“Change is hard at first, messy in the middle and gorgeous at the end.” These are the words of author Robin Sharma, and they explain why so many people vow to change their lives, but rarely follow through. If you’re ready to start a new career, launch a business, find a new job or whatever else, but you need a little extra push to get going, read on. Here are the five best motivational books that will inspire you to take action today.
Best motivational books to inspire you
Atomic Habits by James Clear
The secret to making a change is adopting a new habit and making it stick. That’s what Atomic Habits is all about. Its author James Clear recognises — from his own personal experience — that the easiest way to achieve a new goal is to break it down into small, but powerful, chunks. The idea is that over time these little incremental actions add up to deliver big change.
It’s a simple strategy that we use all the time ourselves — so we know it works. But that’s not all you’ll get from this book. It shares little nuggets of wisdom on how to stay on track by making other changes you probably haven’t thought of yourself. In short, it’s a game-changing book that we highly recommend.
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Eat That Frog by Brian Tracy
If procrastination is your worst habit, you probably have the best intentions but never get round to starting the things you need to do to achieve your goals. Eat That Frog is one of the best motivational books for getting over procrastination and taking action today. Written by motivational speaker, Brian Tracy, who’s best known for helping people achieve their personal and business goals in record time, this book helps you understand why you procrastinate and how to stop doing so by better managing your time. Best of all, it’s a short read, so you can get to work ASAP.
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You Are a Badass by Jen Sincero
This book is increasingly becoming a classic among female entrepreneurs and that’s probably due to the topic it tackles. Research has shown that women struggle with imposter syndrome more than men, and You Are a Badass recognises this. That’s why it shares funny, relatable and actionable advice on how to move past feelings of not being good enough and chase your dreams.
Its secret weapon is Jen Sincero’s writing style — we like to liken her to your chirpy friend who’s straight-talking, sassy as hell but also very motivating. We won’t lie to you — it’s a polarising writing style (you’ll either love it or it will irritate you after the first chapter). But if you need a good kick up the backside to take action, it’s worth a read.
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The Lifechanging Magic of Not Giving a F*ck by Sarah Knight
As the title suggests, this book offers a tongue-in-cheek, no-holds barred approach to getting back in control of your life. How? By encouraging you to ruthlessly cut out all the things you spend your time on but don’t want to… and use that new-found time to pursue the things that truly matter to you.
You’ll laugh, wince and wonder “Can I really do that?” as you read this book, but it will ultimately leave with a better understanding of why you’re not as productive (or happy) as you could be… and how to turn things around.
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Finish What you Start by Peter Hollins
This book is for you if you’re great at starting new projects with 100% enthusiasm, but you tend to lose interest within a few weeks or months. Sound familiar? Then it’s safe to say that you are the main thing that’s standing in the way of your success. The good news is that this is what this book aims to fix. It will give you many tactics for spotting self sabotage when it strikes and stopping it before it ruins your plans.
Finish what you start is another quick read that’s straight to the point (probably to make sure you actually finish it). It won’t mollycoddle you, but it will tell you what you need to know and how to put it into action.
Want more book recommendations? Check out our list of the eight best books to read when you feel like life is passing you by and you want to get unstuck.
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