Books to help us be the person we want to be in 2016

The beauty of a new year is our ability (or at least our intention) to reinvent ourselves. Whatever stage you are at in your life, the start of the next year brings hope for a fresh start and new possibilities. Here are our pick of 6 books that give you a head start on being the best you that you can be in 2016.

The Miracle of Mindfulness: The Classic Guide by Thich Nhat Hanh

In this beautifully written book, Buddhist monk and Nobel Peace Prize nominee Thich Nhat Hanh explains how to acquire the skills of mindfulness. Once we have these skills, we can slow our lives down and discover how to live in the moment – even simple acts like washing the dishes or drinking a cup of tea may be transformed into acts of meditation. Thich Nhat Hanh’s gentle anecdotes and practical exercises help us to arrive at greater self-understanding and peacefulness, whatever the stage we are at.

Uncommon Sense by Michael Kemp

Mike Kemp is the financial advisor to Scott Pape, otherwise known as the Barefoot Investor. This book offers a comprehensive background to understanding how the stock market works. It’s a book for serious investors but Kemp delivers stories and anecdotes that helps the reader understand what works in the stock market, what doesn’t and why. Uncommon Sense will have you thinking, acting and succeeding on your own in your investment endeavours. It helps you learn to question conventional wisdom at every turn and develop a healthy skepticism as you plan your own investment strategies. If you want to understand concepts such as the stock valuation process and discover the methods that have been used by successful investors from the dawn of the modern stock market (1602), this is the book for you.

Pull your finger out: 101 ways to stop wasting time & start living your best life by Craig Harper

Craig Harper is here to tell you how. He presents 101 no-nonsense, straight-talking ways to help you get the most out of yourself – from breaking habits and getting motivated to developing self-knowledge and learning when to say no.

Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear by Elizabeth Gilbert

Readers of all ages and walks of life have drawn inspiration from Elizabeth Gilbert’s books for years. Now, this beloved author shares her wisdom and unique understanding of creativity, shattering the perceptions of mystery and suffering that surround the process – and showing us all just how easy it can be. By sharing stories from her own life, as well as those from her friends and the people that have inspired her, Elizabeth Gilbert challenges us to embrace our curiosity, tackle what we most love and face down what we most fear. Whether you long to write a book, create art, cope with challenges at work, embark on a long-held dream, or simply to make your everyday life more vivid and rewarding, Big Magic will take you on a journey of exploration filled with wonder and unexpected joys.

Future Brain: The 12 Keys to create your High Performance Brain by Jenny Brockis

Super–charge your brain to gain a huge competitive edge in business and in life. Future Brain is the busy professional′s secret weapon for boosting mastery, efficiency, and productivity to gain that coveted competitive edge in business and in life. Designed to be implemented at the individual, team, or organisational level, this in–depth, step–by–step framework leverages neuro–scientific principles to help you develop a solid, habit–changing plan for building and maintaining brain fitness and healthy behaviours. Author Dr. Jenny Brockis will help you develop your thought processes and your regular routine to get more done with less effort and time. Future Brain turns neuroscience into actionable steps, helping you to train your brain to achieve high–performance in all areas of life.

That Sugar Book by Damon Gameau

When actor and filmmaker Damon Gameau met a girl he was keen to impress he decided to get healthy by dramatically reducing his sugar intake. In no time he was slimmer, calmer, fitter and happier. He was also very curious: why did the elimination of sugar have such beneficial effects on his health and wellbeing? He decided to experiment and film the results. In particular, this book will change the way you think about traditionally ‘healthy’ foods.