What to Read in 2014: Nine for the New Year

As a writer and blogger, there is this constant struggle between the everyday things you must do – i.e. earn a living, feed your children consistently – and the things that you want to do, i.e. consume and generate content.

I find that the more I consume, the more I generate – and that every single day fills me with a multitude of ideas and stories I want to capture.  I also find that being savvy about a growing arsenal of technology tools, apps and workarounds is essential to managing the ever-growing content I want to consume, and I find myself constantly rambling and extolling the virtues of tools such as Fitbit, Evernote and Audible.  I even occasionally experience some success in converting others.  I’m pleased to have some exciting news coming soon on the subject of exerting some form of life control through technology.

But back to consuming and generating content: I truly love running across new sources, blogs and websites chock full of riveting content.  This makes me a bit of a pain since friends are constantly subjected to me referring them to blogs, tools and sites that I’m certain meet every need they have from the universe in this exact moment.  

I subscribe to a lot of blogs, but there are a select few that I absolutely never miss when they arrive in my inbox – the ones that I find powerful, inspiring, relatable, essential and full of insight, the posts I read with bated breath.  They’re a motley bunch, but I thought I’d share them here in case they happen to meet every need you have from the universe in this exact moment.

Happy new year, and happy reading!

• 99U – Insights on making ideas happen by Behance.
• Alexandra Franzen – Laser-lucid lessons on life, love, work and writing. Yes. What she said. Every. Single. Time.
• The Buffer Blog – Almost as genius as the forward-thinking Buffer app.

• Chino House – An Arkansan in Scotland; my friend Alison’s writing is rich and heart-stopping.
• IHeartOrganizing – adorable Jen is the embodiment of modern day Martha with genuinely useful organizing life hacks.
• Penelope Trunk – start with authenticity vs transparency then plow through Brazen Careerist, take no prisoners advice.

• Small Notebook – My muse on simplifying, a closet/life with less… and worth waiting out her semi-sabbatical, trust me.
• The Kitchn – No more perusing countless food sites – when I have a hankering or need a how-to, I go here exclusively.
• Zero Waste Home – Single most innovative and inspiring resource I’ve found for living well & sustainably, à la française.

Also, it goes without saying that I devour just about every blog from my fellow Arkansas Women Bloggers, but they are not included in this list as I have (frequently) extolled their virtues in the past.  Give the site a visit!