75 Books for Personal Development (by topic)

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This post is Part Three of my Build an Intentional Life series. Go back and read Part One and Part Two.

If you know me then you know that I’m a book junkie. I’ve been a book nerd since I was a kid getting in trouble and having my reading time taken away as punishment. I genuinely feel like there’s never enough knowledge for my brain to absorb. I live by the concept of being a lifelong learner. So when I came across the concept of personal development you know I was all about it.

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Why personal development?

A few years ago I was introduced to the concept of personal growth/personal development through a multi-level marketing company I was involved in at the time. My upline encouraged me to get in at least 30 minutes of personal development aka “PD” a day. Both she and the company clearly saw the benefit of all of their budding entrepreneurs taking the time daily to work on themselves.

While that specific MLM may not have been the right fit for the season I was in at the time in my life, the habit of daily personal development was a valuable one that I carried out of that experience.

Whether you are an entrepreneur running your own business, trying to work your way up in your career, building a team in an MLM company or trying to improve the relationships in your life there is a place for personal development in everyone’s life. If you aren’t making moves every single day to try to be an intentionally better version of yourself then you’ll never accomplish the goals that you want to in life.

If you’re looking for somewhere to start with daily personal development there’s no better place than reading. You can listen to an audiobook during your commute or while folding laundry or you can read a bit right before bed.

Here is a list of some of the top personal development books out there (nearly half of which I have personally read and have changed my life.) I have sorted them by theme/topic to make it easy to pick a book that speaks to the area you need to work on or the season of life you are currently in.

Perfectionism

The Gifts of Imperfection by Brene Brown

Finish: Give Yourself the Gift of Done by Jon Acuff

For the Love: Fighting for Grace in a World of Impossible Standards by Jen Hatmaker

Grace, Not Perfection: Celebrating Simplicity, Embracing Joy by Emily Ley

Procrastination/Time Management

The Miracle Morning: The Not-So-Obvious Secret Guaranteed to Transform Your Life (Before 8 AM) by Hal Elrod

Eat That Frog: 21 Great Ways to Stop Procrastinating and Get More Done in Less Time by Brian Tracy

The ONE Thing: The Surprisingly Simple Truth Behind Extraordinary Results by Gary Keller

The 5 AM Club: Own Your Morning. Elevate Your Life. by Robin Sharma

Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World by Cal Newport

The Fringe Hours: Making Time for You by Jessica N. Turner

Leadership

Dare to Lead: Brave Work. Tough Conversations. Whole Hearts. by Brene Brown

The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership: Follow Them and People Will Follow You by John Maxwell

Leadershift: The 11 Essential Changes Every Leader Must Embrace by John Maxwell

Developing the Leader Within You 2.0 by John Maxwell

Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action by Simon Sinek

Marriage

The 5 Love Languages: The Secret to Love that Lasts by Gary Chapman

The Love Dare by Alex Kendrick

Vulnerability

Daring Greatly: How the Courage to Be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead by Brene Brown

Rising Strong: How the Ability to Reset Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead by Brene Brown

Braving the Wilderness: The Quest for True Belonging and the Courage to Stand Alone by Brene Brown

Uninvited: Living Loved When You Feel Less Than, Left Out, and Lonely by Lysa TerKeurst

Shame

I Thought It Was Just Me (but it isn’t): Making the Journey from “What Will People Think?” to “I Am Enough” by Brene Brown

Mindset/Happiness

The Energy Bus: 10 Rules to Fuel Your Life, Work, and Team with Positive Energy by John Gordon

Mindset: The New Psychology of Success by Carol Dweck

Super Attractor: Methods for Manifesting a Life Beyond Your Wildest Dreams by Gabrielle Bernstein

The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom by Don Miguel Ruiz

Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear by Elizabeth Gilbert

The 15 Invaluable Laws of Growth: Live Them and Reach Your Potential by John Maxwell

Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill

The Obstacle Is the Way: The Timeless Art of Turning Trials into Triumph by Ryan Holiday

The Seat of the Soul by Gary Zukav

Love Does: Discover a Secretly Incredible Life in an Ordinary World by Bob Goff

I Can’t Do That, Yet: Growth Mindset by Esther P. Cordova

Motivation

The Compound Effect by Darren Hardy

The Slight Edge: Turning Simple Disciplines into Massive Success and Happiness by Jeff Olson

Start: Punch Fear in the Face, Escape Average and Do Work That Matters by Jon Acuff

Make it Happen: Surrender Your Fear. Take the Leap. Live On Purpose. by Lara Casey

The Motivation Manifesto: 9 Declarations to Claim Your Personal Power by Brendon Burchard

Awaken the Giant Within: How to Take Immediate Control of Your Mental, Emotional, Physical and Financial by Tony Robbins

Habits

Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones by James Clear

The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business by Charles Duhhig

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change by Stephen Covey

Better Than Before: What I Learned About Making and Breaking Habits–to Sleep More, Quit Sugar, Procrastinate Less, and Generally Build a Happier Life by Gretch Rubin

Finding Your Purpose

A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life’s Purpose by Eckhart Tolle

Finding Your Own North Star: Claiming the Life You Were Meant to Live by Martha Beck

The Path Made Clear: Discovering Your Life’s Direction and Purpose by Oprah Winfrey

The Purpose Driven Life: What on Earth Am I Here For? by Rick Warren

Burnout

Present Over Perfect: Leaving Behind Frantic for a Simpler, More Soulful Way of Living by Shauna Niequist

Stretched Too Thin: How Working Moms Can Lose the Guilt, Work Smarter, and Thrive by Jessica N. Turner

Rhythms of Renewal: Trading Stress and Anxiety for a Life of Peace and Purpose by Rebekah Lyons

Goal Setting

The 10X Rule: The Only Difference Between Success and Failure by Grant Cardone

Girl, Stop Apologizing: A Shame-Free Plan for Embracing and Achieving Your Goals by Rachel Hollis

Cultivate: A Grace-Filled Guide to Growing an Intentional Life by Lara Casey

Confidence

Insecurity Detox: A Breakout Plan to Rejuvenate Your Body, Mind, and Spirit by Trish Blackwell

You Are a Badass: How to Stop Doubting Your Greatness and Start Living an Awesome Life by Jen Sincero

The Moment of Lift: How Empowering Women Changes the World by Melinda Gates

The 5 Second Rule: Transform your Life, Work, and Confidence with Everyday Courage by Mel Robbins

Girl, Wash Your Face: Stop Believing the Lies About Who You Are So You Can Become Who You Were Meant to Be by Rachel Hollis

100 Days to Brave: Devotions for Unlocking Your Most Courageous Self by Annie F. Downs

Finances/Debt

The Total Money Makeover: Classic Edition: A Proven Plan for Financial Fitness by Dave Ramsey

Rich Dad Poor Dad: What the Rich Teach Their Kids About Money That the Poor and Middle Class Do Not by Robert T. Kiyosaki 

You Are a Badass at Making Money: Master the Mindset of Wealth by Jen Sincero

MONEY Master the Game: 7 Simple Steps to Financial Freedom by Tony Robbins

Smart Money Smart Kids: Raising the Next Generation to Win with Money by Dave Ramsey and Rachel Cruze

Everyday Millionaires: How Ordinary People Built Extraordinary Wealth—and How You Can Too by Chris Hogan

Business Boutique: A Woman’s Guide for Making Money Doing What She Loves by Christy Wright

Relationships/Communication

Boundaries: When to Say Yes, How to Say No To Take Control of Your Life by Henry Cloud

How To Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie

The Road Back to You: An Enneagram Journey to Self-Discovery by Ian Morgan Cron

The Path Between Us: An Enneagram Journey to Healthy Relationships by Suzanna Stabile

High Performers

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

Outliers: The Story of Success by Malcolm Gladwell

High Performance Habits: How Extraordinary People Become That Way by Brendon Burchard

Extreme Ownership: How U.S. Navy SEALs Lead and Win by Jocko Willink

Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance By Angela Duckworth

What personal development book has been life-changing for you?

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