Nine of the Best Self-Help Books to Start Your Year Off Right

Being in charge of your own destiny can be as intimidating as it is exhilarating. You need to be focused and in the right headspace to really succeed in running your own business. Self-sabotage, lack of motivation, or falling into the comparison trap can keep you stuck earning too little and working too much. If it all starts between our ears, what can we do to change our mindset?

Self-help books are one my favorite low-cost, high-return personal development tools. All of these books are $20 or less and can help you change your mindset and increase your earning potential immediately.

I’ve read each of these books and got something from each of them whether it was a boost of motivation to work harder, or a sense of peace over my past, or the comfort that someone else feels the same way I do.

Here are nine incredible self-help books to start your year off right.

Start Right Where You Are: How Little Changes Can Make a Big Difference for Overwhelmed Procrastinators, Frustrated Overachievers, and Recovering Perfectionists by Sam Bennett

This is one of my favorite personal development books of all time. It encourages you to begin where you are and has lots of activities and prompts to get your mind in the right place. This book is geared towards creatives, but you don’t have to be an artist, writer, or photographer to put the advice into practice in your life.

You are a Badass by Jen Sincero

Jen Sincero lived paycheck to paycheck for years before becoming successful. This book chronicles her lack of faith in herself and what happened when she started believing that she was worth it. This book will motivate you especially if you’re someone who enjoys blunt delivery with no sugar coating. Jen also has a book called You are a Badass at Making Money that is on my ‘to-read’ list.

Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert

Big Magic is by the same woman who wrote Eat, Pray, Love. If you loved that book, you’ll love this one too. If you didn’t like it because you found it too self-involved, Big Magic may be more your speed. Gilbert talks about the innate creativity in all people and how they can express it to create the career and life that they love. There are a lot of other people’s stories about creativity and art mixed with Elizabeth’s personal experience. The Magic Lesson podcast is a great complement to the book.

Thrive: The Third Metric to Redefining Success and Creating a Life of Well-Being, Wisdom, and Wonder by Arianna Huffington

Arianna Huffington has always been an overachiever and workaholic, but she found that goals aren’t the most important thing in life. In this book, Arianna talks about the Third Metric of success which she calls thriving. She gives many great suggestions on how you can thrive in your life. She includes an entire section on technology and being present that I really enjoyed. This is a quick read with a lot of resources.

Mastering Your Mean Girl: The No-BS Guide to Silencing Your Inner Critic and Becoming Wildly Wealthy, Fabulously Healthy, and Bursting with Love by Melissa Ambrosini

If you have an inner mean girl that affects your confidence, you should read this book. Melissa dealt with crippling self-doubt and hate throughout her life though she experienced a good deal of success as a professional dancer. After many years of being depressed, she finally came to love herself. She shares her strategies and how you can apply them to your life. 

A Course in Miracles by The Foundation for Inner Peace

This book is old school, published in 1976, but the information is as relevant today as it was 50 years ago. It’s a spiritual text that teaches universal love through forgiveness. The book comes with a workbook with 365 exercises to open your mind. It’s perfect for starting at the beginning of a new year. I recommend the complementary A Year of Miracles by Marianne Williamson which breaks down the teachings into daily devotionals. The aim of this book is to shift your mindset into a more forgiving and loving place.

The Art of Good Habits: Health, Love, Presence, and Prosperity by Nathalie W Herrman

The Art of Good Habits looks at four main areas for improving your life – Health, Love, Presence and Prosperity. Each of these sections offers exercises to help you tune into your current views on the subject and then make mental changes in how you approach those areas. Nathalie’s tone is compassionate and her writing is direct. I particularly liked the section about being present that suggested a completely digitally disconnected time each day (such as a commute to work, making dinner, etc). In today’s overstimulated world, quiet time is precious.

The Compound Effect: Jumpstart Your Income, Your Life, Your Success by Darren Hardy

If you need a quick little read to get your butt in gear, this is the one. Darren talks about all of the little changes that can propel you in a positive direction or a negative one. I found this book really motivating because it says small steps eventually make a huge difference and patience is the key to a successful long game in any area of your life. It’s a quick read and can apply to your health, business and career, or relationships.

Tools of Titans: The Tactics, Routines, and Habits of Billionaires, Icons, and World-Class Performers by Tim Ferriss

Tim Ferris is one of the first people who publicly introduced the idea of passive income and using virtual assistants in The Four Hour Work Week. Tools of Titans is a huge collection of wisdom from the many talented, famous, and successful people that Tim has interviewed over the years. He compiled their best advice on a variety of subjects including business, health, and relationships and organized it by sections in this gigantic book. You’ll want to own this one because there are so many great tidbits to revisit and try out for yourself.

These self-help books will help you shift your mindset and set the tone for 2018 to be your best year yet.

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