Last Updated on May 18, 2022 by Thalia
From as young as I can remember, I’ve always loved reading. Books allow me to tap into my imagination and escape into another world.
But since starting my creative business, I no longer have a monogamous relationship with fiction books.
I now find myself gravitating more towards the personal development and self-help aisle than the page-turner beach reads.
Yes, reading self-improvement books can sometimes feel like a chore.
Personal development is exhausting at times and sometimes seems quite arduous.
But for me, there is something about reading self-improvement books.
They fill me with positive energy.
By the closing chapter, I feel somewhat accomplished. I say to myself, “I managed to finish this hefty book, I’m clearly capable of something!” It makes me feel motivated and inspired to start improving and growing as a person.
So while recently reading Why We Argue and How To Stop by Jerry Manney, I reflected on the other self-help books I’ve read in the past couple of years. There were some that I loved, and some that I didn’t love so much.
And there were some that provided me with guidance in a time when I needed it most.
It’s these self-improvement books that have stayed with me and changed my life for the better.
So I wanted to share them with you in the hopes that they will also inspire you on your personal development journey.
Here are the 5 best self-improvement books that I think everyone needs to read at least once.
Table of Contents
- The 5 best self-improvement books that changed my life
- Why read self-improvement books?
- Final thoughts
The 5 best self-improvement books that changed my life
Me saying that these self-improvement books have changed my life is not an understatement.
They have given my life more meaning, boosted my self-awareness and provided me with self-love.
Whenever I read a personal development book, I always underline the words and lines that mean the most to me. I then transfer my underlinings into Notion where I can easily access them. And I always find myself coming back to these 5 books and re-reading the quotes I so thoughtfully underlined.
So it is these 5 self-improvement books that I consider to be the best:
- Atomic Habits by James Clear
- The Gifts of Imperfection by Brené Brown
- Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert
- Mindset by Carol Dweck
- The Daily Stoic by Ryan Holiday
1 | Atomic Habits by James Clear
The best life-changing self-improvement book
Just as the title says, Atomic Habits is all about habits. How to build good ones and break bad ones.
You might be thinking how can a book on habits be so popular?
Because James Clear shows us that habit-building can be easy and fun. It’s not as boring or arduous as you might think.
And by making these tiny changes, you are setting yourself up to achieve remarkable results.
Highlights
- Easy to read and digestible
- The contents of the book is laid out well
- Includes diagrams
- Summary at the end of each chapter
- Tips and advice are all extremely actionable
- I’ve previously written a review so you know it’s worth a read
- Million copy #1 bestseller
→ Price: £12 (paperback) with free delivery on Amazon
My thoughts
Atomic Habits has literally changed the way I view habits. I now build habits to work for me rather than against me.
And in all honesty, Atomic Habits was actually the motivating factor behind my blog.
Before I read this book, I was constantly comparing myself to others online and copying what female entrepreneurs were doing to be productive. Long story short, the hustle culture didn’t work for me and I thought there was something wrong with me.
But when I read Atomic Habits, James Clear made me feel less alone. It wasn’t the fact that there was something wrong with me, it was the fact that these “productivity hacks from others” didn’t suit my personality.
So I applied his advice on building habits to my own work ethic. I then started to view productivity as unique to the individual and build it around my own personality and lifestyle.
My mindful approach to productivity was born and so was the basis of my blog. I wanted to show others that there is a more sustainable way of working and this is where it all started.
So yes, like the cover says, Atomic Habits is truly life-changing!
“There is a version of every habit that can bring you joy and satisfaction. Find it. Habits need to be enjoyable if they are going to stick… tailoring your habits to your personality is a good start.”
James Clear | Atomic Habits
2 | The Gifts of Imperfection by Brené Brown
The best overall self-improvement book
Quite simply put, The Gifts of Imperfection teaches us how to live a wholehearted life.
And to do that, we need to embrace our flaws, vulnerabilities and imperfections. We need to step into our truth, own our story and live a truly authentic life.
And the daily tools needed for this are courage, compassion and connection; our gifts of imperfection.
Highlights
- Actionable and digestible advice
- Spread out over 10 chapters, otherwise known as guideposts
- There’s a dig deep section at the end of each guidepost which encourages you to explore each topic on a deeper level
- Includes top tips, questions to ask yourself and resources for further reading
- Space at the back to make a note of the pages that spoke to you the most
- 10th Anniversary Edition features a foreword by Brené herself
- I’ve previously written a review so you know it’s worth a read
→ Price: £10.79 (paperback) with free delivery on Amazon
My thoughts
I’m a devoted Brené Brown fan. I’ve read a few of her books, listened to her podcast and have watched her talk on TED and Netflix.
Brené provides me with so much guidance. The guidance that I don’t usually get from other people in my life or social media.
And in The Gifts of Imperfection Brené Brown proves once again that she has a way with words.
She speaks directly to the soul and sparks something inside.
I honestly still get shivers from this book.
It taught me how to start letting go of the things holding me back, like fear, comparison and perfectionism and start cultivating the things I need more of, like intuition, gratitude and laughter.
Seriously what more do you want from a book?
“Owning our story and loving ourselves through that process is the bravest thing that we will ever do.”
Brené Brown | The Gifts of Imperfection
3 | Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert
The best self-improvement book for cultivating creativity
Elizabeth Gilbert takes on the role of a life coach in Big Magic.
She shares her unique perspective on living a creative life that is led by curiosity and not by fear. Big Magic consists of Gilbert’s past life lessons, real stories and her timeless wisdom to draw out a road map of how we can gain the courage to pursue our own creative endeavours.
Highlights
- Not your typical boring self-help book
- Features a bright, colourful cover which will look great on any bookshelf
- More like a guidebook teaching you how to deal with your doubts, how to observe ideas and how to act upon them without fear
- Gilbert writes as though she is writing to a friend
- Matter-of-fact, screw-the-norm tone of voice
- Written by the author of the international bestseller, Eat Pray Love
- I’ve previously written a review so you know it’s worth a read
→ Price: £8.05 (paperback) with free delivery on Amazon
My thoughts
Big Magic taught me that I should never feel embarrassed about building a creative business. I’m doing it for me because I enjoy being creative and that is all that matters.
There seems to be such a stigma around creative work and I’m glad Elizabeth Gilbert has finally spoken up about the fact that it should be treated the same as non-creative work.
So if you feel like you’re hiding your true creative self, then read Big Magic and cultivate the creativity you need to live a life that is truly your own.
“Always remember that people’s judgements about you, are none of your business.”
Elizabeth Gilbert | Big Magic
4 | Mindset by Carol Dweck
The best self-improvement book for your mindset
Mindset by Carol Dweck is a fundamental book that everyone should read.
It explores the power of our mindset and how success doesn’t just depend on our abilities or talent but rather on how we approach our goals; with a fixed or growth mindset.
This book is all about changing the way we think to fulfil our potential.
Highlights
- The whole book is simply mind-blowing
- Explores the difference between a fixed and growth mindset
- Includes chapters for every area of our life
- Uses well-known and famous people as examples to back up her points e.g. Michael Jordan
- Includes diagrams
- The book has recently been updated
- I’ve previously written a review so you know it’s worth a read
→ Price: £9.31 (paperback) with free delivery on Amazon
My thoughts
I must admit that I was slightly apprehensive about reading this book at first.
Carol is one of the world’s leading researchers in personality and social & development psychology so I felt that it would be highly academic and difficult to understand.
But it’s the complete opposite. Carol wanted this book to be digestible and easy to follow.
And that’s exactly what it is.
So if you’re going to buy one of the self-help books from this list, make sure it’s this one, and invest in your mindset.
“Mindsets are just beliefs. They’re powerful beliefs, but they’re just something in your mind, and you can change your mind.”
CArol Dweck | Mindset
5 | The Daily Stoic by Ryan Holiday
The best self-improvement book for your thinking
Adopting a stoic practice to your life can reduce anxiety, help you avoid distractions and teach you gratitude.
However, there’s so much written on Stoicism it can be hard to know where to start.
Ryan Holiday’s The Daily Stoic makes learning about Stoicism digestible and intentional.
This isn’t a typical book as it’s not split into chapters. Instead, The Daily Stoic is separated into a page-a-day to make practising Stoicism more manageable.
Each page features a powerful lesson or quote from the Ancient Stoics including Marcus Aurelius, the playwright Seneca and philosopher Epictetus, among others.
These thought-provoking observations help you “to tackle any problem, approach any goal and find the serenity, self-knowledge and resilience you need to live well.” (The Daily Stoic)
Highlights
- Includes 366 meditations on wisdom, perseverance and the art of living
- Features lessons from the Ancient Stoics including Marcus Aurelius, Seneca and Epictetus
- Page-a-day guide; no need to read it all in one go
- It’s dated daily from 1st January to 31st December
- Daily doses of practical, uplifting philosophy
- From the best selling author of The Obstacle Is The Way
- There’s a guided Daily Stoic Journal that accompanies the book to make it even easier for you to practice mindfulness
→ Price: £9.34 (paperback) with free delivery on Amazon
My thoughts
I haven’t finished The Daily Stoic yet as it’s a year-long process.
However, it’s already been incredibly life-changing for both me and my partner. It has positively impacted our minds in a way where we are learning to ignore the things we can’t control and focus only on what we can change.
So if you’re looking to cultivate more meaning and self-awareness this year, then The Daily Stoic is the best self-help book for you.
“You have power over your mind – not outside events. Realise this, and you will find strength.”
Marcus Aurelius
Why read self-improvement books?
Self-improvement books lead to positive change.
They help you learn more about yourself while also providing you with the guidance and skills you need to help improve different areas of your life.
I honestly wouldn’t be the person I am today without the help of these books.
Brené Brown has worked wonders on my mind, soul and well-being.
James Clear has changed my entire perspective on habits and what it means to be productive.
Elizabeth Gilbert has provided me with the confidence I need to continue pursuing my creative business.
Carol Dweck has opened my eyes up to what it is to truly have a growth mindset.
And I continue to look inwards as I learn more about how Stoicism can change my thinking for the better.
Final thoughts
I hope you feel inspired by this post and have the motivation to kick start your self-development journey. Or continue the one you’re already on.
If you’re looking to cultivate your best year yet, then I honestly can’t recommend these self-improvement books enough.
They will provide you with the guidance and awareness you need to grow.
And just to recap, the books I mentioned in this post are:
- Atomic Habits by James Clear
- The Gifts of Imperfection by Brené Brown
- Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert
- Mindset by Carol Dweck
- The Daily Stoic by Ryan Holiday
I can’t wait to hear if you end up reading one of these books. Hopefully, you will fall in love with them just much as I have, and continue to turn to them in times of need.
Until next week,
♡ Thalia xx
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