5 of the Best Personal Development Books freedomiseverything.com /2016/06/02/5-of-the-best-personal-development-books/
So what are the best personal development books? Good question….well let’s have a look at my favs. For some reason, personal development is a subject that has always been a bit taboo here in the UK. In fact the genre is even usually referred to as ‘self-help’ rather than personal development. I don’t know about you but ‘self-help’ to me paints a very different picture than ‘personal development’. Self-help throws up pictures in my mind of a person who requires psychological help (which I suppose many of us do to some extent). In my view the term personal development is generally more appropriate because it is about growth and developing one’s skills and mindsets to become the best you can. Whatever the reason for the distrust of personal development in the UK, I personally love the subject, and I constantly read and go to seminars in order to develop myself further. Without further ado, here are 5 of the best personal development books which have made a difference in my life. Of course, this is only my opinion!
Andy’s Best Personal Development Books
1. The 7 Habits of Highly Successful People by Stephen Covey One of the first personal development books I ever read and still one of my favourites. The late, great Stephen Covey spent much of his life studying successful people, to understand what habits their success had in common. The first part of the book is about managing yourself and your own personal habits of time management, effectiveness and focus (independence). Some of the stuff in this section was pure gold for me a few years ago, and I still use many of the lessons everyday. One of my favourite concepts was the idea of productivity and effectiveness ‘quadrants’, which shows how to separate and manage tasks in terms of their urgency and importance. ‘Begin with the end in mind’ in another piece of advice which should be written somewhere I can see it everyday (it’s not so maybe I should do that…..!). The second part of the book deals with interpersonal habits and how we relate to, and manage, others (interdependence). This part is about taking your effectiveness to a higher level. Some of the concepts discussed in part 2 are creating win/win situations, being a better listener and creative cooperation. I could go on at length about this book and how it impacted my life and mindset, but I won’t. I’ll simply advise you to own a copy.
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2. Seven Strategies for Wealth and Happiness by Jim Rohn One of my favourite speakers ever, Jim Rohn was a business philosopher and teacher who really popularised the personal-development movement. It was Jim Rohn who initially inspired and taught people like Anthony Robbins and T Harv Eker. Seven Strategies for Wealth and Happiness is a small and simple book and that is in keeping with Jim Rohn’s style. Simple but powerful messages, backed up with actions to take and mindsets to adopt. Some of the strategies Jim encourages us to adopt in the book are goal-setting, personal development, financial control and surrounding yourself with winners, amongst others. His messages are timeless and straightforward. What I appreciate about Jim Rohn’s writing (and his speaking) is that there is very little ‘fluff’. He is quite a nononsense guy who clearly believes that excuses should be thrown out. Rohn makes it clear that personal change is about making a clear decision to change and make a better life – it won’t just come to you. The three quotes which I will always associate with Jim Rohn are: “Success is something you attract by becoming an attractive person” “If you will change, everything will change for you” “If the WHY is strong enough, the HOW’s will take care of themselves” As I said, timeless messages which can help anyone become better.
3. Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill Napoleon Hill’s classic is actually a book referenced by Jim Rohn in many of his seminars. It is another book I read years ago for the first time, and which had a huge impact on my mindset. For those who have not read TAGR, the book was the result of a request made of Napoleon Hill by the Scottish steel magnate Andrew Carnegie (who was one of, if not the richest man in the world at the time). The request was to study success and wealth and put the results into a book that everyone might use. Hill took up the challenge and it essentially became his life’s work. He studied and interviewed many of the wealthiest and most successful people in the world at the time (the book was written in 1937) and published the result as 13 steps to riches. Although the book is now ancient, the messages are timeless. There are some classic strategies that can and should be used by everyone looking to better themselves and create success. It was also one of the first books to introduce the ‘Law of Attraction’, although I don’t believe that exact term is ever used in the book. Hill talks about creating a ‘burning desire’ within yourself and focusing constantly on what you want with a powerful intensity. It’s really a precursor to modern goal setting and law of attraction books. No matter how old TAGR is, the messages are still relevant today. If you have not read it yet, I suggest stopping reading this article and buy Think and Grow Rich!
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4. Secrets of the Millionaire Mind by T Harv Eker Secrets of the Millionaire Mind (SOTMM) may be a surprise entry on a personal development list. It is normally to be found on lists about wealth or finance books. For me though, this book has been one of the most effective in my own personal development. Whilst many PD books focus on goal setting, creating happiness, being effective, finding a mentor etc, they don’t focus too much on some of the underlying issues some of us have which prevent us from making the changes necessary. That is why I like SOTMM so much. It is really about getting to the core of your existing beliefs about money and understanding why you think and act the way you do. Some are put-off by Eker’s constant upselling throughout the book, and I can understand that point of view. I forgive it though because the content is excellent. To summarise briefly, Eker talks about how it is our mindset and thoughts about money that prevent us from becoming rich. He describes the exact mindset differences, which separate rich, poor and middle-class people. He then backs these up with behaviour and action examples. SOTMM spoke to me so much because it addressed monetary beliefs, which I realised I had always carried around with me subconsciously. For example that rich people are somehow greedy or bad people, or that early experiences had given me a fear of selling (fear of failure).
5. A Return to Love by Marianne Williamson Perhaps a somewhat strange inclusion on a list written by a ‘tough’ Scotsman. A Return to Love is an excellent antidote to many of the ego-driven actions that many of us take day to day without realising it. The book is spiritual, but has a practical and example driven edge to it. In a world where there is so much hate, with so many struggles and broken relationships, ARTL is a look at how many of our actions are in fact fear driven. Often we are so determined to be right that we do untold damage to others in our drive to ‘win’. Our ego simply hates being ‘wrong’. This book deals with all aspects of life and but I found it particularly valuable in the context of relationships. It becomes clear when reading the book just how much we judge others. We judge their actions, their words and even their thoughts and ideas. The other thing I really like about ARTL, is that it is written by someone who clearly went through some extreme struggles early in her own life. The fact the message comes from a place of experience makes it very authentic. Some people may be put off by the religious overtones of the book, although as Marianne herself says, she was never a religious person and the book is not meant to be for ‘god-fearers’. I would advise you not to be put-off by this aspect, and instead see the wisdom that emanates from ARTL.
But Andy, those are not the best personal development books! Yes I know, there are lots of books that could have been included on this list and haven’t been. I actually left off a few classics and I realise there is nothing by Tony Robbins or Jack Canfield (what!?). I wanted to include books which spoke to me personally and made a difference in my life. Feel free to leave a comment letting me know which books I missed or what you would have in your list. I’d be
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delighted to debate the topic as it’s extremely interesting! I hope you enjoyed reading about my best personal development books! Andy
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