We’re halfway through 2024 — how are your New Year’s resolutions going?
If a chill just ran down your spine at the thought of your long-abandoned goals for the year, worry not. You’re far from the only one who’s had to drop those resolutions in exchange for the regular hustle and bustle — but that doesn’t mean you can’t pick them up once again and move forward.
If you’re feeling unfulfilled in your life or are hoping to be in a better place by 2025, we’ve compiled a list of five books full of vital techniques for taking control of your every day. These books don’t just focus on careers or relationships — they include a variety of approaches that can be applied to all aspects of your life. So let’s get into it!
Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones by James Clear
How could we talk about self-help without discussing this bestseller? With over 15 million copies sold, it’s evident that author James Clear is doing something right. Atomic Habits excels at creating frameworks that is applicable to any aspect of self-improvement. After all, that’s the entire thesis of the book — that when we’re struggling to succeed, it isn’t necessarily our own selves that are the problem, but the systems we’re using. With the right approach, Clear believes that we can accomplish what we’re aiming for — and he’s here to help get us there. With expertise from the worlds of biology, psychology, and neuroscience to true stories of Olympic gold medalists, business leaders and other well-known figures, Atomic Habits demonstrates to its readers how reshaping your strategies will get you to new heights of success.
Everything Is Figureoutable by Marie Forleo
A New York Times bestseller, praised by Elizabeth Gilbert and Cheryl Strayed? Check, check and check. Everything Is Figureoutable imparts wisdom that has helped carry author Marie Forleo on her journey to the successful woman she is today. With tenacity and relentless optimism, Forleo guides readers through shifting their mindset to a more positive, forward-thinking outlook. By consistently prioritizing more positive thoughts, readers can actually train their brain to put optimism in the forefront of their minds and say goodbye to that negative little voice in their head!
Everything Is Figureoutable pledges to help readers through anything and everything — jobs, relationships and all the other ups and downs life has to offer. And now revised and updated, this latest version is wholly dedicated to aiding you in whatever aspect of your life you feel needs some work.
The Success Guidebook: How to Visualize, Actualize, and Amplify You by Elizabeth Hamilton-Guarino
When people around us all seem to be succeeding, it can be hard not to get caught up in the benchmarks and dreams of others. But author and master life coach Elizabeth Hamilton-Guarino knows that success is a far more personal thing. Her comprehensive roadmap to success sets out a clear path to self-assessment and self-evaluation, and a participatory primer breaks the concept of success down into three key parts: visualizing, actualizing and amplifying.
“Success has an energy to it,” Hamilton-Guarino writes. “And when you are in the presence of someone who demonstrates it … The aura is magnetic.” And along with providing keen insights into each step and compelling personal stories of success, this essential guidebook also exercises at the end of every chapter, further driving each lesson home to help readers achieve the success they’re striving for.
Check out our full review of The Success Guidebook here.
Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance by Angela Duckworth
A Goodreads choice award nominee, Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance blends analytical psychology and personal stories of tenacity to create a self-improvement guide that’s both factual and deeply personable. And author Angela Duckworth clearly knows a thing or two about tenacity, as she showcases her experiences in in teaching, business consulting, and neuroscience — all jobs where grit is very much needed. Now a celebrated researcher and pioneering psychologist, Duckworth is eager to share her know-how with others, as well as the mindset and toolkit that got her to her level of success. Her secret? The knowledge that the “genius” factor behind successful people isn’t pre-destined but is instead a learned technique. With enough passion and dedication, she knows that readers can achieve that same level of personal success, and is just as determined to get them there. She did write the book on Grit, after all.
Be Your Own Inspiration by Dr. Christina Rahm
This isn’t Dr. Christina Rahm’s first rodeo. The third book in her Cure the Causes series, Be Your Own Inspiration is a guide full of tried-and-true methods for anyone seeking personal growth. It’s written in a straightforward style, with clear examples, thought-provoking exercises, and concise tips; not just another self-help book, it’s a transformative journey that starts with the self. Along with steps towards success, Rahm emphasizes the importance of the healthy state we need to be in in order to achieve those goals. By emphasizing the importance balancing mind, body, and spirit, and offering readers a plethora of ways to do so, Be Your Own Inspiration fosters a supportive and positive tone of self-improvement not for impressing others, but for the sake of one’s own self.
Read our full review of Be Your Own Inspiration here.
