The Power of Habit

People ask me pretty often how I have time to [fill in the blank]. Reading is one of those things. In answer I always point out what I don't do in order to make time for what I choose to do. We tend to make time for what truly matters to us, whether it's volunteer work, exercise, TV, travel, etc. I'll admit it also helps that I no longer have young children demanding my time, and my retired husband takes care of our home, but I still have to make choices. When you come home from work, what do you do?

Because there are so many demands on our time, it's worthwhile to ask yourself if how you spend your time matches what you want your life to reflect. About a year ago, I realized that I needed to put time into de-stressing and focusing on my health, and I didn't have a choice about changing if I wanted to any semblance of balance and well being in my life. Once I realized I had the power to make choices that would really affect my life in a positive way, I started to set goals in other areas.

I wasn't as successful this time, presumably because I didn't have the same sense of urgency as before. One of my goals was to read more. Like most of you, I did most of my reading on vacation. Except for audiobooks, which I listen to while I'm driving to and from Pālamanui, I did very little reading outside of email and work stuff, and the pile of books next to my bed was growing. As luck would have it, Kate Sims, English Professor, gave me a copy of The Power of Habit just as the holiday break was starting.

This book is life changing. You may have read about how to form new habits. You may think you know what it takes. You may even have been successful in breaking old or creating new habits...but do you know why you were successful? I carried it around with me in my purse reading it at free moments when I normally would have been sitting and waiting for someone/something and wasting time on social media.

Before I even finished half the book I was putting in place new habits much more easily than ever before, and yes, one of them was regular reading. Below are some of the books I've read recently that I highly recommend.

Hawaiian Son








Daughter of Molokaʻi








Seeking the Sacred Raven
(available at the Pālamanui library!)

If you have the time and energy to read something new at this time, I highly recommend The Power of Habit. (Thanks, Kate!)