In honor of New’s Year goals, and because my sister was asking, here’s a list of some of my favorite self-help books. I haven’t included “help me understand myself” or “help me with parenting/marriage,” though I do have posts about those (click for the links). I also didn’t include religious books, but I do recommend religion as a way to improve yourself.
I’ve sorted the list by the goal you might be making. Other than that, it’s in random order.
“I want to get stuff done.”
The Power of When: Discover your chronotype and maximise your potential, by Michael Breus. What is the best time of day for you to do different things? Based on your wake/sleep cycle and body chemistry. If you’ve heard of early bird/night owl, this is the same kind of thing, but with four choices and actual explanations.
Willpower: Rediscovering the Greatest Human Strength, by Roy F. Baumeister, John Tierney. This is less of a body book and more of a brain book. I can’t possibly be the only person who wants to understand my brain, can I?
“I want to make better decisions.”
*Choose Your Own Adulthood: A Small Book about the Small Choices that Make the Biggest Difference, by Hal Edward Runkel. Because even adults can get more adult-ish.
Predictably Irrational: The Hidden Forces That Shape Our Decisions, by Dan Ariely. Why we sometimes trip ourselves in our thinking, and what to do about it.
How We Decide, by Jonah Lehrer. If you want to understand more about the processes of decision-making. Yes, I like brain books…
“I want to do better with my money.”
The Total Money Makeover: A Proven Plan for Financial Fitness, by Dave Ramsey. I’m sure there are other great finance books, but this is one of the first I recommend to anyone. It starts with the basics.
“I want to figure out what to do with my life.”
(This is a rather loose category, sorry.)
Outliers: The Story of Success, by Malcolm Gladwell. What makes someone the best of the best. Okay, so it might not actually help you figure out what to do with your life, but maybe it will help you see some talents and potential you overlooked.
An Astronaut’s Guide to Life on Earth, by Chris Hadfield. This is the book I credit for pushing me the final step toward author. No, he doesn’t talk about writing, just about life and going for what you want.
*Adulting: How to Become a Grown-up in 468 Easy(ish) Steps, by Kelly Williams Brown. Doesn’t help you pick a profession, but could help you do better at general “life.”
*Warning: one of the “Adulthood/Adulting” books swears. I’d tell you which, but I can’t remember.
Feel free to leave your favorite goal in the comments, or recommend a book I might like.
Happy New Year, happy reading, and good luck with your goals!
M. C. Lee
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