I like to read. Though, I scrunched up my nose when I was younger at the idea of reading non-fiction books. I just thought if it wasn’t fiction it was an autobiography and I didn’t care about real people. I cared about wizards and Hogwarts and Hagrid… yes, I basically only read the Harry Potter Books on replay. Every time I picked up a fiction novel I’d start it and endlessly compare it to J.K. Rowling’s way of writing and the story and I always made my way back to re-reading my beloved series. I still have yet to read a biography but I have a couple on my list of books I want to read.

Personal Development books weren’t even on my radar. But when they got on my radar… girl you better believe I read them all. (Well not all, but I’m getting close, haha) I have gained SO much from reading personal development books and I have compiled a list of my ultimate top 5. The 5 that have changed my life in some way, taught me lots and pushed me forward, closer to my goals.

I read Personal Development books with a highlighter in hand. Gasp! You mark up your books? YES. Personal Development books are TOOLS. And as such, they should be used and abused. I dog-ear and highlight like nobody’s business because when I don’t, I have to re-read the whole book to remind myself of what I’ve learned. When key pieces of information are highlighted you can skim through a book you’ve read and quickly point out what you felt was worth remembering. Say you were studying for an exam (a life event) and you had your textbook full of information (personal development book). You wouldn’t want to aimlessly search the textbook for answers, you’d want your notes clear and jumping out at you, that’s the goal.

Also, I’m a quote lover, hence the highlighting, so I have also included some of my favourite quotes from each. The best part about it is there isn’t a book over $15 on the list, so it’s not going to break the bank either, and they have been some of the greatest investments I’ve made recently.

The Slight Edge

This book is just awesome. It kicks you in the butt and gets you into high gear that’s for sure. It awakens that lion inside of you that WANTS that goal real bad. It makes you question what you do every day and reassess your priorities. It shines a light on your procrastination and guides your focus to the right places.

Favourite Quotes:

♥ “Successful people do what unsuccessful people are not willing to do.”

♥ “The truth is, what you do matters. What you do today matters. What you do every day matters. Successful people just do the things that seem to make no difference in the act of doing them and they do them over and over and over until the compound effect kicks in.”

♥ “The journey starts with a single step—not with thinking about taking a step.”

♥ “Instead of writing down what you’re going to do (chances are you’ve been doing that your whole adult life anyway, and it doesn’t make you any better at doing them), write down at the end of the day what you did do that day.”

You are a Badass

Man, how I love this personal development book. It’s like having that person in your corner telling you that you can do it! Jen Sincero writes like a friend in your living room. She tells it how it is, a wonderful blend of life experiences and client stories. There are so many points to think about in here. Seriously it’s hard to not highlight entire paragraphs, I highly recommend this if you’re in the need of a reminder that you CAN do it and that the Universe has your back! You CAN live an amazing life. Energy is real y’all. read this book to find out how to use energy to your advantage.

Favourite Quotes:

♥ “You are loved. Massively. Ferociously. Unconditionally. The Universe is totally freaking out about how awesome you are. It’s got you wrapped in a warm gorilla hug of adoration. It wants to give you everything you desire. It wants you to be happy. It wants you to see what it sees in you.”

♥ “You are responsible for what you say and do. You are not responsible for whether or not people freak out about it.”

♥ “If you’re serious about changing your life, you’ll find a way. If you’re not, you’ll find an excuse.”

♥ “Because if you base your self-worth on what everyone else thinks of you, you hand all your power over to other people and become dependent on a source outside of yourself for validation. Then you wind up chasing after something you have no control over, and should that something suddenly place its focus somewhere else, or change its mind and decide you’re no longer very interesting, you end up with a full-blown identity crisis.”

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People

Personal Development hits full steam with this book. There is some serious information in here. This one comes from a recommendation from an old manager and I’m so grateful I got a chance to read it. It’s really insightful and does make you look at yourself a little differently. There are some real action items in this book, so if you’re looking for fluffy PD, this is not the book for you. But if you’re looking for a super clear guide you can start implementing now then this is the book!

Favourite Quotes:

♥ “But until a person can say deeply and honestly, “I am what I am today because of the choices I made yesterday,” that person cannot say, “I choose otherwise.”

♥ “Most people do not listen with the intent to understand; they listen with the intent to reply.”

♥ “Two people can see the same thing, disagree, and yet both be right. It’s not logical; it’s psychological.”

♥ “It’s not what happens to us, but our response to what happens to us that hurts us.”

The Compound Effect

This is the first Personal Development book I read. A few dozen boss babes in my network read it, and it was so eye-opening. This is the book that hooked me into PD forever. To me, learning from books was restricted to school’s textbooks and that they were boring, real boring. I used to read to escape reality and jump into magical worlds but now I love reading to learn, so that I can take a hold of my reality and immerse myself in making it work for me every day!

Favourite Quotes:

♥ “You will never change your life until you change something you do daily. The secret of your success is found in your daily routine.”

♥ “It’s not the big things that add up in the end; it’s the hundreds, thousands, or millions of little things that separate the ordinary from the extraordinary.”

♥ “Forget about willpower. It’s time for why-power. Your choices are only meaningful when you connect them to your desires and dreams. The wisest and most motivating choices are the ones aligned with that which you identify as your purpose, your core self, and your highest values. You’ve got to want something, and know why you want it, or you’ll end up giving up too easily.”

Total Money Makeover

Oh Dave Ramsey. This guy, all I can say is I’m obsessed. If you owe anyone any money, you need this book. Credit cards? Loans? Car Payments? Student loans? A mortgage? Everyone in the world needs to read this book. Get out of debt. Get Gazelle intense and just knock it out and give yourself a raise by doing just that! Sve for retirement, pay off your home way early. Pay cash for everything, and never use a credit card again. He goes over 7 baby steps that are honestly so simple you’ll be looking around thinking you’re getting pranked. Yes, it’s THAT simple.

Favourite Quotes:

♥ “We buy things we don’t need with money we don’t have to impress people we don’t like.”

♥ “You must walk to the beat of a different drummer. The same beat that the wealthy hear. If the beat sounds normal, evacuate the dance floor immediately! The goal is to not be normal, because as my radio listeners know, normal is broke.”

♥ “The enemy of “the best” is not “the worst.” The enemy of “the best” is “just fine.”

♥ “You have to live like no one else so that then you can live and give like no one else”

I hope you enjoy the list, and that you pick one of these great reads up, do it and see how your life changes!

Love,

Mariangelica