Books, audio and physical, they’re a great opportunity to learn, evolve and improve. Courtney Gerring shares her 7 favourite personal development books.
It’s never too early or too late to start a new book and with this list of personal development books, it’s time to transition out of summer with some of my top picks.
If you’re looking for a tool to help do some soul-searching or inner work, a self-development book is a great place to start. The key is to become inspired by the words and suggestions and to put them into action. A book can sometimes be the best resource to explore in your own time and at your own pace. It’s also a brilliant time to reflect on who you are and where you want to go. Whatever inward journey you’re undertaking, grab a book to go with it and let us know your favourite.
#1 The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People
Stephen R. Covey’s book, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, is based on proven principles that include fairness, integrity and honesty. It avoids trends and societal changes and prides itself on human dignity. The principles encourage the reader to adapt to change and prove that change can bring profound positive movements. It’s important to note that the book is not set-up for a quick read, it’s a book to be studied and for an additional purchase you can purchase the workbook as a nice companion to the book. It’s perfect for anyone who is looking for a deeper meaning or is confused with the direction of their life. Read with an open mind and really consider and apply the principles to further personal growth.
#2 The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom
“The Four Agreements is one of the most foundational books to read for anyone starting the inward journey,” says Kelsey Patel, a spiritual empowerment coach and Reiki master. The author reveals what he believes is the source of self-limiting beliefs that block joy and happiness. The four agreements are these: Be impeccable with your word. Don’t take anything personally. Don’t make assumptions. Always do your best. The book goes into further detail about how to succeed with these agreements. The author is an indigenous shaman so the tone has an alternative medicine and spiritual approach, but it’s certainly a good read for anyone that needs to be reminded of the basic wisdom and principles of life. If you are looking for a more spiritual growth approach, along your personal growth journey, this is the book for you. If you are not spiritual the four agreements are still valuable and will certainly offer some inner perspective.
#3 Girl, Stop Apologizing: A Shame-Free Plan for Embracing and Achieving Your Goals
Girl, Stop Apologizing: A Shame-Free Plan for Embracing and Achieving Your Goals by Rachel Hollis, is the perfect personal growth book for a new mom, anyone looking for a career change, or the perfect book for hearing the blunt truth that sometimes we don’t want to hear. It’s a book for anyone looking for an extra boost of confidence and it delivers tips and tricks to gain that confidence and move forward on your personal development path. The idea is that if you want someone to change, you should change and Girl, Stop Apologizing, will definitely point you in the right direction to make those changes. The biggest personal growth takeaway is that women need to start living to their full potential and this book motivates you to walk away with the skills to live to your max potential.
#4 Mastering Your Mean Girl: The No-BS Guide to Silencing Your Inner Critic and Becoming Wildly Wealthy, Fabulously Healthy, and Bursting with Love
Mastering Your Mean Girl: The No-BS Guide to Silencing Your Inner Critic and Becoming Wildly Wealthy, Fabulously Healthy, and Bursting with Love. We all have that mean girl inside of us, feeding us false perceptions of who we are and this is a book to direct and guide you away from that mean girl and into your fullest potential. It’s for anyone who is ready to face their mean girl and that inner critic once and for all and to understand that we can all live the life we’ve dreamed of. It’s definitely a book for someone who wants to dig into meditation and wellness practices. The personal development techniques extend into healthy eating habits, wellness tips and to act from love and love only.
#5 Mindset: The New Psychology of Success
Mindset: The New Psychology of Success by Carol Dweck whom is a Stanford University Psychology professor that believes our mindset will determine our outcomes. There are two types of mindsets, fixed and growth. The fixed mindset believes that nothing can be improved and that you were born and ‘fixed’ that way. The growth mindset is a mindset that is willing to grow, be nurtured and to constantly develop and transition. It’s a proven fact that almost all successful leaders will have a growth mindset and this book opens the world to see that a growth mindset is key to success and personal development. The main principles discussed in this book can be applied in various aspects of life including parenting, business, education, friendships and relationships. It’s a personal development book for open minded individuals who are willing to look into the psychology of the mind.
#6 The Universe Has Your Back: Transform Fear to Faith
The Universe Has Your Back: Transform Fear to Faith, by New York Times best-selling author Gabrielle Bernstein teaches readers how to transform their fear into faith in order to live a powerful life. Each story and lesson in the book guides readers to release the blocks to what they most long for: happiness, security, and clear direction. The biggest personal growth lesson is to bring certainty and freedom to the reader to allow the universe to guide them into their best life. Instead of chasing life and overthinking, this book opens the reader to live life every day without fear. Packed with guidelines on how to remove the fear in life and to live with faith and optimism. It’s important to follow the steps in the book to find your inner power and to have confidence in what the Universe has in store. This is not a spiritual book, although there are some mentions of spirituality, it’s a book for everyone who needs or wants to live more in the present moment and to stop worrying or bringing fear with them into their lives.
#7 You Are a Badass: How to Stop Doubting Your Greatness and Start Living an Awesome Life
You Are a Badass: How to Stop Doubting Your Greatness and Start Living an Awesome Life – this could be one of the most lighthearted personal growth books of them all. The book has twenty-seven chapters full of inspiring stories that bring a sense of humour to the table, complete with easy exercises that will help the reader to identify self-sabotaging beliefs that we all have. The book teaches us why we are the way we are and how to change the part that we don’t love. A personal growth book that will guide anyone looking to hear the truth and find some happiness. If you deal with self-doubt this is the book to erase it and get on with a successful life
It’s time to take action by discovering yourself and how to best apply that value to the world. Everyone is on the same path and we all face challenges and blocks in the road. Navigate them today
