January is always the month of change. New resolutions, new goals, new aims, new aspirations for the year ahead. I don't like to make resolutions, mostly because my mind goes blank and I make a load of rubbish up, but also because I'll forget about them after a week. I do like to set myself little goals and try to make small, positive changes to my life. I was sent a copy of The Book of YOU, which Jamie Oliver describes as "small, easy steps for big, life-changing results." The book is full of daily micro-actions, 365 of them, to help you make change happen in bite-sized chunks.
The Book of YOU breaks the micro-actions down into four categories: food, mind, move and love. And as the categories suggest each small action aims to drive significant change. Instead of setting you up with tasks that you might struggle with - eating less chocolate is a great example in my case - it suggests a small action that is completely achievable, like appreciating your food today.
What I love about the book is that there are no hard and fast rules. It suggests you start with the first micro-action then once you have done a few you can work through them in whichever order you want to. You don't even have to do one daily; you could just dip in and out of the book whenever you need a little motivation. There is a small circle on each page so you can tick them off as you work your way through and if you don't want to do a micro-action you can just skip it.
I've been flicking through the book each day and stopping when a micro-action catches my eye. It is the food and the mind actions that have tended to grab my attention the most. I've enjoyed suggestions like rearranging a bookshelf and using more fresh herbs. They are such simple, small changes to make, so small I don't even notice the effort that goes into it, but the reward is huge!
It is a gorgeous little book, slightly smaller than A5 and perfectly portable. I keep mine in the kitchen as I spend so much time there so I have a look while I'm cooking. It's a great size for carrying about with you, it would fit perfectly in my handbag (or should I say, changing bag). It's the sort of book I would have kept in my desk drawer back when I was working the 9-to-5!
The Book of YOU is a great book for anyone looking to make small, positive changes to your life. With thanks to Mumsnet and Penguin for my review copy.
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