I’m a firm believer in taking action, I mean action is everything, without it you aint going nowhere. BUT that being said if your mindset isn’t right, if you haven’t built up resiliency, know what you want, and have worked through your limiting beliefs I’m going to bet you might be taking little to no action. We don’t have time for that though. Life’s too short so let’s get your mindset right so you can find success and do what you need to do. I’m sharing my top 5 must-read books if you’re wanting to do a little (or a lot) self-improvement.
But as per usual, if you’re more of a video person here’s the YouTube video where I talk about my top 5 must-read books for finding success.
+ The Daily Stoic +
To be honest The Daily Stoic isn’t one of those traditional books you read cover to cover. It’s a passage a day style book which makes it super easy to squeeze in and do that bit of mindset work on the daily.
If you’re unfamiliar with Stoicism it basically is a philosophy that centers around understanding that you have no control over events or other people. The only thing you can control is your own reason, your own mind, and how you react and act.
I’ve been practicing Stoicism for about a year and a half now (well, trying to) but I feel such a difference the days that I read this and the days I don’t. It’s such a great reminder and sets the tone of my day to stay level headed. Ryan Holiday gives you a short passage from some OG stoics like Marcus Arelius or Epictetus and expands on it. Super practical, super beneficial, honestly one of my favorite books.
+ The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck +
Okay, but as much as I LOVE The Daily Stoic this might be my all-time favorite book. I hate choosing favorites, that’s a lot of pressure, but The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck seriously transformed the way I think and I’m honestly dying to re-read it.
The reason I’m obsessed with this book is that it offers a very logical, practical perspective of pain, challenges, and happiness. I don’t know about you but I sometimes feel like in the personal development world there’s a lot of what I like to call toxic positivity. Yeah, nothing wrong with being optimistic but when we start shaming or running away from negativity at all costs that’s not healthy.
And Mark Manson dives into how happiness actually comes from solving problems. A new perspective on the struggles and the “negative” sides of things. I mean do you ever notice how whenever you accomplish something or you buy something you’re happy but pretty soon you’re looking for what’s next?
He also talks about well… the art of not giving a fuck (obviously). We have a certain number of fucks we can give in a day so what really is worth our time, and energy? What actually matters?
So all in all do yourself a favor and read this right now, it’s the best
+ Think And Grow Rich +
So I recently read Think and Grow Rich and yeah I’m going to have to re-read it too it’s honestly mind-blowing (and he does kind of tell you to re-read it too). This book was written after the Great Depression in 1937 and holy shit it’s still so freaking relevant.
This book is all about that money mindset and fiercely going after what you want. I know this book has gotten a rap about being about the law of attraction but I think it’s so much more than that. It’s not about just wishing and not doing. I’m really not a woo spiritual person at all and I love that this book. He literally has clear action steps, it has self-analysis quizzes, it walks you through taking action.
It’s all centered around having a burning desire, something that you are so obsessed with (aka your why) that you literally need it so badly and he walks you through where to go from there in order to be able to fulfill that desire.
Again, another really really good book.
+ Awaken The Giant Within +
Awaken The Giant Within is written by the great Tony Robbins. Little disclaimer here though, I haven’t technically finished it. BUT I did read a lot of it and read countless reviews and know tons of other people love it and have found it insanely valuable.
To be honest, his writing style isn’t my favorite, I found it a little long-winded at times which made it hard to finish but that aside the content is fantastic. If you’re into psychology, NLP (neuro-linguistic programming) and want to get granular about the science and nitty-gritty of changing your mind in order to achieve what you want whether that’s getting healthy, changing careers, or becoming a millionaire this is for you.
+ Crush It!+
Okay, so the books on this list are all amazing (obvs or I wouldn’t be recommending them) and they can all be crazy helpful to help you crush your goals, but Crush It! is a little more targeted towards people who are wanting to cash in on your passion.
I personally love Gary Vee, his personality, his message, everything. I know he rubs people the wrong way because of his no-bullshit approach but it’s so needed and if you’re someone who’s ready to get off your ass, put in the work, and maximize living in this digital age where you can earn a living doing what you’re truly passionate about, this book is for you.
He discloses right in the beginning nothing is nearly as important as your people and your health but if you are so insanely passionate about something you need to get to work and put in the time and effort.
This was written in 2009 and although some platforms he mentions are totally obsolete today this book is SO crazy relevant and applicable to 2020. So if you’re ready to jump into starting your own biz this is a must read.
Man, after talking about all these books I want to re-read them all. Let me know what’s on your must-read books list?