11 Books that will Change Your Life
11 Books that will Change Your Life
The following books can change your life. Yes. It's true. I know it's a bold statement, but if you take action based on the information provided in these books, your life will look drastically different in a year.
Don't believe me? Think about your New Year's Resolutions. Do you make resolutions and struggle (like I used to) to keep up the motivation to see your resolution through? Do you feel your life would be better if you kept your resolutions? After all, that's what resolutions are for right - improving our lives?
According to Forbes, only 8% of people actually keep their New Year's resolutions. But, you and me are going to be different this year. By reading even just one of the books below and implementing some strategies, you will be able to change your habits and improve your life little by little. Before you know it, your life will be better than you imagined.
Let's go get the life we're dreaming of, shall we?
*Heads up: My posts may contain affiliate links! If you buy something through one of those links, you won’t pay a penny more, but I will get a small commission. Thank you for supporting Little Green Bow and our community of Awesome Mamas!*
The Best Books to Change Your Life by Helping You Focus Your Vision
Live the Best Story of Your Life
by Bob Litwin
Are you telling yourself a negative story of your own life? Kids stressing you out? Husband not helping? Feeling disheartened at work? You may have heard that happiness is a choice, but it can be difficult to see how you can choose to be happy in your current situation.
If this sounds like you, this book will be a game-changer for your next year. Bob, recounts his life after his wife passed away from cancer and his senior tennis career was at risk of ending due to a debilitating injury. As he looked at himself in the mirror with pity, he decided to retell his own story. And you can too!
Live the Best Story of Your Life will help you become the person you want to be and live the life of your dreams. Change may seem scary and impossible, but you can be who you want if you choose.
The ONE Thing: The Surprisingly Simple Truth Behind Extraordinary Results
by Gary Keller
You know the saying, “you can do anything, but you cannot do everything”? This book is essentially presenting the scientific research behind that concept. Gary Keller (the man behind the Keller Williams real estate empire) shows you to cut through the clutter, decrease your stress, revive your energy, and master what matters to you.
It all boils down to your one thing - and only you can determine what that is for you. I finished reading this book toward the end of last year and some of the principles are extremely helpful. It’s a great reminder that we cannot do everything (and as women, wives, and mothers we often feel we should be able to do it ALL!). But, if you choose what is really important to you and focus your energy there, you will be able to live a fulfilled life that brings you happiness and joy.
Whose Life is This Anyway? The Making of Your Life Story
by Keturah Jenkins
A similar concept to Live the Best Story of Your Life, Whose Life is This Anyway is more of a hands-on workbook that will walk you through your current life story. You will pick out the pieces you like and the more “sticky parts” that make you sad, frustrated, or angry.
Then, you will retell your story again after working through some of your life accomplishments and challenges. By cleaning up some of the “sticky parts” and focusing on your achievements, you will start to see your life in a better light and start living your new story.
The Best Books to Change Your Life Through Productivity
The Miracle Morning: The Not-So-Obvious Secret Guaranteed to Transform Your Life
by Hal Elrod
Do you ever wonder how the most successful people in the world are so productive? If we all have the same 24-hours in a day, what do they do to maximize those hours and get more done? The Miracle Morning is the answer to that question.
Born out of his own turmoil after a devastating car crash that left him in a coma, a publisher that stole his book royalties, and an economic downturn that left him in ruins, Hal was determined to not live a life of misery. Instead, he used his mornings to create a routine that fed his soul and turned his life around.
He shares the 6 simple, but life-changing habits he (and thousands of successful people) do each and every morning to ensure his life is exciting, challenging, happy, and successful. The best part is, you can too!
Eat That Frog!: 21 Great Ways to Stop Procrastinating and Get More Done in Less Time
by Brian Tracy
I have struggled with procrastination most of my life and it has definitely held be back in the past. However, Eat That Frog! has made me more productive and almost addicted to getting the hard stuff out of the way first.
But, what does Eat That Frog even mean? It comes from a Mark Twain quote that goes, “Eat a live frog first thing in the morning and nothing worse will happen to you the rest of the day.” And the book places a priority on completing your most difficult task first, without placing too much thought on it or dwelling over the decision. That way, even if you do not accomplish much more in the day, you will have progressed on your goals leading toward the successful life you want to live.
This book is a perfect companion to The ONE Thing and Live the Best Story of Your Life. All of the concepts presented in the three books complement each other and help refine what it is you want to achieve from life.
The 12 Week Year: Get More Done in 12 Weeks than Others Do in 12 Months
by Brian Morgan and Michael Lennington
The problem with most resolutions is the timeline. A full year - 12 months - is too long for most of us to focus. This is especially true in the modern age where we are addicted to quick fixes, instant gratification, and getting what we want NOW.
To combat this Brian and Michael, show you how to structure your year into quarters by focusing on 12 week sprints. This is enough time to achieve BIG results, but not enough time to get complacent or put off doing the important work.
It’s a strategy I am employing this year and I look forward to getting more done in less time. I am also looking forward to honing my focus as I will be intensely working on one aspect at a time. Let me know if you purchase this book and want to hold each other accountable. I love accountability partners as I learned from the next book on this list.
The Four Tendencies: The Indispensable Personality Profiles That Reveal How to Make Your Life Better (and Other People's Lives Better, Too)
by Gretchen Rubin
Gretchen Rubin, the author of The Happiness Project is at it again. This time she is helping you figure out how to do your best work and use your personality to your advantage. Through her research, she has discovered there are four tendencies that guide human reaction and determine how we respond to expectations.
Your Tendency shapes every aspect of your behavior, so using the framework outlined in the book allows you to make better decisions, meet deadlines, suffer less stress, and engage more effectively. This is helpful whether you are striving for the corner office or want to be more present at home.
Turns out I am an Obliger so I need external pressures and deadlines in order to reach my goals. Life was so frustrating before when I felt like a loser for not being able to keep my resolutions. Armed with this new knowledge, I have sought out an accountability group, joined classes, and set external deadlines in order to reach my goals. I am more productive than ever and happier knowing that I can meet my resolutions with help.
The Best Books to Change Your Life with a Positive Mindset
The Confidence Code: The Science and Art of Self-Assurance---What Women Should Know
by Katty Kay and Claire Shipman
I have found that women often struggle with confidence and I am no exception. Whether you are struggling to get ahead in a male-dominated field or dealing with mommy-guilt, your confidence in your decisions and actions will help you feel better about all you say and do. This means that not only will you feel better about yourself, you will be a better contributor at work and at home.
Written by two journalists who travel to the frontiers of neuroscience on a hunt for the confidence gene, they reveal surprising new research on the roots of confidence in our brains. They visit the world’s leading psychologists and look at how we can all choose to become more confident by taking simple actions and courting risk. The good news is those actions change our physical wiring and make us more confident going forward.
Lucky Bitch: A Guide for Exceptional Women to Create Outrageous Success
by Denise Duffield-Thomas
Even if you are not familiar with the Laws of Attraction, this books will help introduce you to the concept that the Universe is working for you. It will bring to your life what you are requesting - be that good or bad - depending on the vibes and energy you are sending into the world.
Ever wonder how things keep going wrong on a bad day? Or why when you are “in the zone” it feels like everything is lining up to help you? This is the Law of Attraction in action.
Denise uses plenty of examples from her own life to show you concrete examples of creating your own luck. This isn't about woo-woo stuff. It’s about creating the right energy to get what you want from life broken down into steps for how to set up your world for success. It’s a great reminder to go out and meet the opportunities in front of us and that luck is when preparation meets opportunity. Will you be ready?
The Best Books to Change Your Life by Decluttering
The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing
by Marie Kondo
The book that started the decluttering phenomenon! If you have not read The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up, I recommend you read it with an open mind. There were parts of the book I do not agree with (like that my socks care if they are laid flat or folded together), but it is amazing how much stuff we accumulate in our lives without thinking about it.
My family recently relocated to Germany from the US and I am amazed that we are able to live and be happy with just our clothes, a few toys, and our computers (plus a furnished apartment so we have beds to sleep in). But, we do not need all the stuff that’s sitting in our storage unit in Chicago.
This book will help you understand that minimalism is not about living with the least things, but about living with the things that make you happy (and spark joy!).
Cozy Minimalist Home: More Style, Less Stuff
by Myquillyn Smith
To assist with your continued decluttering journey, this book will show you how to style your home in a way that is comfortable and uncluttered. Cozy Minimalism is a mindset and way of living that helps you get whatever style YOU LOVE with the fewest possible items.
I love that the book is filled with images showing before and afters. The author proves that her ultimate goal is to help people create spaces that help them thrive. That means spaces where people feel welcome, comfortable, cozy, relaxed, refreshed, and inspired. It’s definitely inspired by the Hygge movement (the Danish way of living) and shows us that our living space should be filled with passion, purpose, and beauty.
So which life changing book have you added to your reading list?
Let me know in the comments below.
You CAN make this your best year ever! With a little bit of clarity and focus, you can rewrite your story and shape your future into the person you want to be. I know it sounds too easy, but let's work on it together.
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