year, because I’m always changing and there are always areas of my life that change and some need more help than others at certain times. ranging from taking daily walks outside to reducing my paper towel usage, I set a challenge and did my best to stick to it. It was a great way to stay focused on a particular goal and it was attainable, as it was on a month to month basis.
here’s a recap of all of my challenges:
- march: read for at least 30 minutes a day from a business book.
- april: drink a warm, anti-inflammatory drink once a day.
- may: take a walk outside everyday.
- june: stretch everyday for 10 minutes.
- july: floss everyday.
- august: use less paper towels by buying microfiber washcloths instead.
- september: listen to a new podcast everyday.
- october: tidy up the house before bed, to set myself up for success in the morning.
- november: eliminate added sugars from my diet.
- december: read for 30 minutes before bed every night.
many of you have been asking me if I am going to be continuing the monthly challenges. although I loved each and every one and grew a lot from them, I won’t be continuing with them. Instead, I’ll be setting one larger monthly challenge for the entire year (2019), which is to read one new book a month. now, many seasoned readers may say, “One book a month – that’s hardly a challenge!” but, as an entrepreneur and woman with a toddler and another baby on the way, finding the time to read is tough. one book a month is a huge victory for me, personally!
here are the books that I read (and loved) in 2018 (there were some books I read that I wouldn’t recommend and thus, they aren’t on this list):
- The Perfect Mother by Aimee Molloy
- Crushing It! by Gary Vaynerchuk
- The Couple Next Door by Shari Lapena
- The Woman in Cabin 10 by Ruth Ware
- The Other Woman by Sandie Jones
and here are some books that are currently on my reading list:
- Becoming by Michelle Obama (currently reading)
- Educated by Tara Westover
- The Little Book of Hygge by Meik Wiking
- The Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris
I’d love to hear what books you’ve loved or are on your reading list – send your suggestions my way!