New Releases by Ximena Vengoechea

A life-changing and empowering guide to discovering your personal and professional passions, goals, and dreams so you can create a life full of joy and purpose. Welcome to the Life Audit, an exercise in self-reflection that helps you clear the cobwebs of noisy, external goals and distractions, and revisit or uncover the real themes and core values that drive and inspire you. Think of it as spring-cleaning for the soul. For anyone looking to find fulfillment in every aspect of life—love, friendship, career, finances, and beyond—this encouraging handbook offers the tools to prioritize your goals and turn personal insights into action to create a beautiful, meaningful future. In this step-by-step guide, made irresistibly and uniquely engaging by insightful and entertaining illustrations throughout, you’ll learn how to use design thinking and creative exercises to: Identify the core values and key themes hidden within your goals. Overcome the internal judgments and outside expectations that stifle your growth. Find the people, skills, and resources you need to nourish your dreams. Design a practical, personal action plan you can follow with confidence and clarity. Whether you’re a recent graduate, contemplating a career change, facing a personal crossroads, or searching for satisfaction, The Life Audit is a safe space for dreaming big, a path to kickstart dreams previously on hold, and a rousing call to design a life that honors your values and desires every day. DESIGN THINKING FOR WELLBEING: Drawing on her expertise as a User Experience researcher, author Ximena Vengoechea skillfully applies design tools and data research skills to the journey of self-discovery. After following the book’s three-part process, you will have a clear sense of your needs and goals and an action plan for making your dreams a reality without feeling overwhelmed. UNIQUE APPROACH TO PERSONAL GROWTH: This charmingly illustrated book offers a distinctive approach to self-discovery, combining step-by-step prompts and engaging anecdotes with colorfully illustrated lists, charts, diagrams, and affirmations. Performing the life audit is an enjoyable and uplifting experience that can help anyone uncover or rediscover their values, passions, and dreams. MEANINGFUL GIFT: Warm and inviting, The Life Audit is a simple and authentic way to connect with someone at a turning point in their lives. It makes a thoughtful, personal gift for new grads, retirees, people considering a career change, or anyone looking for ways to find more joy and fulfillment in their personal or professional lives. Perfect for: Fans of creative self-help and self-improvement People looking for resources on self-care, wellness, and self-discovery Anyone experiencing burnout or considering a career change Fans of self-help books and guided journals like Designing Your Life, Start Where You Are, and Best Year Yet Gift-giving for graduation, retirement, and milestone birthdays

Brimming with encouraging wisdom, easy-to-follow guidance, and illuminating illustrations, Rest Easy is an antidote to burnout culture and an invitation to find joy, balance, and energy through the transformative power of rest. "This thought-provoking book is highly recommended for anyone needing better rest habits." ―Library Journal, starred review Rest Easy invites you to experience the life-changing power of resting your mind, body, and spirit. In these pages, rest expert Ximena Vengoechea explores the power of rest and guides you through dozens of proven methods for relaxation and renewal, including movement, sound, visualizations, journaling, time in nature, meditative activities, and so much more. Discover: A short quiz that reveals the ideal rest techniques for your personality and lifestyle. How to set healthy boundaries and overcome obstacles preventing meaningful rest. Bite-size practices to incorporate into everyday life for physical, mental, and spiritual rest. PROVEN TECHNIQUES: The techniques and practices presented in these pages are proven to improve rest, reduce stress, and boost joy. The author distills her research to make a range of rest techniques accessible to everyone, allowing readers to experiment with a wide variety of practices and find what best fits their lifestyle and needs. FRESH APPROACH TO HEALTH AND WELLNESS: Through a charming combination of beautiful artwork, compelling storytelling, engaging sidebars, and easy-to-follow takeaways, this book offers a distinctive approach to wellness and well-being. Warm and inviting, Rest Easy is a simple and authentic way to connect and be present for someone in need of gentle encouragement and uplifting support. POSITIVE & TIMELY: This book presents contemporary methods for well-being in a simple, easy-to-engage format. Readers will discover information on practices for mindfulness, breathwork, yoga, and more. MEANINGFUL SELF-CARE GIFT: The beautifully designed hardcover package is an infinitely giftable book that can be given to friends, wellness enthusiasts, and people experiencing burnout. The content is general enough to speak to a range of experiences, and the colorful art and empathetic tone make it a wonderful option for those looking for thoughtful, personal gifts for someone who needs a pick-me-up. Perfect for: Mindfulness and wellness enthusiasts People experiencing burnout or seeking stress relief Parents, students, or anyone whose job or personal circumstances are causing suffering and burnout Wellness gift for women and men of any age Fans of Am I Overthinking This? and Vibrate Higher Daily Readers of How to Do Nothing, How to Not Always Be Working, and Rest Is Resistance

It''s the revolutionary world history study guide just for middle school students from the brains behind Brain Quest. Everything You Need to Ace World History . . . kicks off with the Paleolithic Era and transports the reader to ancient civilizations-from Africa and beyond; the middle ages across the world; the Renaissance; the age of exploration and colonialism, revolutions, and the modern world and the wars and movements that shaped it. The BIG FAT NOTEBOOK(tm) series is built on a simple and irresistible conceit-borrowing the notes from the smartest kid in class. There are five books in all, and each is the only one book you need for each main subject taught in middle school: Math, Science, American History, English, and World History. Inside the reader will find every subject''s key concepts, easily digested and summarized: Critical ideas highlighted in marker colours. Definitions explained. Doodles that illuminate tricky concepts. Mnemonics for a memorable shortcut. And quizzes to recap it all. The BIG FAT NOTEBOOKS meet Common Core State Standards, Next Generation Science Standards, and state history standards, and are vetted by National and State Teacher of the Year Award-winning teachers. They make learning fun, and are the perfect next step for every kid who grew up on Brain Quest.

“Full of revealing, instantly applicable ideas for leveraging your strengths and overcoming your weaknesses.” —Adam Grant, author of Think Again and Originals, and host of the TED podcast WorkLife For many of us, listening is simply something we do on autopilot. We hear just enough of what others say to get our work done, maintain friendships, and be polite with our neighbors. But we miss crucial opportunities to go deeper—to give and receive honest feedback, to make connections that will endure for the long haul, and to discover who people truly are at their core. Fortunately, listening can be improved—and Ximena Vengoechea can show you how. In Listen Like You Mean It, she offers an essential listening guide for our times, revealing tried-and-true strategies honed in her own research sessions and drawn from interviews with marriage counselors, podcast hosts, life coaches, journalists, filmmakers, and other listening experts. Through Vengoechea’s set of scripts, key questions, exercises, and illustrations, you’ll learn to: • Quickly build rapport with strangers • Ask the right questions to deepen a conversation • Pause at the right time to encourage vulnerability • Navigate a conversation that’s gone off the rails Now more than ever, we need to feel heard, connected, and understood in a world that keeps turning up the volume. Warm, funny, and immensely practical, this book shows you how.