Personal development is one of the biggest categories within the non-fiction book category. It makes up a substantial percentage in the self-help category and it is always an issue that many people often struggle with.
There is no right answer to what makes someone happy, but there are some books that can manage to make a lasting impression. These are 7 books that I have read over my life and they have helped me immensely with my own personal development.
Whether you’re completely lost or just looking for something new, these books might be just what you need. I can guarantee you that all these books will help you in one way or another. I know for a fact I am a better person for reading these.
1. The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom by Don Miguel Ruiz
The Four Agreements is a magical book that can be described as a mantra for the lifestyle of the book. The overall concept in this book is that there are four agreements that you must make to achieve personal freedom.
The Four Agreements are:
Be impeccable with your word
This section of the book is all about saying what you mean while not saying things you don’t mean. This agreement basically sums up communication and how you convey your thoughts to others. This is something that can take a lifetime to master but is something that we should always strive for.
Don’t take anything personally
Personal attacks? What? Exactly! Getting defensive is one of the worst things anyone can do, but this agreement shows us how to simply let go of such attacks and not give them any power over us. You can only do this with practice, but the results can be very rewarding.
Don’t make assumptions
There are many things in life that we can’t control and this agreement highlights how we should never make assumptions about things that might happen. This is a great way to stop yourself from worrying about things over which you have no control over. There is a huge difference between thinking something negative will happen and assuming it will happen (And knowing the difference between those two is one of the best personal development practices I know. Read The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz)
Always do your best…
This agreement is all about making the absolute best of what you have and being the best person you can be. Always focus on the work at hand and don’t try to complicate it. This agreement is all about working hard without being worried about any outcomes. Above all, this agreement teaches us that we must always give more than we receive; it’s simply a matter of time before you get what you want.
It isn’t particularly long, but you are guaranteed a life-changing experience. It is a very life-changing book that will open your eyes to what you should do if you want to be happy and reduce the amount of stress in your life.
What separates this book from other personal development books is its practical nature. It tells you how to follow the agreements with examples and examples have really helped me in achieving self-growth.
Actionable items:
- Don’t assume anything, ie: “I’m not worried about this __ because it didn’t happen”
- From Don Miguel Ruiz: “People may not always do what you think is best for them, but they will always do what is best for themselves”.
- When you make a decision based on assumptions and don’t want to hear negative feedback about your opinion/idea, ask yourself if there is another approach to take.
- Don’t take things personally… even if they’re not personal.
- Be impeccable with your word. (Read what you mean and don’t)
2. How To Wins Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie
This book is an absolute Gem. It’s a fairly old book, but it still stands out as one of my favourites. It is an absolute must-read for anyone who wants to learn how to have influence over others. This will teach you how to communicate effectively and how to gain respect from others, which will in return make you happier as a person and help you achieve your goals and dreams.
What makes this book so important is the way it teaches you about human psychology. You are taught that people will pay attention to one thing and say it’s another. It is very much a book about the power of words and how you can use this to your advantage in order to achieve your goals.
Actionable items:
- Be Yourself, literally, right now… (I couldn’t have put it better myself.)
2.Everything you say can influence others… don’t let negative statements make you feel bad or insecure about yourself! - Learn to be diplomatic, don’t always speak your mind, you will lose people instead of winning them over.
- Remember that it’s not what you say to others but how you say it that matters in the long run. (This is something very important)
- Be confident in yourself and know that what people want is for you to make them feel good about themselves and happy!
- Smile, Laugh, Be Positive and Positive Things Will Happen To You.
- Don’t underestimate the power of a compliment.
- People love to feel important and loved… give them some attention now and again!
- Make friends with everyone and it will be much easier to get what you want out of life!
- Everybody loves to hear “No”. So give it out more often! Much easier than making a hostile enemy!
3. The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey
So far, this is the most popular book I have read and I can see why. This book explains the importance of habits in order to achieve success. The way the author describes them is very practical and easy to understand. Not only this, but the seven habits are fairly easy to put into practice and can change your life in very little time.
The 7 habits are:
1. Be Proactive
This book is all about breaking the bad habits that you might already be doing and creating great ones instead. It really makes you think about what habits you want to change in your life, making it much easier to do so.
2. Put First Things First
This is a very important habit in order to achieve success and happiness. This habit teaches us how to be more productive with our lives and have more time for the things we want to do when they are most convenient for us.
3. Think Win-Win
This habit encourages us to see life from others’ perspectives. It teaches us that it is better to have a win-win situation than a win-lose situation because then the relationship will be stronger and last much longer.
4. Seek First to Understand, Then to Be Understood
This habit allows you to see things from other people’s points of view instead of being stubborn (just like I was before). This will certainly make you happier and enable you to get what you want from life easier.
5. Synergize
This habit encourages you to work with others instead of against them! It teaches us that teamwork and cooperation are the keys to success. This is a very important skill which can be applied in every aspect of life, whether it is your work or school, it can be very useful.
6. Clarity of Purpose
This habit trains us to discover our purpose in life and know the reason why we were born into this world. It also gives you the motivation to continue to move forward with your life, no matter how difficult it may be.
7. Begin with the End in Mind
This habit is all about setting goals and knowing what you want out of life so that you can plan for the future before it happens. It teaches us to see the big picture and know what we want from this world.
Actionable tips:
- Write a list of the habits that you want to change and focus on these first.
- Write down the biggest things you want to achieve in life and write down how you are going to do it step by step.
- Sleep more.
- Read this book at least once a year or more, so that you don’t forget the habits and can keep doing them in your life.
- Make a list of the top 10 things you want to achieve in life, then work towards achieving them by reading this book and making plans for the future!
- You will need to change your way of thinking to achieve success… you have to think differently! Make plans NOW, before things happen.
- Set yourself small short term goals and work towards achieving them, don’t set unreachable goals for yourself (I know because I did this too!)
- Try and figure out the purpose of your life… why are you here? Then reach that purpose, it will be much easier to get what you want in life if you know your reason for living… This is more of a personal habit but can still be applied to work, school etc.
4. The Power of Positive Thinking by Norman Vincent Peale
This is a book that has been read by many people all around the world, it has even been translated into over 50 languages. The main reason this book is so important to me is that it teaches you about the power of positive thinking and how your actions affect others. It teaches you to be yourself and know your own strengths and weaknesses. It encourages you to have a good attitude towards life and to always stay happy, no matter what your situation in life may be.
Actionable items:
- Stay positive and be happy, know your weak spots in life and try to overcome them.
- You should always think of something good to come out of bad situations. It will help you stay positive and show that whatever happens in life, you can learn from it!
- Learn to see things from others’ point of view instead of being stubborn… which can be a very difficult habit to change, but definitely helps you get what you want out of life easier!
- Be yourself and don’t try to change to fit into a group or society’s standards.
- Don’t worry about what other people are saying because most of the time they are jealous or just trying to make themselves feel better… so you should just ignore them!
- Break the negative cycle. It is much easier to replace a negative thought with a positive one than it is to remove it.
- Doing good deeds for others can put you in a great mood and help you through any tough times in life.
5. Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill
This book has been read by many businessmen all around the world. The main reason this book is so important to me is that it shows you how to make money. It teaches you ways to earn money and make a success of your business or start a small business of your own. It also teaches you how the mind works and how it can be affected by your actions, even though it may seem impossible or stupid at first.
Actionable tips:
- Do what you want to do, because if you don’t you’ll always wonder what would have happened if you had tried. You might regret it for the rest of your life or see someone else achieve something big and wish that was you!
- Never give up on an idea, I know because I did this too… and I know how it feels to be stuck on something for a long time without much progress.
- Think about how you can take positive steps and see things from others’ points of view.
- Stay positive in life and don’t worry too much about what other people are saying because most of the time they are jealous or just trying to make themselves feel better… so you should just ignore them!
- Break the negative cycle. It is much easier to replace a negative thought with a positive one than it is to remove it.
- Ask yourself, “What action would make me happy?” and do it!
- It is important to know your purpose in life… then reach that purpose, it will be much easier to get what you want out of life easier!
- Work hard for what you want!
- Always aim high, never settle for something less than your dreams and goals.
- Don’t compare yourself to others or find an easy way out of your problems, because it only makes you miserable and puts you down.
6. The Magic of Thinking Big by David Schwartz
This book is all about the power of your thoughts. The main reason this book is so important to me is that it teaches you how to use your mind to make money easily. It teaches you the importance of having a positive attitude towards life, and always dream big. It also encourages you to have much bigger ambitions in life and sets you goals for what you want in life. It gives you the motivation to reach these goals and encourages you, no matter how difficult it may seem at first.
Actionable tips:
- Don’t worry about what other people are saying because most of the time they are jealous or just trying to make themselves feel better… so you should just ignore them!
- Think positive when you have tough times in life because if you don’t see them as bad it won’t affect you as much.
- Try and figure out the purpose of your life…
- Learn to see things from others’ points of view instead of being stubborn…
- Be yourself and don’t try to change to fit into a group or society’s standards.
- Learn how to deal with problems by facing them head-on, instead of ignoring them and having a bad attitude towards life.
- Doing good deeds for others can put you in a great mood and help you through any tough times in life.
- Always aim high, never settle for something less than your dreams and goals.
7. Can’t Hurt Me by David Goggins
This is a book I couldn’t put down, it’s all about overcoming any obstacle in life no matter how big or small it may seem. It’s one of the most inspiring books I’ve ever read and taught me many different things.
Reading the story of David Goggins is one that will leave you in awe and shock. His achievements starting with his weight loss and then all of his endurance and strength challenges… just reading his story is enough to make you want to become physically fit.
This book was so inspirational to me because it showed me the determination of living a great life no matter what your situation may be. It taught me that I could achieve anything no matter how much it seemed like I would fail at first.
If you ever want to get motivated to achieve something, this is your book. It’s all about the power of your mind and the decisions you make in life. This book is a great example of how you can change your life completely if you just change your focus on what you need in life and what direction to go in.
Actionable tips:
- Think positive, especially when things are hard and feeling down because if you don’t see them as bad it won’t affect you as much.
- There are no limits to what one person can achieve…
- Stop comparing yourself to others, because it only leads to disappointment and depression…
- Always aim high, never settle for something less than your dreams and goals.
- It’s important to live a life that will make you proud of yourself at the end of it all…
- If you want to achieve something in life then do everything it takes to achieve this goal, even if it means going outside your comfort zone.
- Always do what you love, because if you don’t then you’ll always wonder what would have happened if you had tried.
- You are the master of your universe, so make the best of it and try to change things to your liking if they are making it hard for you.
- It is important to know your purpose in life… then reach that purpose, it will be much easier to get what you want out of life easier!
- Be yourself and don’t try to change to fit into a group or society’s standards.