New Years Resolutions really aren’t my thing. I feel all of this pressure to come up with something great; these far-reaching goals that will revolutionize my life when, in reality, in the stage we are in right now it’s very much a one-day-at-a-time kind of operation we’re running over here. Far reaching and revolutionary are not words that play very well with mommy brain. Scattered and borderline-lunacy? Now those are words I understand.

So, this year, I gave myself a break and I didn’t even bother with resolutions. Instead, I picked a word that I wanted to describe 2015: Peace. Peace of mind, peace of spirit, peace in my heart, peace in my home. That is what I want to focus on this year. And it’s ok if some days are a knock-down drag-out fight to get to carpool in time wearing something other than yoga pants. It’s ok if sometimes my five year old wears her Elsa costume and fuzzy slippers to the grocery store. And it’s ok if some days and all-together crazy and hectic. Peace can be in the small things.

One small thing that brings me a wonderful amount of peace is reading. As parents and small-business owners there is a LOT of output in our lives. We give and we do; give do, give do, give do – on repeat. There are days when I finally glance at a clock at 3:42pm only to realize that my child has peanut butter in her hair and it looks DELICIOUS to me because I’ve forgotten to eat all day long. I forget to give to myself, even in the most basic ways. Reading is a way to choose some positive input that requires slowing down, and that has become really important to me. I try to rotate my book schedule with business, spiritual, fiction and parenting so that I receive that input on all of the things I love. Here is my 2015 book list:

Rhinestone Jesus by Kristen Welch

Wild by Cheryl Strayed

7: An Experimental Mutiny Against Excess by Jen Hatmaker – This is one of the only books I’ve ever read over and over again. It resets my mind in a way that I can’t quite put into words. If you haven’t read 7 yet, you should start it today.

Make It Happen by Lara Casey

Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarity

You and Me Forever by Frances and Lisa Chan

All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr

Against All Grain by Danielle Walker

I’d love to hear what books are on your must-read list this year! Share in the comments below.