Unlock Your Best Self with These 10 Must-Read Self-Improvement Books
“She is too fond of books, and it has turned her brain.”
– Louisa May Alcott
Self-help and personal growth has become a HUGE topic and rightly so.
As our society becomes faster paced and we become accessible to people 24/7, we feel more stressed and overwhelmed. It’s just go, go, go, with no time to pause and reflect.
Reading inspirational self-help books is one of the best antidotes for our hectic modern world, and these books will help you rest, reflect, and recharge in the midst of the chaos.
1) THE LIFE-CHANGING MAGIC OF TIDYING UP
Japanese cleaning consultant Marie Kondo takes tidying to a whole new level, promising that if you properly simplify and organize your home once, you’ll never have to do it again. Most methods advocate a room-by-room or little-by-little approach, which doom you to pick away at your piles of stuff forever. The KonMari Method, with its revolutionary category-by-category system, leads to lasting results. In fact, none of Kondo’s clients have lapsed (and she still has a three-month waiting list).
With detailed guidance for determining which items in your house “spark joy” (and which don’t), this international bestseller featuring Tokyo’s newest lifestyle phenomenon will help you clear your clutter and enjoy the unique magic of a tidy home—and the calm, motivated mindset it can inspire. Start reading →
2) THE HAPPINESS ADVANTAGE
In The Happiness Advantage: How a Positive Brain Fuels Success, Shawn Achor, who spent over a decade living, researching, and lecturing at Harvard University, draws on his own research—including one of the largest studies of happiness and potential at Harvard and others at companies like UBS and KPMG—to fix this broken formula. Using stories and case studies from his work with thousands of Fortune 500 executives in 42 countries, Achor explains how we can reprogram our brains to become more positive in order to gain a competitive edge at work.
A must-read for everyone trying to excel in a world of increasing workloads, stress, and negativity, The Happiness Advantage isn’t only about how to become happier at work. It’s about how to reap the benefits of a happier and more positive mind-set to achieve the extraordinary in our work and in our lives. Start reading →
3) THE GRATITUDE JAR
Part memoir, part manual, The Gratitude Jar: A Simple Guide to Creating Miracles shows you how to change your energy and change your life through the simple practice of gratitude. The story itself is a heartwarming, inspirational tale of spiritual transformation and self-discovery, but it is also a guidebook with the power to instantly release the negative belief systems no longer serving you....and to direct your steps with new energy onto the path of joy and personal freedom.
Nourish your soul and restore your faith in the goodness of the world as you begin to use its simple truths within your daily life. The time is right to hear its message, and to accept the invitation that awaits inside its pages to a joyful and inspiring new life. Start reading →
4) THE HEROINE’S JOURNEY
The Heroine’s Journey: Woman’s Quest for Wholeness describes contemporary woman’s search for wholeness in a society where she has been defined according to masculine values. Drawing on cultural myths and fairy tales, ancient symbols and goddesses, and the dreams of contemporary women, Murdock illustrates the need for—and the reality of—feminine values in Western culture. This special anniversary edition, with a new foreword by Christine Downing and preface by the author, illuminates that this need is just as relevant today as it was when the book was originally published thirty years ago. Start reading →
5) MIRROR WORK
The Mirror Principle, one of Louise Hay’s core teachings, holds that our experience of life mirrors our relationship with ourselves; unless we see ourselves as loveable, the world can be a dark and lonely place. Mirror work—looking at oneself in a mirror and repeating positive affirmations—is Louise’s powerful method for learning to love oneself and experience the world as a safe and loving place.
Mirror Work lays out a 21-day program of teachings and exercises to help readers deepen their relationship with themselves and live a joyous and fulfilling life. Each of the 21 days is organized around a theme, such as monitoring self-talk, overcoming fear, releasing anger, healing relationships, forgiving self and others, receiving prosperity, and living stress-free. In just three weeks, the reader can firmly establish the practice of Mirror Work as an ongoing vehicle for positive growth and self-care, and a path to a full, rich life. Start reading →
6) FINDING YOUR OWN NORTH STAR
Learn how to read the internal compasses already built into your brain and body - and why you may have spent your life ignoring their signals. As you become reacquainted with your own deepest desires, you'll identify and repair any unconscious beliefs or unhealed emotional wounds that may be blocking your progress.
Based on Dr. Beck's work as a Harvard-trained sociologist, research associate at Harvard Business School, instructor at Thunderbird Business School, and especially on her experiences with her clients over the last six years, Finding Your Own North Star offers thoroughly tested case studies, questionnaires, and exercises to help you articulate your core desires and act on them to build a more satisfying life. Start reading →
7) TOP 5 REGRETS OF THE DYING
After too many years of unfulfilling work, Bronnie Ware began searching for a job with heart. Despite having no formal qualifications or previous experience in the field, she found herself working in palliative care. During the time she spent tending to those who were dying, Bronnie's life was transformed. Later, she wrote an Internet blog post, outlining the most common regrets that the people she had cared for had expressed. The post gained so much momentum that it was viewed by more than three million readers worldwide in its first year. At the request of many, Bronnie subsequently wrote a book, The Top Five Regrets of the Dying, to share her story. Start reading →
8) SWITCH
Psychologists have discovered that our minds are ruled by two different systems—the rational mind and the emotional mind—that compete for control. In Switch: How to Change Things When Change is Hard the Heaths show how everyday people—employees and managers, parents and nurses—have united both minds and, as a result, achieved dramatic results. In a compelling, story-driven narrative, the Heaths bring together decades of counterintuitive research in psychology, sociology, and other fields to shed new light on how we can effect transformative change. Switch shows that successful changes follow a pattern, a pattern you can use to make the changes that matter to you, whether your interest is in changing the world or changing your waistline. Start reading →
9) THE EASIEST WAY
In The Easiest Way: Solve Your Problems and Take the Road to Love, Happiness, Wealth and the Life of Your Dreams you will find the keys to becoming your true self, being in harmony with life and pure in heart, which is a state of essential clarity. You will find that no problems exist outside of you, and since they are inside of you, you have the ability to take 100% responsibility for them and neutralize them. These truths and techniques are ancient secrets of Ho’oponopono. They are as relevant and applicable today as they were centuries ago. Knowing and applying them is, truly, the easiest way to live a joyful, abundant, and eminently fulfilling life. Start reading →
10) THE ALTER EGO EFFECT
In this transformative guide, Herman teaches you how to create and control an Alter Ego like the thousands of other athletes, business leaders, entrepreneurs, and entertainers who have used this simple tool to change their lives. The Alter Ego Effect: The Power of Secret Identities to Transform Your Life is not about creating a false mask—it's about finding the hero already inside you. It's a proven way of overcoming the self-doubt, negativity, and insecurity that hold you back, and empowering you to ultimately become your best self. Start reading →
