Self-help, self-development, personal development or self-improvement. Call it whatever you like but there’s no doubt that this is a huge area with lots of ‘gurus’ out there teaching and preaching their beliefs. You can say it’s almost cult-like.
Either way, we all know how important reading is. So how do we separate the pretenders, block out the noise and find where the real value is? Who should you be following and which books should you read? It’s easy to get confused by all the hype surrounding books. Do you go for the best seller? A friend recommended the book? Or maybe you saw it on tv.
“Books showed me there were possibilities in life, that there were actually people like me living in a world I could not only aspire to but attain. Reading gave me hope. For me, it was the open door.” – Oprah Winfrey
This post will make your choice easier. We’ve compiled all these influencers and asked them this question:
What is the best self-help book you’ve ever read and why is it different from the rest?
I know that there’s no best book of all time. Different people go through different things and need a different push. Some relate to certain authors, writing styles or even niches. This post is here to give you a list of the number 1 book that has helped these influencers tremendously in their lives. Some books are best sellers, some you might hear for the first time. Some books are almost a hundred years old, some just written. But all the books listed are great in their own way. See how you can learn from books more efficiently using Blinkist or MentorBox.
Audiobooks
Audiobooks can be a great way to read books and learn. If you find it difficult to finish a book, this is definitely a great option. If you’re short on time, you can listen to it while driving or exercising. It helps you relax while and lets you learn from the book. The time saved is incredible. I can listen for hours a day, hours that I would never have had reading a physical book. I love physical books but audiobooks can be a very good option too. You can try Audible or Audiobooks for free (trial) if you’re looking for a good one. You can get find great deals by using an audible coupon code.
How to use this list
I truly believe this list will bring a ton of value to you. My suggestion would be to bookmark this page and come back whenever you need a new book to read. The list is filled with hundreds of great books that each have their own special message.
Enjoy!
Please remember to share if you like it and comment below if you see your book or have one that is not listed!
Best self-help books chosen by our experts
Here is a list of the top books. These are books picked over and over again by different influencers and it is clear why they picked these books! This list is arranged by the number of picks it got but that doesn’t mean that the top book is the best book of all time. There are over a hundred books in the whole post and here are the ones mentioned the most. I know for a fact that you can get as much value from book#11 as you can get from book #1.
We have a good diversity of books recommended from self-help books for women and men, books about productivity, speaking, sales, psychology, autobiography, storybooks and lots more. I’m sure that if you’re looking for helpful books, you’ll find one that will have a massive impact on your life. With over 150 books in this post, here are the top books as chosen by the influencers:
To read the full answers by our experts, Click Here
1. How To Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie
For 80 plus years Dale Carnegie has taught us how we should treat each other. Regardless of your identity or what you do, this self-help book should have on your bookshelf. If you follow Carnegie’s teachings, making friends and being able to influence them will be a natural occurrence.
Carnegie teaches that to succeed in life, you must put others first. Then, communicate to that person that they own that number one spot. Therefore, you should be honest and sincere.
Don’t criticize, condemn, or complain about the other person. If you want others to like you, remember their name, smile at them, and be a good listener.
If you want to get a person to see your point, you must make an investment in them. You must be able to see their point of view first. Don’t lecture them, allow them to save face, and give the person a reputation to live up to.
Carnegie learned the art of influence while working as a salesman. Later, he researched how the world’s greatest leaders earned their success. He shared his research and knowledge in this book, which was first published in 1936.
It’s currently one of the greatest books of all times.
2. The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle
Who are you? The question is not who you were yesterday or who you want to be tomorrow, but who are you today? For many of us, that is a difficult question to answer.
Often, we don’t stop from our daily activities long enough to reflect on where we are right now. The Power of Now is about being in the present. What happened yesterday is already gone, and there is nothing anyone can do about it.
Tomorrow has not come yet, so we cannot experience what has not happened yet. If we want to know who we really are, we must be honest about what happens at this moment. Trying to do anything else will only cause unwanted pain and confusion.
Once we learn how to live in the present, we will be enlightened and find true happiness. In this amazing book, Eckhart Tolle teaches us how to do just that. Oprah Winfrey and many others have praise for this book.
Eckhart Tolle is a spiritual teacher and author who grew up in Germany. At twenty-nine years of age, he underwent a radical transformation that led him on an inner journey. The course of his life was forever changed.
3. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey
If you have a desire to succeed there are 7 habits that you should develop. In this article, we provide a summary of the meaning of the 7 habits taught by Covey. The first three habits began with a person’s ability to be a master of his or her self.
You should be willing to do what it takes to make things happen. Know where you want to end up before you start. Start with the things that are most important first. The next three habits deal with how to interact with others.
Your actions must yield positive results for everyone.
Attempt to understand others before trying to explain your views.
Develop a strong team by working together. The final habit takes us back full circle with a reminder about the need to keep improving upon the other six.Keep learning.
Since it was first published in 1989, there have been over 25 million copies of this book. It is in print in over 40 languages. College students, entrepreneurs, business owners, corporate presidents, and Presidents of the United States of America value Covey’s words.
In 2011, this book was one of the 25 most influential books for business management.
4. The Untethered Soul by Michael A. Singer
What would you do if there were no limits? How far could you go if there were no boundaries? Your potential would be limitless.
Too often, it is the thoughts in their head and their emotions that hold people back from their greatest accomplishments. They form unhealthy habits that keep them locked into patterns that keep them from moving forward in life. In this book, Singer teaches how yoga and meditation can help you release the positive energy locked inside of you.
Who are you? This is the question that Singer helps us answer. The true person is inside of the body. We are not our body.
We are not our thoughts or our emotions, but we are the being that has various experiences. We are the soul, which is an awareness of who we are.
Participating in the process of meditation and the lessons taught by Singer, many have experienced an awakening of the soul. Along with that awakening come a new sense of self and an understanding of the truth that lies within.
Michael Singer is the founder of a yoga and meditation center where people go to experience inner peace. Singer has two other books on philosophy.
6. The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz
Don Miguel Ruiz, a native elder, gives his readers four agreements that will help transform their life. He bases his teachings on Toltec wisdom. Consider how your life would change if you followed these simple rules?
Speak positive truths about yourself and others. Some will call this, speaking things into existence.
Don’t automatically think that it’s about you. Thinking that everything is about you could be a form of vanity. Most things that people do have to do with who they are and have nothing to do with anyone else.
What a person perceives as being about them is simply a projection of the other person’s beliefs.
Never assume anything. So many people act on what they think they know and don’t ask questions to gain clarification. That amounts to acting on a falsehood, which produces less than desirable results.
No matter what, do your best. Understand that your best will change as the situation changes. So, your best today will not be the same as your best on tomorrow.
Don Miguel Ruiz was born in Mexico. He was the youngest child in a family with thirteen children. Two life-changing moments shaped his worldview, causing him to seek greater understanding.
7. Rich Dad, Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki
Parents encourage their children to go to college, get a good paying job, and save money. They want the child to have a better chance of being successful and living a better life.
However, the truth is that there are no guarantees. A person can do all the right things and still barely have enough money to pay their bills.
Robert Kiyosaki had the benefit of having two dads who gave him advice about providing for the future. One was his biological father. The other one was an adopted father, who was the father of Kiyosaki’s best friend.
His real dad got a good education and worked hard all his life. His adopted father took the non-traditional route and got all his education was from the “Street University.”
His adopted father didn’t go to college. He didn’t get the 9 to 5 job or work twenty years for the gold retirement watch.
Instead, his adopted dad became an entrepreneur, which led him to become one of the wealthiest men in Hawaii. Kiyosaki shares the lessons he learned from his adopted father and challenges his readers. This information he shares changes his reader’s beliefs about what it takes to succeed in life.
8. The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
Many people seek worldly treasures and are willing to do whatever it takes to find them. Some gamble at casinos, play the state lottery, make wild investments, and are even willing to gamble with their life. Others go off on wild adventures seeking the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.
In this book, join Santiago, a shepherd boy who travels the world seeking worldly treasure. He leaves Spain, goes to Morocco, and eventually ends up in Egypt. That is where he meets an alchemist who guides him toward spiritual enlightenment and self-understanding.
Discover the people he meets and the things he finds, which far exceeds his expectations. In addition to the experience of the journey, you will learn valuable life lessons along the way. The first lesson deals with overcoming fears.
If a person is too afraid to let go of the familiar they will never seek the unknown. Therefore, they will never find the treasures that are waiting for them to discover. Another lesson is about overcoming obstacles.
There are no easy paths in life. At some point, we come to realize that nothing worthwhile will be easy. This book is both inspirational and life-changing.
9. You are a Badass by Jen Sincero
If you’ve read all the self-help books on the market, the last thing you might want is another self-help book. Except, you might want to read this one. Sincero does not teach you how to meditate or do yoga; you already know how to do that.
Jen Sincero gets direct to the point in her assessment of what it takes to succeed. She gives readers the type of pep talk you would expect from a coach whose team is down at halftime. So, if you don’t want to spend time sitting around the campfire holding hands, this is your book.
Sincero, aka dream builder, gives it to you straight. She’s semi-abrasive, feisty, and funny. As a success coach, she has helped numerous people change their lives, both personal and professionally.
She communicates with her clients through email, public appearances, newsletters, and her books. She lets them know that they are already prepared for their journey. All they need to do is get up and start. Originally from California, she gave up her home in 2011 to travel the world. She encourages others to let go of their fears and live the awesome life that they are destined to live.
10. The Compound Effect By Darren Hardy
If you want to know where you will end up in the future, look at the decisions you’re making today. According to the teachings of Darren Hardy, it is as simple as that. Every decision will either take you closer to your dreams or move you away from them.
This book offers an easy step-by-step guide on how to increase the potential for you to become successful. It also shows you how to document your progress, and reach your goal. Hardy’s words of wisdom will be challenging and inspiring to anyone who refuses to accept mediocracy.
The principles in this book have been tested and proven to work. Success does not have to be complicated. You can learn how to use the gifts and talents that you possess to achieve the results that you desire.
Hardy is an experienced leader in the industry of personal development. Having led two television networks, Darren Hardy has a lot of nuggets to share with his readers.
Hardy is the publisher and editorial director of Success Magazine. He has the opportunity to speak with successful CEOs, athletes, entertainers, and others. In this book, he shares the precious nuggets on success that he has gleaned.
11. Essentialism by Greg McKeown
How do you know if you are putting your efforts in the right things? Do you want to do things that will help you get the results you desire? You don’t want to grab the ball, shoot the layup in the wrong basket, scoring for the other team.
If you are not working on the right things, we may as well not be doing anything at all. Especially if you do not see results from your hard work.
Many people are stressed out, burnt out, and in danger of passing out from their need to do it all. Instead of being like hamsters on a treadmill getting nowhere, McKeown teaches us how to do less and achieve more.
McKeown reminds us that the word, “no” is part of our vocabulary and there are times when using it is appropriate. To achieve greatness, we must stay focused on things that move us closer to our goal, not away from it.
Greg McKeown is a business writer and consultant who is originally from England. As the author and co-author of many books, he has inspired numerous people. He encourages readers to stop saying “yes” to everyone else’s dreams while saying “no” to their own.
12. Mindset: The New Psychology of Success by Dr. Carol Dweck
Carol Dweck has spent a year at Stanford conducting research on the theory of mindsets. She believes that the way we think about our skills and the actions determine whether we will achieve our goals.
Dweck describes two types of mindsets – fixed and growth. A person who has a fixed mindset will not be changed, because they believe their skills and intelligence cannot improve. People with a growth mindset believe anything is possible if they are dedicated and work hard to achieve it.
One of the examples, Dweck uses for a fixed mindset, both individually and collectively, is Enron. In a business culture that represents a fixed mindset, the environment of that organization is one where employees appear talented. Employees only act as if they are talented.
In a fixed mindset environment, employees focus is on the person and not the product. No fixed mindset organization will change without a change in the leader’s mindset. Dweck illustrates this principle in Chapter 4, where she tells the story of a baseball player named Billy Beane.
Beane was drafted as a baseball player with natural talent and a fixed mindset. When the competition became more challenging, Beane learned that his natural abilities alone would not allow him to remain competitive. He had to change his fixed mindset to a growth mindset.
13. Rising Strong by Brené Brown
Brene Brown shares the stories of people from all walks of life to teach that there is power in emotion. Everyone from CEOs of Fortune 500 companies to stay-at-home moms, allow themselves to be vulnerable in telling their stories. Everyone has a story.
When the journey of storytelling begins, it can be dangerous. The process of walking through the story is what develops courage. It doesn’t matter how big or how small the story is, there is something to learn from it.
Brown contends that no matter how brave a person is, as they try to live wholeheartedly, they will always fall. With Brown’s help, readers learn how to accept that everyone is vulnerable and can let go of shame and fear.
Through the stories, including those from her own life, Brown challenges the reader to think about their own relationships. One story is about a strong discussion or argument she had with her husband. Readers will easily see themselves between the lines of the stories told.
Brown’s guidance makes it easy for readers to dig deep into the stories about themselves. By owning their stories, readers will be able to choose how to engage with the world. The most powerful thing about writing your stories is the ability to write the ending.
14. The 4-Hour Workweek by Tim Ferriss
This New York Times bestseller shows readers how to work less and spend more time doing what they love. Ferriss explains how he increased his salary from $40,000 per year to $40,000 a month. His work week went from 80 hours a week to 4 hours a week.
In his updated book, Ferriss shares over 50 tips and case studies from others whose incomes have doubled or increased. These are practical tips from readers who followed the principles Ferris taught in the original book.
Jack Canfield, the co-creator of “Chicken Soup for the Soul,” which sold over a million copies, speaks highly of this book. Follow these examples, and it will revolutionize your life.
What do you want to achieve in life and how do you want to live? If you can answer those two questions, Ferris can help you accomplish your goal. Part of the key to succeeding is analyzing daily habits, deciding which ones are most productive, and eliminating the rest.
Ferriss has three New York Times bestsellers. They include the 4-Hour Workweek, The 4-Hour Body, and The 4-Hour Chef. As a start-up business advisor, he specializes in public relations, positioning, and marketing.
15. Mastery by Robert Greene
In this book, Robert Greene examines the lives of people like Charles Darwin, Henry Ford, Paul Graham, and Mozart. He identifies the traits of each of them that make them masters.
To become a master over anything in life involves hard work. Greene provides persons willing to embark on the journey towards the mastery of ideas and strategies to help them be successful. The first thing a person must do is find their purpose in life.
The two strategies mentioned for finding your purpose are finding the perfect niche and letting go of the past. Greene refers to the strategy of finding your niche as the Darwin strategy. Letting go of the past is the adaptation strategy.
The next phase, which has three steps, in the process of achieving mastery is the apprentice phase. The next phases covered involve learning through a mentor, social intelligence, and awakening the dimensional mind. Mastery is the last section covered.
Robert Green, who resides in Los Angeles, received his education from U.C. Berkeley and the University of Wisconsin at Madison. His followers are in Washington D.C., within the business world, and in entertainment with musicians like 50 Cent and Jay-Z.
16. The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron
Published 25 years ago, this book was inspirational for millions of people. The premise of the book is the principle that the natural direction of life is a creative expression. The authors lead the readers on a twelve-week program designed to help them recover their creativity.
Many things that occur in life can rob a person of their creativity. Elizabeth Gilbert, the author of the book, “Eat, Pray, Love,” has only high praise for the book, “The Artist’s Way.” She gives this book credit for her ability to complete her memoir.
Cameron connects creativity to spirituality, as she teaches readers how to contact the creative energies of the universe.
Julia Cameron, an artist with over thirty years of experience, has authored over thirty books. She writes both fiction and nonfiction. Her books about the creative process are, “The Artist’s Way, Walking in This World, Finding Water, and The Writing Diet.”
Cameron is also a poet, playwright, novelist, and songwriter. One of her latest projects is “Julia Cameron Live,” which is an online course and artists’ community that she leads. For this comprehensive project, Cameron allowed the cameras into her home.
17. Awaken The Giant Within by Anthony Robbins
Published in 1992, with over 500 pages, this book is a collection of strategies for creating change. Robbins teaches that people don’t change because they don’t know the reason why they developed their bad habits. He gives readers tools to help them make conscious decisions as opposed to unconscious bad habits.
For over 30 years, Anthony Robbins has helped people take charge of their lives and move to a new level. This book is another tool that will help empower readers to reach a level of self-fulfillment. It doesn’t matter what level they start on; they will achieve even greater results once they read this book.
Over 50 million people credit Anthony Robbins with helping them change their lives for the better. Robbins offers a wide selection of audio programs, books, and health products. He teaches people how to get unstuck so they can take the next step forward.
His clients include everyone from presidents of countries, legends in the entertainment industry, athletics, and businessmen. He also helps students, parents, and persons who own small businesses. Robbins is especially proud of his work as a humanitarian.
He is a New York Times bestselling author, who lives in Palm Beach, Florida.
18. The Obstacle Is The Way by Ryan Holiday
Ryan Holiday teaches us how many of the world’s most successful people had to overcome difficult obstacles. People like Amelia Earhart, John D. Rockefeller, and Ulysses S. Grant were able to get past situations that seemed impossible. They did it through applied stoicism.
This book is a gem collection of true stories to inspire anyone who is feeling frustrated with their life. It has become a classic. Among its fans are Arnold Schwarzenegger, LL Cool J, and the coaches of many professional sports teams.
Stoicism is an ancient Greek philosophy that involves enduring pain or adversity with perseverance and resilience. The Stoics focus their attention on the things they can control rather than the things they can’t. Every obstacle is an opportunity to improve, grain strength, and become tough.
Holiday has a small ranch near Austin, Texas. Dropping out of college at the age of nineteen, Holiday became an apprentice and studied with Robert Greene. Green is the successful author of the book, Mastery.
Holiday has served as the marketing director for American Apparel. His company, Brass Check, has served clients like Complex, Google, and TASER. This book has been translated and available for sale in seventeen foreign languages.
19. Broken Open: How Difficult Times Can Help Us Grow by Elizabeth Lesser
When we go through periods of transition, they stress, and adversity is often part of the package. How we go through the change has a lot to do with how we will look on the other side. We always have a choice to make in how we face the challenges of life.
Our choices are to embrace the change, run from it, shut down, or allow ourselves to be broken and transformed. This book is a testament to the rich potential to heal and grow that each of us possesses within us. Instead of staying stuck in grief and misfortunes, we can turn that grief into joy.
Lesser uses true stories about ordinary people who now live a deeper and fuller life. The change was a result of a choice they made or a situation they could not ignore. Some of their stories involve sickness, divorce, betrayal, the death of a loved one, or some other life-changing challenge.
Like the people in the stories she tells, Lesser has also had her share of challenges. She admits struggling to submit to the process of being broken open to rising. The Phoenix, the mystical bird that rose from the ashes, has become a symbol of the man’s ability rise.
20. Better Than Before by Gretchen Rubin
This is truly a self-help book designed to help you meet the challenges that people face every day. While catastrophic events can interrupt our lives, often it is the daily events that can leave us frozen. This book helps people break the ice to get unstuck.
Rubin talks about things such as the need to eat healthier, stop procrastinating, and exercise more. We may have developed bad habits that keep us from life mastery, but we can replace them with good habits. Rubin has created a guide to help lay the foundation for a better life.
Rubin describes four motivation types that people fall into. When a person is aware of their motivation type, they can learn to take on new habits. Are you a questioner, upholder, obliger, or rebel?
Grethen Rubin is noted as one of the most thought-provoking authors’ happiness, human nature, and habits. She is the New York Times bestselling author of the book, “Happier at Home and the Happiness Project.”
Rubin began her career in law and was once a clerk for Justice Sandra Day O’Connor. She is married and has two daughters. She lives with her family in New York City.
21. Excuse me, Your Life is Waiting by Lynn Grabhorn
There is nothing that can help a person heal and change their lives for the better than laughter. When you read Grabhorn’s book, you will laugh, you will cry, you will heal. For the first time, someone tells you that you don’t have to ignore your feelings.
While others focus on the power of positive thinking, Grabhorn directs our attention to the power of feelings. Our feelings are the things that have a profound impact on every moment of our daily life. We should not ignore them, but we should embrace them and learn from them.
A true assessment of our feelings to discover what they truly mean can help turn our lives around. Grabhorn was the person who introduced millions of readers to the Law of Attraction. The book appeared on the New York Times bestseller list and sold more than 151,000 copies.
Lynn Grabhorn has started her working life in the advertising field in New York City. She founded and managed an audiovisual educational publishing company. She also owned and managed a mortgage brokerage firm in Washington State. Grabhorn’s books have received praise from people worldwide. Lynn died in 2004 at her home in Olympia, Washington.
22. You Can Heal Your Life by Louise Hay
Louise L. Hay is a bestselling author and a recognized leader in the field of self-help. Her signature message is that almost anything can be healed if a person is willing to do the mental work.
When it comes to the subject of healing, Hay speaks to her readers from her own experiences. Unfortunately, she has a lot of firsthand information about the process of healing. Hay was cured of a cancer diagnosis.
Louise Hay teaches readers that they can heal their life. After reading this book, readers will have a different view of disease. The disease that affects us the most is not physical, but emotional and spiritually sick.
Our body’s reaction to external forces causes disease. Hay shares with her readers how to healing the mind and spirit and heal physical disease. The method used to heal is affirmations.
Affirmations are positive thoughts and messages that the reader writes and read aloud every day. When the messages are read aloud, they are reinforced in the person’s mind. It is a simple, but effective strategy. Originally published in 1984, Hay’s book remains among the top selling self-help books of all times. It has sold more than 35 million copies.
23. The Greatest Salesman In the World by Og Mandino
First published in 1968, this book is a how-to-manual for salesmanship and success. Og Mandino introduces readers to a boy named Hafid, who started out poor, but later, attained wealth.
The ten scrolls contain the secrets to becoming the greatest salesman. They are also the laws of success for everyone who reads the book.
Mandino instructs readers to read Scroll I (Chapter 8) three times a day for thirty days straight. They should move to Scroll II (Chapter 9) only after they have completed reading scroll I for 30 days. The same pattern should be followed for moving to the next scrolls.
Readers will learn that there is no such thing as giving up or failure. The salesman will persist until he or she succeeds. Failure, which is equal to a slaughterhouse, will not be the destiny of the individual who refuses to quit.
Mandino’s message to readers is that they need to take action and not put things off until later. Scroll IX repeats the instruction of taking action. Because of the popularity and valuable lessons presented in this book that has helped so many, the book was reissued in 1983. In 1993, a hardcover version was published. It also exists as an
audiobook.
24. Conversations With God by Neale Donald Walsch
Walsch’s book, “Conversations with God,” is a series that has been instrumental in changing the lives of millions of people. It has been made into a movie that stars Henry and Ingrid Boulting.
The movie’s producer is Stephen Simon, the same person who produced “Somewhere in Time and What Dreams May Come.” The movie tells the stories of Walsch’s life. It shows how he went from being an unemployed, homeless man to the author of a best-selling book.
Walsch is a speaker with a powerful messenger. His words continue to touch the world in profound ways. He was involved in religion at an early age and felt deeply connected to spirituality. He spent most his life becoming successful professionally, but he still searched for those things that had deep spiritual meaning.
“Conversations with God” has redefined people’s view of God and created a spiritual paradigm. Walsch created several outreaches because of the responses from the book and movie. He lives with his wife, the American poet Em Claire, in Oregon.
25. The War of Art by Steven Pressfield
War is an art. This book has been around since 2002, inspiring millions of people to destroy “Resistance.” It teaches people to recognize and dismantle any barrier that blocks dreams. The naysayers are silenced.
The enemy that every person must face at one point in his or her life is the one that tries to keep them from succeeding. Although this book is addressed to writers, it has proven to be valuable to people of all professions. Once a person finishes reading this book, writer’s block will be a thing of the past.
Involved in every profession is some form of creativity that needs to be unlocked. This book helps the reader learn how to overcome their fears to reach their greatest potential. The blank pages will disappear. The author shows how to do battle with the four horsemen of the Apologetic described as procrastination, rationalization, inertia, and sloth.
Steven Pressfield has authored many books. Pressfield’s novel, The Legend of Bagger Vance became a movie featuring Will Smith and Matt Damon. He began his independent publishing company in 2012. His business partner is his editor and friend, Shawn Coyne.
26. The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg
Published in February 2012, this book looks at the science behind how habits are created and reformation. This book examines those habits that are engrained in our subconscious and become part of our daily routine. Habits like smoking and drinking are hard to break because they become part of who we are.
Readers will come away from reading this book with the tools that it takes to determine what triggers our habits. By knowing the origin of our habits, it will help us to be able to break them. Duhigg also teaches us how to establish new habits by giving them cues and then a reward.
Duhigg teaches that there are three kinds of habits: individual, organizational and societal. He illustrates the principles using stories about the accomplishments of persons such as Tony Dungy, Michael Phelps, and Rick Warren.
Duhigg emphasizes that our habits are the fruit of many small decisions. We can change outcomes by changing our habits. The book has sections on corporations like Starbucks and people like Rosa Parks. Charles Duhigg is a New York Times reporter. This book has reached the bestseller list for The New York Times, Amazon.com, and USA Today.
27. The Magic of Thinking Big by David J. Schwartz
First published in 1959, this book has been around almost 60 years inspiring readers to accomplish great things. Schwartz teaches the reader that it is important to set high goals.
The only thing that separates people who are successful is that they think bigger than those who are not successful.
People think too small and therefore, cannot see themselves as being successful. If a person can see themselves accomplishing the goals, they can do what they visualize. Schwartz provides readers with the tools it takes to be able to see the manifestation of their goals coming true.
Another lesson in the book is that you must believe that you will be successful. Also, don’t be afraid to fail. These two lessons alone are so valuable to a person’s success.
Many people will never try to accomplish their dreams because of fear. One of the biggest fears is that they will not be successful. Failure is only a part of the process of finding out what does not work. Dr. David J. Schwartz was a professor at Georgia State University in Atlanta and the president of Creative Educational Services, Inc., a consulting firm specializing in leadership development. He died in 1987.
28. Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert
This book was called a Hot Fall read by USA Today and several other magazines. Book Riot and Brainpicking named it the best book of the year. For anyone who is hoping to be inspired to create, this is the book they must read.
Gilbert has inspired countless numbers of people. Inspiration is a mystery. Gilbert reaches down deep into the process she uses to share insights in the mystery of inspiration. Readers are encouraged to let go of their fears, which is true for anyone who wants to succeed.
Every person has creative jewels hidden within them. Gilbert describes them as strange jewels. They must be uncovered for the creative process to flow naturally. The truths uncovered in this book hold true for the person who wants to write a book, paint a picture, or simply make each day more meaningful.
Gilbert, a gifted writer, is the author of Eat, Pray, Love. She has written several bestselling books. Gilbert writes both fiction and nonfiction. In 2013, The Signature of All Things was named a Best Book of 2013. It was also recognized by several newspapers and magazines.
29. Getting Things Done by David Allen
How do you accomplish all the things that you need to accomplish? In this book, David Allen shows his readers how to do just that. He is an experienced coach and management consultant.
Allen shares methods the reader can use to be able to accomplish their goals without stress. He contends that productivity is proportional to the ability to relax. It is only when a person’s mind is a clear mind that their thoughts that are clear enough to be productive.
Some of the things that Allen teaches is the importance of staying focused in situations that are constantly changing. Projects should be planned well so that they don’t become stuck. If a person does not feel good about what they are doing, they will not be able to do it.
The basic premise of the whole book is organized. If a person is organized, they can be productive at any given time on any given day. Instead of spending hours sitting on the couch meditating, pull out your cell phone and complete your to-do list.
Allen teaches a two-minute rule, which means if something needs to be done you should do it right now. Set the clock for two minutes and get it done.
30. The One Thing by Gary W. Keller and Jay Papasan
This book has been on the best sellers list more than 350 times. It has won a dozen book awards and been translated into almost 30 languages. It has been voted the Top 100 Business Books of All Time on Goodreads. This book is simple but powerful. Companies use it to help their employees become more productive. Churches leaders teach from it and recommend it to their members.
Keller and Papasan teach that you should focus your energy on one thing at a time. This goes against what some others are teaching about multi-tasking and trying to do a million things at one time. To become effective, you must be able to focus. Published in 2013, this book has 240 pages packed with sound advice. The key to doing more is having fewer distractions.
Papasan was an editor with Harper Collins Publishing in New York. He coauthored Gary’s books and is the Vice President of Publishing at Keller Williams. George Keller is the chairman of the Board and co-founder at Keller Williams Realty, Inc. The real estate company is one of the largest real estate companies in the world. His books have sold more than two million copies worldwide.
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Author: Self Development Secrets
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