Books are magical in the sense that you can get into the minds of some of the smartest people who have ever lived. You can spend a few hours exploring the mindset and techniques that got them where they are. You can learn exactly what they tell themselves to get out of bed in the morning. Where they get their drive from and how they nourish their ambitions daily. How they bounce back from failures. Today we will be going over 8 self-improvement books that will do just that.
1. Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill
― Lao Tzu“Watch your thoughts, they become your words; watch your words, they become your actions; watch your actions, they become your habits; watch your habits, they become your character; watch your character, it becomes your destiny.”
It all starts with your thoughts. Which translates to the popular saying that your thoughts create your life. In the spirit of this. Napoleon studied rich people and made a blueprint of how the successful think. He uses real-life examples of rich people such as Andrew Carnegie, Henry Ford, Thomas Edison, Alexander Graham Bell, and Charles M. Schwab to illustrate his point. I highly suggest that you start with this book to cultivate a more successful life.
2. Essentialism by Greg McKeown
In a world where staying busy is celebrated. You may find yourself filling your day with busy work but not doing anything that shifts the trajectory of your life.
There’s a reason why this practice is called the disciplined pursuit of doing less. The author encourages you to look at your life and brutally cut out things that are just busy work. Things you have no business doing. It forces you to evaluate your tasks and choose a few essential things. Pursue them diligently every day with discipline. Do fewer tasks that are life-changing instead of more tasks that keep you in the same place. You need to read this book if you feel like you need more hours in a day.
3. Atomic Habits by James Clear
Setting goals alone is not enough to change your life. You have to set systems in place so that you accomplish your goals. Systems make success inevitable and easier.
A system is a collection of habits that get you to your goals. A habit is a usual way of doing. You don’t even have to think about it. In this self-improvement book, James breaks down the foundation of habit-building to help you create habits that support the life you are creating.
Imagine yourself waking up and going for a run every morning. You no longer think about it, you no longer have to practically drag yourself out of bed to do it, you no longer complain for 20 minutes about the weather before you do it and you no longer hold hour-long negotiations about whether or not you should do it. You just wake up and do it without giving it another thought.
4. Attached by Amir Levine and Rachel S. F. Heller
If you find yourself attracting the same kind of person and getting in the same kind of (not-so-great) relationships. Maybe you struggle with committing to a relationship. Similarly you could be attracted to unavailable people. Or you always find yourself in a situationship. Or any kind of struggle in the way to relate to other people. Whether you are too dependent on them or you are afraid of letting them get too close.
This is not only meant for romantic relationships because your attachment style affects all your interactions with people and all the relationships in your life.
Take the Attachment quiz to find out which attachment style you have. I recommend taking 3 different quizzes to get more accurate results. Then read the book to understand yourself better. Understand why you always push people away or you always feel like you are being needy in your relationships. This information will change your life!!!!
Don’t just stop there, after that, you can embark on a journey to healing your attachment if you don’t already have a secure attachment style. All the people in your life will benefit from you doing this work especially your spouse and children.
5. 101 Essays That Will Change The Way You Think by Brianna Wiest
Happiness is not found in the big glamorous moments that make up about 1% of your life. It is the enjoyment of your daily life. It is in finding gratitude in the things you have. Finding joy in the small things like the sun shining brightly.
As the title suggests this book will change the way you think. It will give you new perspectives on things, not just happiness. Changing the way you think changes your beliefs which will change your actions, eventually changing your life.
You get 101 essays that make you think and give you a new perspective
6. Rich Dad, Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki and Sharon Lechter
Everyone and their accountant is recommending this book. There is a reason why this is one of the best self-improvement books. They are claiming big things about this book. That is because it really is something to rave about. Making a lot of money and keeping the money seems so daunting. It looks like only people born with a silver spoon have this kind of wealth and if they weren’t as lucky, it seems like only certain types of people can get rich.
Robert soothes those negative thoughts by emphasizing the value of education, financial education. The people who make money are those who have figured out how money works. They learn the rules of the money game then go out into the world and play them. He teaches us all these different financial terms, the misconceptions about them, and what they really mean.
7. Girls That Invest by Simran Kaur
According to Statista there was a reported number of 3,194 billionaires worldwide in 2022, with only 327 being women.
This clearly illustrates the gap between males and females and their finances and mindset around money. (I am aware of all the other factors that come into play here.) What I was alluding to is the fact that most women are intimidated by money, investing, crypto, and things of that kind. I am also aware of the conditioning that goes into making women feel inadequate in the money department.
Simran wrote the book Girls That Invest inspired by her podcast of the same name. She teaches women how to handle their finances. She holds your hand in this book teaching you the ABCs of investing in a way that feels doable.
8. Invisible Influence by Jonah Berger
One thing I know for sure is that you become the people you surround yourself with. They determine how much money you make, how much you weigh, and how you spend your time. Your mind is very easily influenced which is why you should be very aware of things influencing your decisions and how you live your life.
In this book, Jonah breaks down the invisible things that influence how you live your life. If you believe that all the decisions you make are of your own accord and are 100% your idea then you are very naive. That is wishful thinking. Instead of being in denial about this. Safeguard the things you consume and the things you are exposed to to ensure they align with your goals. Learn what these invisible influences are and be able to recognize them and manage them.
In conclusion, these 8 self-improvement books will change your life, if you let them. They will give you ideas on what to do, and leave you feeling inspired. If you follow the advice and are consistent, they will give you results. You deserve to live a happier, healthier, and more successful life, so give that to yourself.
Comment below which self-improvement books do you want to pick up and which ones you have already read.