Reading is so powerful. One of my favorite quotes says:
Formal education will make you a living. Self-education will make you a fortune.
Another quote that I love saying if I read a book that only costs me 20 dollars and I get one good idea, I’ve just gotten one of the greatest bargains of all time.
So, reading is super powerful and I’ve broken these books down into different categories because I think once it comes to your self-development, it’s important to consider what are you working on: your thinking, habits, money and other areas.
Thus, this dividend will help you reverse-engineer what area do you really want to develop and grow in. Let’s jump into the books!
1. Think and grow rich
Now, this is really considered probably as the self-development classic of all time. If you go to any conferences and listen to any of the speakers of modern day and you read this book. You will really see that a lot of the concepts and the foundational things that they are teaching about personal development are found in this book.
And, I sincerely recommend the original classic. There are new versions that have been supposedly updated but it actually takes a lot of content out. So, look for the original classic, a couple things you can actually get this book for free.
You can either read it online on Kindle or buy the hardcover. I have one and it’s super nice.
Here is the thing – this is the first category because your thinking affects everything else, right? If you change your thinking, you change your life. So, definitely starting foundationally before you move to any other area.
You want to start changing your mindset (of course, there’s a couple of others in this category like the magic of thinking big, how successful people think or thinking for change by John Maxwell) but, this is truly my number one personal development book.
2. The Compound Effect
After working on your thinking, it’s important to transform your habits and I love The Compound Effect by Darren Hardy.
It talks about how really as your habits change and as you stack good practices whether you habit in eating, fitness or business. And, as you stack those different things, they have a compound effect on your life.
I found the book to be very transformational again to kind of give a why behind a lot of the actions you would take as well as how it could effect your income, life, success and relationship.
So, habits and that category would be an area that I would seek to develop.
3. Rich Dad Poor Dad: What The Rich Teach Their Kids About Money That the Poor and Middle Class Do Not!
I think the third importance is money and the classic Rich Dad Poor Dad is a must read. To be honest, I read this years ago and found that really transform my thinking to what they would call, getting out of the rat race of just barely making it, having kind of a month-to-month mentality and moving into business thinking, investment thinking.
All of these books were definitely foundational to helping me transition into a full-time entrepreneur. This is one of the very foundational ones to be thinking different about money. Revolutionized!
4. How To Win Friends and Influence People
Now, this is an all-time classic of course, the category here is people’s skills and whether you are going to be independent or in your job, your family and your relationship. There’s no way you could succeed without developing people skills, communication skills, and how to relate to people.
So, make sure to check out this book to learn something useful, interesting on how to win friends and influence people.
5. The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership: Follow Them and People Will Follow You
I think the fifth category I would say is leadership. This would be something that is important to develop. Now, some people don’t think that is personal development but, to be honest, every single one of us, I think as we develop and self-develop need to be growing our leadership.
Even if we don’t see ourselves as leaders, we have to lead ourselves first, should lead our jobs, even lead through influence and not necessarily positionally. I think growing as a leader is an absolutely important step to make on your journey of self-development.
I know that as I have had full-time jobs in ministry, the nonprofit space, business in different places that leadership has been a critical skill. From that point, I think that probably one of the greatest books in at space is The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership by John Maxwell.
He is one of my favorite authors and such a foundational book that I found as I read it at different times of my life, I get a whole of the dimensions of understanding.
It’s entirely critical. It would challenge you as you know, sometimes we think like change our mindset about money and develop our thinking but leadership is critical. I believe that everybody that we all. As we grow as leaders will be lead to better spouses, better friends and better in our jobs.
So, this is definitely a killer book to check out!
6. Linchpin: Are You Indispensable?
This book by Seth Godin is all about your professional life.
I think that in some points or others, we will move into that sector (of course, our leadership or people skills) but, this is really talking about becoming indispensable and becoming somebody that makes things happen. Something like thinking outside of the box and realizing that you break rules in a good way.
It will change your mind to be somebody that moves the needle. Whatever you are doing – whether you’re in charge or following somebody, no matter you are in depend it to start making things happen.
All of Seth Godin books are phenomenal but I think for personal development, Linchpin is a book to check out.
Things that could happen to your company if layoffs were to come. In case there was going to be the time when people were being let go, becoming the person that that wouldn’t let you go because of the value that you produce.
This book is good to build yourself up and to make yourself indispensable.
7. Crush It!: Why NOW Is the Time to Cash In on Your Passion
The book has a profound effect on me in this category.
What I think is really transitioning from your day job to your dream job, from how to turn your creativity into a career, how to really monetize your message and passion. This book definitely bangs for your buck.
It’s been instrumental on that journey for me. Literally, all of these books I feel like building up your personal skills, your leadership, have helped me in different stages but, it’s kind of been a roadmap of turning being able to the old me to the present me.
A lot of things back in 2009 when I read this and it’s just as relevant today. It heavily influenced that!
And what I love about this book is it’s both motivational and tactical, like a kick in the pants to you – Not settle but really pursue your dreams. But then, also a roadmap of implementing that.
So yeah, that’s all of this article. Actually, I’ve read a lot of books but to tell you the best of the best self-improvement ones, here are the top 6. I know that might this collection be a little too less for you to consult but I can confidently assert that I’ve been growing up with them. They indeed helped me a lot and I hope the same things to you.
