Planning some resolutions for the new year? While it’s always beneficial to evaluate where you are in life and make healthy adjustments, statistically, only about 8 percent of people who initiate New Year’s Resolutions realize their goal.
This year maybe it’s time for a New Year’s Revolution. Changes often are easier to integrate when enacted gradually throughout the year.
It also helps to have support from others — and the North Olympic Library System has got your back! Here are a couple revolutionary library resolutions that will enrich your life all year long.
Enjoy more books
This is a great place to start! Set a goal of one book a month or maybe even one a week. I personally have to grab my reading time on my 15-minute break at work, and, if I can keep my eyes open, after the kids are in bed.
NOLS has an option for those who are desperate for just five more minutes of sweet, engrossing reading: audiobooks. Audiobooks can help you carve out some hands-free “reading” time while you clean, drive, cook or as you drift off to sleep at the end of a long day.
You can download audiobooks using the library’s digital streaming services — such as Hoopla and Washington Anytime Library — or borrow books on CD from your local library branch. There are plenty of great titles to choose from.
Learn something new
According to Josh Kaufman, author of “The First 20 Hours, How to Learn Anything Fast,” it requires 10,000 hours to develop a new skill to mastery, but to go from knowing nothing to “being pretty good” takes only about 20 hours. Isn’t that great news?!
From foreign languages to cookery, to inventive crafting, NOLS has a wealth of resources just waiting for you to explore.
Always wanted to learn how to cook tasty vegetarian meals or just try something new? “Superfood Soups” by Julie Morris contains 100 mouthwatering and hardy plant-based recipes.
If prying your kids away from their devices and into the kitchen is your goal, I can personally recommend “The Forest Feast for Kids,” a colorful collection of simple, vegetarian recipes by Erin Gleeson. The recipes and pictures in this book made my kids excited to try their hands at making them.
Looking for a quirky new creative outlet? Try “Faux Taxidermy Knits” by Louise Walker for some especially whimsical fun.
We all can make small, simple and effective changes in our daily lives to reach our goals. One visit to your local library could open the door to a whole new you. The possibilities are endless!
Get more
For more information about educational resources and services at NOLS, visit www.nols.org or reach out to your friendly library staff by calling the Sequim Library at 683-1161 or stopping in for a visit at 630 N. Sequim Ave.
Aimee Conkle is a customer service specialist with the North Olympic Library System.
