The 5 Best Self-Help Books of All Time That Will Seriously Change Your Life

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Is one of your New Year’s resolutions “to read more books”? Have you fallen off track with your reading habits and want to pick it up again? Or perhaps, you’ve been wanting to change your life and know that reading the right self-help books can help.

If that resonates with you, then you’re in the right place!

In this article, you will find the 5 books that best helped me on my self-improvement journey. Not only that, but you’ll also get a sneak peek of the books I plan on reading next to become my best self.

So, are you ready to get some inspiration and discover the self-help books that will change your life this year? Then, let’s get started!

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Do Self-Help Books ACTUALLY Help You Change Your Life?

First, we have to debunk a myth: 

“Are self-help books a ‘fluff’?” 

Yes and no.

There are some great personal development books out there, full of insights and tangible actions you can take to improve your life. But, of course, there are also self-help books that you shouldn’t waste your time on.

The following list is what has worked for me. The books that changed my life the most might leave you unimpressed, and the opposite could also be true.

Like anything in life, I believe that it’s a process of trial and error.

You might pick up a book because of a “gut instinct”, then it’s your choice whether it’s worth reading it or not.

Other than the content of the book itself, the most important takeaway I want you to embrace is that:

Self-help books only work if you do something with the knowledge you learn from them. 

You can consume personal development content, follow self-growth creators on YouTube, read thousands of self-help books, and listen to the most inspirational podcasts but…if you don’t take action, nothing is going to change.

Unfortunately, most people get stuck in the learning phase. And yes, learning is certainly great; but, you must realize that, at some point, you need to start taking action.

You must go from purely consuming content to applying it to your life if you want the latter to change.

“Nothing changes if nothing changes”

– Donna Barnes

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The 5 Most Effective Self-Help Books I’ve Ever Read That Will Change Your Life Too

Below, you’ll find the 5 self-help books that changed my life the most – but it’s only because I took the knowledge and applied it to my life.

I can only provide you with the tools, then it’s up to you what you do next.

Atomic Habits

There’s a reason why Atomic Habits, written by James Clear, has been on everyone’s lips since it first came out. 

The book is packed with in-depth research as well as tangible actions you can take to form better, healthier habits and finally get rid of your toxic behaviors. (I mean, who wouldn’t want that – right?)

There are many assumptions and tips out there on habits and how to make them last.

The truth? Half of them are wrong!

Some of the most common misconceptions are:

• It only takes 21 days to form new habits
• If you can’t break your bad habits it’s because you lack willpower
• You must not skip a single day
• What works for most will work for all
• Habits are permanent

This book provides you with the universal truths about habit forming. The author explains that if you want to adopt a new habit you need to make it:

• Obvious
• Attractive
• Easy
• Satisfying

Your environment is the most determining factor in whether you succeed – or not – at sticking to your habits in the long run – so you’ll want to tweak it in a way that supports you rather than holds you back.

Clear also emphasizes this golden rule:

“Missing once is an accident. Missing twice is the start of a new habit.”

If you’ve been wondering about what the right approach to finally change your life is, then this book is the perfect one to start doing so.

You Are a Badass

This is the book you’ll want to read if you’re tired of your own bullsh*t!

Jen Sincero gives you a wake-up call on how to stop playing small and going after what you want – because you freaking deserve it!

In her book, Sincero doesn’t sugarcoat it: most of the time, you’re your biggest obstacle!

Realizing this, though, is the first step towards finally changing that. So, in her book, you will also:

• Be reminded of how special and unique you are – cause there’s no one like you! (And that should be one of your biggest strengths, not something to be ashamed of!)
• Life shouldn’t be all hard work and no fun – you are entitled to prioritize joy daily!
• Sometimes you just have to…go for it! (Even – and especially – if it’s scary!)

If you’re ready for a life-changing transformation but need an extra motivational boost in yourself and your capabilities, you’ll want to add this to your TBR list! 

Just like Jen Sincero would say:

“It’s about having the cojones to show up as the brightest, happiest, badassiest version of yourself, whatever that looks like to you.”

The Psychology of Money

As I’ve shared in my newsletter and the post “How to Change Your Mindset to Finally Live Your Dream Life This Year”, I am working on developing a growth mindset around money and investing.

To get my feet wet, this year I read The Psychology of Money, written by Morgan Housel.

If you’re like me (meaning you’re just starting on your path to financial abundance and freedom), then this is the perfect book to start with!

Don’t expect to find tips and tricks on how to get rich fast. I would say this is almost sort of a philosophical book, as it makes you reflect on what money means to you. 

Here are the most profound takeaways and insights I gained from it:

• Money is a mean to an end – meaning that, in most cases, you don’t actually want more money, but you crave how more money could enrich your life (in terms of experiences, time, and freedom)
• The way one decides to invest money is highly personal, and what works for one might not work for others
• The best way to plan is by taking into account risks

This book has much more to offer – so you might want to check it out if you’ve been wanting to improve your finances and approach to money.

The Miracle Morning

Written by Hal Elrod, The Miracle Morning has been one of the most life-changing books in my life.

Why? After reading this book, I started focusing on designing my ideal morning routine. 

It made me realize the importance of having a tailored morning routine.

The way you start the day really sets the tone for how you’ll go through the rest of it.

While we have to give away the rest of the day because of meetings, work, school, tasks, and other responsibilities; there is an important time we still have full control of: our mornings.

This book is perfect if you feel like you never have enough time in the day to do what you want to do, or if you’re constantly stressed out and in a rush. 

Big Magic

The great thing about Big Magic is that it tells you that anyone and everyone is creative (in their own ways).

Creativity is not limited to an elite of people – it’s accessible to everyone (who makes time for it!).

You don’t have to quit your full-time job, travel to the other side of the world, or go all-in after a creative outlet you’re interested in.

You are allowed to test things out, experiment, and let your creativity flow – every day.

So, whether you’re currently creating something, an aspiring creator, or you’ve just been lacking the right inspiration to create – Big Magic is your go-to book to help you get over your blocks!

Currently Reading

I don’t know about you, but I like reading one book at a time – so that I can focus on it and absorb what it has to teach me.

Sometimes, I might read two books at the same time – usually one it’s a self-help book and one is fiction.

My preferred genre is non-fiction books, though (as you might have guessed already, haha).

So, this is the book that I’m currently reading:

The Mountain Is You

The Mountain Is You, written by Brianna Wiest, has been all over my Instagram feed for way too long!

Everyone was talking about how this was one of the most inspirational self-help books that is proven to change your life – so I wanted to give it a try.

Let me tell you: so far, I’ve been loving it too!

I can’t share much, as I’ve read barely half of it, but these are some of the most life-changing lessons I’ve learned so far:

• We all are victims of self-sabotaging behaviors, as it’s a way we try to protect ourselves (hence, our survival instincts playing tricks on our minds)
• Identifying in which areas of our lives and how we’re sabotaging ourselves is a crucial step towards self-actualization
• Real change is the result of hidden but persistent micro-shifts, and not the result of a sudden awakening moment – rather the “AHA” moment happened because of all those minor changes that led to it

“The greatest act of self-love is to no longer accept a life you are unhappy with.” 

– Brianna Wiest

The Self-Help Books On My Reading List for 2024

Take a sneak peek at what’s on my TBR list for 2024!

The Pivot Year

Written by the same author of The Mountain Is You, one of the books that I’m most looking forward to reading this year is The Pivot Year.

The book aims to inspire you by giving you a piece of daily advice on how to go through life, embracing every shadow of it.

Once again, I have heard so many good things about it and saw snippets of the book all over my Instagram feed, so I’m curious to see what’s the fuss all about!

Feel-Good Productivity

As I love Ali Abdaal’s YouTube channel, on my reading list couldn’t miss his recent best-selling book, Feel-Good Productivity.

From what I have heard, in the book, you can find a more holistic approach to productivity – much different from the toxic hustle culture that so many of us swear and live by.

I hope that I will be able to apply his insights to the work I do for my blog and for projects I want to launch in the future.

The 7 Habits of Highly Successful People

I feel kind of embarrassed sharing this, as it’s one of the most famous self-help books of all time, but I have never read The 7 Habits of Highly Successful People, written by Stephen R. Covey.

It might be because of peer pressure, but I feel like I need to read this book.

The result? I’ll either feel disappointed because of the high expectations I have on it, or it will change my life for the better! Well, there’s only one way for me to find out… 

The 4-Hour Workweek

This book, written by Tim Ferriss, is one of the most popular self-help books, and I’m curious to see how it can help me change my life.

Why do I want to read this book?

Well, one of the main reasons why I started this blog is that the regular 9-5 job has never sounded appealing to me.

Living my dream life, to me, means being able to travel anywhere, anytime, while doing what I love the most (and getting paid for it): writing.

If this book can help me get closer to living my dream life – then it’s worth adding it to my bookshelf!

I Will Teach You to Be Rich

As mentioned above, one of my goals for 2024 is to finally start investing and managing my finances better. 

I’m currently watching the Netflix TV show “How to Get Rich” by Ramit Sethi – the author of this book.

I have heard that he is one of the best money coaches and that his tips are tangible and worth following. So…why not give it a try?!

How to Read More This Year?

If one of your New Year’s resolutions is reading more books, one of the best ways to make it happen is to have a plan for it!

The Dream Life Planner is the perfect planner to make sure you stay on top of your goals this year.

What are you waiting for? Grab it below for free and start moving toward your (reading) goal!

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That’s all from me!

So, what do you think of the self-help books I recommended to inspire you to finally change your life? Have you read any of these? What are your recommendations?

Q: “What’s on your reading list for 2024?” – Let me know in a comment! 🙂

Until next time,

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