5 Self-Help books that changed the way I think

Whether from fiction or non-fiction, I’m among those who find a lot of value in books. They are the closest alternative to living a thousand lives, getting knowledge, and widening the way we see the world. Yet, all books are not created equal and out of those I read, some stayed with me more than others: they changed the way I see the world. Here’s why I think they can change yours as well. Here are the 5 Self-Help books that changed the way I think.

1) Wake up — "Miracle Morning" by Hal Elrod

If you often feel like you don’t have time to do something that matters to you or even to spend some time with yourself, resting and thinking, then I would highly suggest you read The Miracle Morning by Hal Elrod.

This book was actually the one that started my Self-Help journey back in 2016. Although it’s a rather simple and short book, it taught me how I could reclaim my time by waking up one or two hours earlier. It taught me that I didn’t always have to put others’ priorities first (school, work, society), I could make the conscious choice to dedicate some time to myself, unapologetically.

It is not as easy as it seems to stick to a Morning Routine, but it really feels good, I’ll dive more into that in the next post.

2) Get Clean — "The Life-Changing Magic Of Tidying Up" by Marie Kondo

Right before the Netflix series launched, I decided to dive into this book that I had heard a lot of praises on: « The Life-Changing Magic Of Tidying Up » by Marie Kondo. I mean, I like order and stuff, but before that, I couldn’t see why I should read about cleaning 😅.

Yet, this book is not about cleaning but rather about how to live a meaningful life. Marie Condo teaches us how to get rid of what doesn’t bring value to our lives. Although she focuses on clothes, books, and papers in the book, promising you that after that you won’t ever have to tidy your home anymore (and she is right about that), I think this rule applies to a lot more than inside the house. For all our activities and relationships, we should always wonder « Does it spark joy? ».

3) Get Ready — "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People" by Stephen R. Covey

It’s pretty much one of the bibles in the Self-Help and Productivity community (alongside Getting Things Done and others), and without a doubt, this book completely changed the way I see the world and interact with it. As the name suggests, in the book Stephen R. Covey dives into 7 habits that if applied to your life will have a considerable impact.

“The key is not to prioritize what’s on your schedule but to schedule your priorities...“ — Stephen R. Covey

(1) Be proactive, (2) Begin with the End in Mind, (3) Put first things first are the first three habits that suggest focusing on our circle of concerns, what we can change in ourselves without the influence of others. Then we dive into the circle of interdependence : (4) Think win-win, (5) Seek first to understand, then to be understood, (6) Synergize to improve our ability to work with others. Finally, with the 7th habit, “Sharpen your saw” we learn the importance of taking the time to renew: both our skills and our health in every dimension.

I’m currently planning to write a series of posts about the book to dive more into each of these habits. If you can’t wait, however, I highly suggest you read it!

4) Get Active — "Getting Things Done" by David Allen

Just as life-changing as the previous book, Getting Things Done is one of the foundations of the Self-Help community. One of the key lessons I’ve taken out of this book :

“Your Mind is for having ideas, not holding them” — David Allen

Here is what I personally learned from this book :

• Write down everything (ideas, tasks, events, etc) as soon as it comes to your head,
• Have a quick capture system,
• Review often your list and your system to see what new action you can take.

But, I plan on writing a more detailed summary as well for this book so I’ll keep you all updated!

5) Keep Showing Up — "Atomic Habits" by James Clear

Last but certainly not least, Atomic Habits by James Clear has completely changed the way I see « change ». Lasting change is not something that will happen overnight, it’s not the result of one single decision taken on a day you were motivated.

Instead, change and success are the results of atomic, infinitely small habits over a long period of time. The idea is not even to do anything, but to keep showing up, day after day (and it’s what I’m talking about in one of my latest newsletters).

I actually wrote a review/summary for this book, you can read it here.

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Here, this post was a bit long but I hope you found something valuable in it. I’ll do my best to keep it updated as I publish each new book summary. Now, what is one book that has changed your life?

Someone always carrying a book.