I’m sometimes slow or flat-out reticent about sharing recommendations. I worry about what my endorsement will “say” about me to the world, if I even relax my critical eye long enough to imagine that something that’s special to me might be more generally applicable.

I’m getting over it. I’m getting over myself.

With that in mind, here’s a wrap-up of the year… Things that I’ve consumed or played around with that I find worth mentioning.

As usual, this is all for whatever it’s worth! It’s true in mindfulness practice, in recovery, and in a lot of areas of life life: “Take what works; leave the rest.”

Things that emerged for me in 2023…

Tech & Tools

• Rocketbook reusable notebook. I picked up this little pookie as part of my studying routine when I was getting my securities licenses. It felt like one of those rare instances where a tiny bit of tech, at a reasonable price point, did so much heavy lifting. I would take notes on a chunk of material, scan and label and save the pages as a PDF, and literally wipe the slate clean. I’m interested in experimenting more with how it could fit into my writing life outside of work. (One very satisfying application: “rage writing” or otherwise highly-charged journaling that is purely for emotional release… not reflection or documentation, ha!). Might be worth a try for regular meetings or long projects in your life, too!
• How We Feel app. This free emotion tracking journal was created by a scientific nonprofit, with collaboration from experts at Yale and the co-founder of Pinterest, of all people. I started using it regularly to prompt myself to check in and improve my mindfulness skills. There’s evidence that being able to more precisely name one’s feelings is related to emotional wellbeing. I’m here for it!
• Vanderhacks email newsletter. It’s a Substack of bite-sized wisdom from writer Laura Vanderkam (more on her below). Tune in for nudges and prompts to build new habits, change your perspective, or start fresh—any day.

Books

I am typically slow on the uptake with most content (I get into shows “you just have to watch” three or four or five years after everyone in my life tells me I will love them).

Somehow, bookwise I got to all my favorite reads/listens of 2023 within a year of when they came out! Fun, different for me. Timely for you.

• Tranquility by Tuesday by Laura Vanderkam. I. love. Laura. Vanderkam. I am constantly referencing her at work. I’ve listened to a few of her audiobooks three or four times each. This particular book reads like a “best of” review of all her previous work. She pulls from existing time management and psychological research as well as “time diary” studies she’s conducted herself. Some of the gems in this most practical and grace-filled guide:
  • How to create “resilient” schedules, crafting intentional and flexible plans in life
  • How to honor all the building blocks and each little step you’re taking on the way to the habits and life you want
  • How to feel more “time rich” and get more of that “off the clock” feeling, no matter what’s going on
• Paved Paradise: How Parking Explains the World by Henry Grabar. This is the most exciting book on the most mundane-sounding topic I’ve seen in a long time. There are shocking stats, there’s some intrigue and crime, and you seriously won’t be able to stop thinking about this book as you move through the world. I’ll just leave that there.
• The Perfectionist’s Guide to Losing Control by Katherine Morgan Schafler. With a title like that, this one could’ve been fluffy self-help… but it’s got a lot of weight to it! Well-researched and reported, The Perfectionist’s Guide gives us a lot to work with. Perfectionism, as it turns out, is a familiar concept that actually has not been given a lot of attention in the research. Schafler offers the distinction that perfectionist tendencies might be working for us in adaptive ways or in maladaptive ways. Gamechanger, especially for women who have developed some baggage around what perfectionism means for them.
• Imaginable by Jane McGonigal. After living through our own “unprecedented” times—can we just retire that word now?—this one is a breath of fresh air. The world will continue to change in ways that are just beyond what seems plausible this second. But our brains have the power to time travel, build toward the “unimaginable,” and become more capable than we expect. McGonigal dives into the evidence and exercises we have to live better in this imaginable world of ours.

Enjoy!

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