3 Books for Self-development

Great books for helping you to live your life on purpose.

I LOVE books. There are so many great writers with wisdom to share. Don't ask me how many bookcases I have in my house - it looks like the stacks at the library!

While I may not read quite as much as Ryan Holiday (who has a great annual list he sends out via email), I do have a passion for all things mindful. Here are three books for those of you interested in digging in...

1. Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones by James Clear Clear is a writer turned habit guru. Clear was well known as a writer on the Medium platform (see his profile for great free tips) and has grown his career exponentially over the past few years. His book Atomic Habits is one of the most recommended books I have seen and for good reason. I read it last year and a couple of things have stuck with me. For example, I picked up his concept of habit stacking - doing one small thing at the same time you do something else. When I am filling up my water bottle from the water filter I have in my kitchen, I practice standing on one leg for 30 seconds on each side. This micro-exercise is one that is proven to improve balance, especially as we age, and it is something I can easily add to my routine. Clear didn't talk about one leg standing, but he did give me the idea of maximizing my use of time while doing a repetitive mundane task!

2. Mindset: The New Psychology of Success by Carol Dweck I heard about this book from Corey Mandell, a well-known Hollywood screenwriter who now teaches writers of all levels. He recommends Dweck's book to help writers become more mentally flexible and learn how to expand their creativity. Dweck herself is a researcher who wanted to "understand the kind of mindset that could turn a failure into a gift." If this topic sparks your curiosity, you will want to read what Dweck has to say.

3. Living with Joy: Keys to Personal Power and Spiritual Transformation by Sanaya Roman As of today, Living with Joy has 486 reviews and 5 full stars on Amazon. Roman's book is truly a manual for living with joy. A lot of what she conveys is how we can love ourselves. This is not something most of us were taught as children, so we need a manual! I have read six of Roman's books, and they are all terrific, though this one holds a special place for me. Amid her instructions, Roman gives some wonderful affirmations we can use as food for the mind and soul.

If you decide to read one of these books we would love to hear about it in the comments!

If you enjoyed this post, you may also like this one:

5 Spiritual Books You Have Probably Never Heard Of

Note that this post includes a couple of affiliate links. If you order something from the link, I receive a small commission at no cost to you. Thank you for your support!