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Reviewed by Asher Syed for Readers' Favorite
Give Me a Year: 12 New Things to Embrace Change and Live Your Best Life by Shonda Scott outlines a lifestyle approach with the aim of helping readers engage in one new activity each month to set growth in motion, overcome fears, and enhance well-being. The book details Scott’s experiences with activities like open water swimming, intentional social dining, adopting a plant-based diet, and physical fitness practices, namely yoga and dance. She talks about the importance of mindfulness, connection to nature, and deliberate giving, distinguishing between charitable acts and philanthropy. Scott speaks about the impact of caregiving and motherhood on personal priorities, and the very real need for self-care and supportive communities. Through planning and intent, the 12 New Things method is a structured way to embrace change, build relationships, and promote holistic health across multiple life areas.
Give Me a Year by Shonda Scott is a refreshingly honest and beautifully written book with loads of meaningful takeaways. Scott's voice is clear, purposeful, and relatable, and she pulls readers into a deeply human experience in a style that's conversational. In the interest of full disclosure, I am a middle-aged husband and father, and it still felt like the book was applicable to my own journey. Scott's ability to leverage emotion with practicality is what gives the book its grounded, motivating quality. It's well structured in how it's centered around her 12 New Things Lifestyle, and even though readers have to put in the work, none of it comes across as overwhelming. What Scott recommends is a perspective that is earned, rather than manufactured. She writes with warmth and with an ease that makes even the heavier moments less daunting. Overall, this is a wonderful read and certainly the first step, followed by 12, in the right direction. Very highly recommended.
