I'm always looking for the best self-help resources and books to help me along my journey, but I've noticed that self-help/self-development can be shaded by some. I, for one, have always held the firm belief that the intention itself can have a transformative effect when we seek out and surround ourselves with inspiring, impactful, and influential people, places, and things. Naturally, learning practical advice that can guide us steadily and gradually toward positive change is also part of growth.
However, as is common knowledge, starting is typically the most difficult part. Deciding how to move forward can consume anyone's energy when stuck. Because we are afraid to act, we obsess over insignificant details and worry that we will make a mistake.
So, what is the solution to this feeling of being glued to everything in your life? In any case, we must act. Taking action is being proactive." It prioritizes moving forward rather than pondering and worrying. Taking action places you in complete control and helps you gain the self-assurance you need to overcome any obstacle.
Once we start working on a task, the momentum to finish it naturally comes to us and propels us to the finish line. Now, something that once seemed so out of reach is doable. When presented in that manner, it appears to be fairly straightforward.
In light of this, I've compiled a list of my favorite self-help books to help you get started on your path to a better future. When you find yourself in a situation in your life where you are feeling a little stuck, these motivational self-help books are ideal to read.
Here are 10 of the best self-help books to read in 2023:
- The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle: You can go after the job you want...and get it! You can take the job you have...and improve it! You can take any situation you're in...and make it work for you!
- The 4 Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz, The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom is a self-help book by bestselling author Don Miguel Ruiz. The book offers a code of conduct claiming to be based on ancient Toltec wisdom that advocates freedom from self-limiting beliefs that may cause suffering and limitation in a person's life.
- The Art of Happiness by Dalai Lama, The book explores training the human outlook that alters perception. The concepts that the purpose of life is happiness, that happiness is determined more by the state of one's mind than by one's external conditions, circumstances, or events—at least once one's basic survival needs are met and that happiness can be achieved through the systematic training of our hearts and minds.
- How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie, The 1981 edition of How to Win Friends and Influence People is broken into the following parts: "Twelve Things This Book Will Do For You", "Fundamental Techniques in Handling People", "Twelve Ways to Win People to Your Way of Thinking", and "Be a Leader: How to Change People Without Giving Offense or Arousing Resentment". The 1936 edition also contained "Letters That Produced Miraculous Results" and "Seven Rules for Making Your Home Life Happier"
- The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, first published in 1989, is a business and self-help book written by Stephen R. Covey.[1] Covey presents an approach to being effective in attaining goals by aligning oneself to what he calls "true north" principles based on a character ethic that he presents as universal and timeless.
- Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill, Think and Grow Rich is a book written by Napoleon Hill and Rosa Lee Beeland released in 1937 and promoted as a personal development and self-improvement book. He claimed to be inspired by a suggestion from business magnate and later philanthropist Andrew Carnegie. However, there is no evidence that the two ever met.
- The Power of Positive Thinking by Norman Vincent Peale, The Power of Positive Thinking: A Practical Guide to Mastering the Problems of Everyday Living is a 1952 self-help book by American minister Norman Vincent Peale.
- You Are a Badass by Jen Sincero, Audie Award Winner, Personal Development, 2014Best-selling author, speaker, and world-traveling success coach Jen Sincero cuts through the din of the self-help genre with her own verbal meat cleaver in You Are a Badass: How to Stop Doubting Your Greatness and Start Living an Awesome Life.
- The 5 Love Languages by Gary Chapman, The Five Love Languages: How to Express Heartfelt Commitment to Your Mate is a 1992 book by Gary Chapman. It outlines five general ways that romantic partners express and experience love, which Chapman calls "love languages".
- In the Road Less Traveled by M. Scott Peck, Confronting and solving problems is a painful process that most of us attempt to avoid. Avoiding resolution results in greater pain and an inability to grow both mentally and spiritually.
I hope these books help you on your journey to self-improvement and growth!
