Books that changed my life.
One habit that I let go of as a young adult and have only recently picked up again in the past few years is reading. The trigger for returning to this being that I was starting a sales job and new nothing about selling... obviously not what I told them during the interview. Faced with this I decided that the only way that I could grow in this area, and do it quickly would be to immerse myself in the subject. To do this, I combined my now much longer commute with absorbing audiobooks all focused on sales. This varied from highly technical sales to books focused on building relationships or negotiation. What I didn't expect was how transformational this simple change would be. It allowed me to gain confidence in my role extremely quickly and climb the ladder within my department.
"Reading is essential for those who wish to rise above the ordinary" - Jim Rohn
Due to seeing such a significant upturn in my personal growth from my new reading habit, I have continued this ever since. I've read over 50 books since renewing my reading habit, and below are a selection of the ones that have impacted me the most and that I believe anyone from any background could find value in to improve their life.
Awaken the giant within
If you can get past the title of the book (sorry Tony Robbins ), then this book is a perfect introduction to implementing personal growth in your life. This book is what helped me to take my personal growth to the next level and to get intentional in taking control of all aspects of my life, from building great habits to decoding negative emotions. If you want something a little shorter and easier to digest, then the book that became my counsellor by Joe Hilton is a great launchpad into this world and onto Tony's book.
Indistractible
As with many people now, I used to be a slave to distractions and especially my phone. This book provides some incredibly simple techniques and hacks that you can use immediately. After reading this book I was able to hack back so much of my time for focused work and found that my stress levels instantly dropped. Funnily enough there are actually 'enough hours in the day, It's just about taking control of them with small simple steps. This book is the perfect tool to do that.
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The Midnight Library
This one is much more for if you are seeking a change in perspective on your life. If you we constantly worrying whether you are making the correct choice or a bit of a people pleaser rather than doing what is right for you, then you need this book. There are many paths our life can take. The possibilities are quite literally infinate. In many cases a large part of our life is completely out of our control, and what this book teaches you through its story, is that although that seems pretty f%! King scary... it'll all work out fine in the end. Need to stop worrying that you are always going to make the wrong choice? Read this book.
Limitless - Jim Kwik
The final summary i'll provide is one that is focused on performance. If you want a one stop shop for how to fire up your life and gain more success in your work, academic or personal life, then start here. Whether you get lost when you try to set goals, can't focus when you get down to work or struggle to speak publicly or even in meetings. Jim has some great tips on how to overcome this. You will end up getting way more done with a lot less effort. Hit your goals faster than you could ever imagine and gain confidence in situations or areas of your life that you thought were a lost cause.
Got things you want to achieve in life and achieve them quickly... then this book is the one for you.
I won't summarise the remainder of the books on the initial list above. but if you are looking to be more productive, a better leader, or just take back control of your life, success and wellbeing, then these are a great place to start. As with personal growth, reading for development is an individual thing. If any of these books aren't for you but you want to start your own reading habit, just ask yourself which areas of your life do you want to grow. Then let the answers guide you to where your reading habit can begin.