In today's society self development books are a dime a dozen, and we rely on reviews to tell us which ones are worth reading!
The books I am going to tell you about in this article have been the most life-changing and transformative self development books I've ever read! They are sure to change your life too!
Have you ever read a book and just known within a few chapters that it would be a book that affected how you lived for a very long time? That is precisely what I felt when reading all of these books!
I am an over-excited recommender by nature, but these 7 Self Development Books are worth ALL the hype and your money!
Best Self Development Books
self development books about
habits + Behaviors
#1 Atomic Habits by James Clear!
#1 Atomic Habits by James Clear! I feel like this book makes the list of most people's top self development books, and there's a reason why; it's fantastic! After reading this book I started to make immediate changes in my life and have never looked back! The tips within this book are both helpful and inspiring! This book is a 10/10!
Here are a few of my favorite quotes!
“Every action you take is a vote for the type of person you wish to become. No single instance will transform your beliefs, but as the votes build up, so does the evidence of your new identity.”
“Goals are good for setting a direction, but systems are best for making progress.”
#2 Better Than Before by Gretchen Rubin!
This book is an excellent pair to the Atomic Habits book! It's all about habits and what behaviors uniquely tailored to your personality help you to create and sustain habits! Gretchen is a real expert on human behaviors and why we do what we do! All of her books are great and easy to read, but this is perhaps my favorite! Here are a few quotes from it!
"We won't make ourselves more creative and productive by copying other people's habits, even the habits of geniuses; we must know our own nature, and what habits serve us best."
"In the chaos of everyday life, it's easy to lose sight of what really matters, and I can use my habits to make sure that my life reflects my values."
#3 The Four Tendencies by Gretchen Rubin!
Like Better Than Before is a great pair to Atomic Habits, The Four Tendencies is an excellent pair to any of Gretchen Rubin's books, including Better Than Before!
The Four Tendencies is all about the tendencies of human nature! Each of us is one of the four (Upholder, Questioner, Obliger, or Rebel), and understanding who we are helps us shape every aspect of our lives for the most productive and peace-filled life! She has a fun quiz that will help you figure that out! I'll link it here! (In case you are wondering, I am very proudly, a Questioner! LOL)
Much like the Enneagram or your Love Language, this will help you better understand yourself so that your interactions with others and with yourself are much more satisfying! Here are my favorite quotes from the book!
"The happiest and most successful people are those who have figured out ways to exploit their Tendency to their benefit and, just as important, found ways to counterbalance its limitations."
"The happiest, healthiest, most productive people aren't those from a particular Tendency, but rather they're the people who have figured out how to harness the strengths of their Tendency, counteract the weaknesses, and build the lives that work for them."
self development books about
relationships
#4 keep your love on by danny silk!
Perhaps the most helpful relationship book I've ever read. Danny Silk, a Christian pastor, writes it, but it greatly benefits anyone from any walk of life!
This book is all about how to create relationships where you are in control of your feelings, emotions, and boundaries while also allowing others to do the same for themselves! It's all about developing a relationship environment free from anxiety, manipulation, control, and unresolved conflicts!
It's a must-read for anyone desiring to love people well! Here are a few of my favorite quotes from the book!
"In a respectful relationship, each person understands, "I am responsible to know what is going on inside me and communicate it to you. I do not expect you to know it, nor will I allow you to assume that you know it. And I will not make assumptions about what is going on inside you."
“Powerful people do not try to control other people. They know it doesn’t work, and that it’s not their job. Their job is to control themselves.”
“If you want to cast out all the fear in your relationships, then you need to leave no room for doubt in people’s minds and hearts that you truly love them.”
#5 loving our kids on purpose by danny silk!
Like his other book, Keep Your Love On, Danny Silk brilliantly displays what it's like to lovingly connect with your children! This book is an all-time FAV of mine! I have read it at least ten times and continue to read it over, and over the older my daughter gets! I don't think I can better explain it than the back of the book! Here is an excerpt:
"Most parenting approaches train children to learn to accept being controlled by well meaning parents and adults. Unfortunately, God is not going to control us as we gain independence from our parents.We must learn to control ourselves.This book will teach parents to train their children to manage their freedoms and protect their important heart to heart relationships."
Here are a few of my favorite quotes!
"Until our children learn to deal with what is going on inside of them, they simply cannot learn to manage freedom."
"When love and freedom replace punishment and fear as the motivating forces in the relationship between parent and child, the quality of life improves dramatically for all involved. They feel safe with each other, and the anxiety that created distance in the relationships is chased away by the sense of love, honor, and value for one another."
self development books about
lifestyle changes
#6 The Obesity Code by Dr. Jason Fung!
I LOVE THIS BOOK! It has seriously changed my life! I started my health journey for the final time in 2018 (I was a cereal yo-yo dieter for many years) and found this book shortly after my journey began in 2018. I found the Audible version, which was even better because it's quite a large book!
This book is all about reframing our thinking around obesity.
For YEARS we've been told "calories in calories out" is the best method for weight loss. However, Dr. Fung goes into great detail about why this isn't entirely accurate and how it's actually the act of controlling our insulin levels that cause us to lose weight and stay healthy! He goes into great detail and research within the book, even sharing many personal examples. I HIGHLY recommend this for anyone on a health journey, especially if you feel bogged down with weight gain, weight loss, and calorie restriction!
Here are a few of my favorite quotes from the book!
"Once we understand that obesity is a hormonal imbalance, we can begin to treat it. If we believe that excess calories cause obesity, then the treatment is to reduce calories. But this method has been a complete failure. However, if too much insulin causes obesity, then it becomes clear we need to lower insulin levels."
"Instead, we believe that the fault lies in ourselves. We feel we have failed. Some silently criticize us for not adhering to the diet. Others silently think we have no willpower and offer us meaningless platitudes. Sound familiar? The failing isn't ours. The portion-control caloric-reduction diet is virtually guaranteed to fail. Eating less does not result in lasting weight loss."
#7 Decluttering at the speed of life by
Dana K. White!
A relatively new book to my collection of self development books, but nothing short of amazing nonetheless! I've read many books on the subjects of decluttering and organizing, but this one stands alone! Dana talks in simple language that anyone can understand and uses humorous stories to portray a process! Her tips and tricks are simple and easy to follow and helped me overcome the mental and emotional battle of materialism and the excuses we make for clutter! I also listened to this one on Audible!
Here are a few of my favorite quotes from the book!
"I define clutter as anything I can't keep under control. If a space in my home consistently gets out of control, I have too much stuff in that space. I have clutter."
"Giving yourself permission to do something without the pressure of solving this never-ending problem once and for all is giving yourself permission to get started."
I am a huge believer in the saying, "if you aren't moving forward, you are moving backward!" Life is a marathon, and with each new day comes new strides toward the person we want to become! I recommend these books because I believe they will be as life-changing for you as they have been for my life!
These are the top 7 books that I recommend for self development and growth!
Check out all the links throughout this article to purchase these books and follow the author and their resources!
Please share with us in the comments below what self development books are your favorite! I'd love to give them a read!
Saying Goodbye to Anxious,
Kristina G.
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Love these suggestions! Our team is reading through Atomic Habits right now and loving it. You guys inspired us to get it. 🙂