There is something special about welcoming a new year. It is the moment when we are inspired to set intentions for making the 12 months ahead the best they can be for ourselves, and for our families.
It is with this in mind that I want to share the theme influencing our plans for the year ahead. The theme is: Anchor in Analogue.
Which is to say ⌠Letâs be deliberate about spending time doing things without the use of screens. Letâs intentionally balance our use of technology, as well as our kidsâ use of technology, with doing things in real life, without the constant pull of our phones.
Anchor in Analogue is about less time scrollingâand more time reading real books, journalling, or writing a real pen-and-ink thank-you note. It is about more screen-free time shared with those who make us happy and inspire us.
To kick off the year, and in keeping with our Anchor in Analogue theme, I want to resurface a Heatherâs Pick I recommended recently, and to inspire you to set some time aside to read a book with two new Heatherâs Picks: a beautiful memoir and a compelling book about sleep.
A Recent Heather's Pick
Smartphone Nation
This is one of the most important books Iâve read in years. It exposes how our attention is being systematically pulled away and offers a clear, empowering way to take it back. Smart, practical, and deeply human, this is essential reading for anyone ready to ground themselves in real life again and reclaim meaningful connection.
A Memoir About the Power of Connection
If Only Love
If Only Love, by Canadian author and filmmaker Shelley Saywell,â¨is an epic, achingly beautiful true love story that will keep you in its thrall from the very first paragraph. At the heart of Saywellâs memoir is a great love found and lost in youth only to be unexpectedly rekindled decades later. The writing brought to mind the style of Hemingwayâprose that doesnât have a spare word but that conveys the full depth of the human spirit. I literally could not put this book down. And I so didnât want it to end.
(Sidenote: Shelley Saywell just so happens to live in Toronto. I loved the book so much I arranged to meet her for tea. She is as compelling in person as she appears on the page. I am looking forward to doing an interview and book signing with her very soon. Stay tuned!)
A Book to Reshape Your Sleep
Why We Sleep
Matthew Walker, a world-renowned scientist in the fieldâ¨of sleep, makes a compelling, science-backed case that sleep is the foundation of clear thinking, emotional well-being, health, and longevity. In a world that constantly bombards us with stimulation, this book provides clear insights on why we need real restâevery day. The book is filled with learnings including help for those who are wrestling with sleep for one reason or another. To read this book is to give yourself a gift.
Over the course of this year, we look forward to exploring with you, in many ways, the ideas behind our Anchor in Analogue theme. We will host events with leading thinkers in technology, neuroscience, philosophy, history, and literature all with the ideaâ¨of building our agency over new technologies rather than it being the other way around.
Do write with any thoughts you have on the idea of anchoring in analogue. I would love to hear from you.
Happy reading, and here is to 2026 beingâ¨a meaningful year with much joy.
â Heather Reisman
Indigo Founder, CEO, and Chief Booklover