The 4 Best Books on Habits Every Forgetful Woman Should Read
Dec 13, 2022
Changing your habits is hard. Especially when you’re already feeling overwhelmed, unfocused and forgetful. Knowing what changes to make and how to make them can feel challenging.
But sticking with bad habits that you know don’t work for you is also hard. Eventually, you hit a point where you have to choose your hard.
Stay stuck or make the necessary changes... that is the question.
Building habits that work for you to achieve your goals is about so much more than just changing your behavior. Successful new habits require you to change your mindset.
The best books on habits help you do just that.
The Power of Building Better Habits
As women, we have a lot on our plates.
And it’s easy to fall victim to the daily demands of life without taking the time to figure out if what you are doing and how you are doing it really works for you.
Think about it: When was the last time you stopped and questioned the demands of your job? How long has it been since you’ve assessed your daily schedule?
For most of us, it tends to happen when we smack face-first into a problem. For many here on my memory health blog for women, it’s when the brain fog just wouldn’t clear, or the forgetfulness made everything harder.
But you’re here now and ready to make changes and that’s what matters.
The power of building better daily habits can not only help you overcome challenges but can also lead you to create systems that help you maintain life-changing results. And it can make a huge difference on your mental energy, physical health, and peace of mind.
The Best Books on Habits for Unfocused or Forgetful Women
I've read a lot of books on habits. Guiding you in habit change is part of my job as a memory health coach after all. To help you in your habit-building journey, I've boiled it down to the top 4 best books on habits. Here they are:
- Atomic Habits: An Easy and Proven Way to Build Good Habits and Break Bad Ones by James Clear
- Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less by Greg McKeown
- Elastic Habits: How to Create Smarter Habits that Adapt to Your Day by Stephen Guise
- Remember: The Science of Memory and the Art of Forgetting by Lisa Genova
#1 is the best book about habits!
“Every decision you make is a vote for the type of person you want to become.”
In his book, Atomic Habits, James Clear provides proven strategies for forming new habits and breaking old ones. His writing is clear, concise, and captivating as he explains each step of the process and how to make it work for you.
His work will show you how to make good habits easier and bad habits impossible.
Atomic Habits will teach you how to:
- Make time for new habits
- Overcome lack of "motivation"
- Set yourself and your space up for success
- Stay on track
Even if you’re feeling unfocused and forgetful right now.
Buy Atomic Habits on Amazon here!
Of all the books on this list, for me, this one hits home the most. I think it’s because it’s so easy to get wrapped up in the demands of life.
Can you relate?
“Have you ever found yourself stretched too thin?”
“Do you simultaneously feel overworked and underutilized?”
“Are you often busy but not productive?”
Then Essentialism is the book for you. In his book, McKeown teaches you how to discern what is essential from what is not so you can reclaim your mental energy and the time of day to focus on what fills you up rather than what drains you.
McKeown states, “by investing in fewer things we have the satisfying experience of making significant progress in the things that matter most.”
Buy Essentialism on Amazon here!
My favorite part about this book was that it teaches you how to apply habits that work when life is ever-changing.
In his book, Elastic Habits, Guise removes rigid habits from their pedestal and replaces them with habits that are adaptable for everyday life.
Because let’s be honest, life has a way of shaking things up right when you get the hang of something new. And to be successful, your habits need to be unshakable, flexible… Elastic.
Elastic Habits will show you the power and freedom of building smarter, flexible habits that adapt to your day.
Buy Elastic Habits on Amazon here!
This is one of my all-time favorite books by Lisa Genova.
You may know her as the author of Still Alice. Or perhaps you’ve seen the movie Still Alice, starring Julianne Moore and Alec Baldwin. If not, be sure to grab a box of tissues before watching as it’s made the list of Saddest Movies many times.
If you’re not yet familiar with her, Lisa Genova is a neuroscientist and writer. In her latest book, Remember: The Science of Memory and the Art of Forgetting, she delivers an approachable and informative guide to understanding and protecting your memory.
This is especially helpful if you’ve ever felt worried at the little signs of change when it comes to your memory, like…
- Wondering why you walked into a room but were unable to recall.
- Misplacing your keys and glasses more often than you’d like to admit.
- Wracking your brain to remember the name of the person who just said hi to you at the grocery store.
It’s even more helpful if you have a fear of your family history of memory loss or neurological disease.
So, why exactly did I include this book on a list of the best books about habits?
Because not only do you get a crash course in how memory works but also an introduction to what changes to make to strengthen and support your recall. Which can make all the difference when you’re feeling forgetful and frustrated.
Buy Remember on Amazon here!
In Conclusion
Building better habits doesn’t have to be intimidating. These books on habits can help you figure out where to get started.
If you found this article helpful, share it on Facebook!
*This post contains affiliate links.
Meet your Memory Health Coach
