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In this article, I share 5 Books To read to transform your life.
All covering different topics, this list of books will set you and your life up for success. Books are one of the greatest resources we have at our disposal. They allow us to learn from others’ mistakes and/or successes. I highly recommend each and every one of these books. They have all helped me tremendously, and I can honestly say these are 5 books to read to transform your life.
These books cover topics from how to make friends, how to be a successful manager all the way to how to manage your money.
5 Books To read to transform your life
1. How to Win Friends and Influence People
You’ve probably heard it before, but relationship capital is a real thing. Building strong relationships is foundational and essential—a key lesson I’ve learned in my career. It has been the difference between getting promoted in 8 months versus not getting promoted at all. “How to Win Friends and Influence People” by Dale Carnegie is a book that provides timeless lessons on how to improve your interactions with people.
Key Lessons
- Show Genuine Interest In Others: Carnegie emphasizes the importance of showing genuine interest in others as this not only helps in forming relationships but it also fosters mutual respect and trust.
- Smile and Remember Names: Simple gestures, even as simple as smiling and remembering the names of people can have a profound impact on how you are perceived. These actions demonstrate attentiveness, appreciation, and genuine interest
- Listen Actively: Effective communication is more about listening than speaking. Did you know that people like you more if you let them talk more? By truly listening, you validate others’ feelings and perspectives, making them feel valued and appreciated.
- Acknowledge Mistakes: Owning up to errors and taking responsibility can diffuse tension and build credibility. It shows maturity and a willingness to learn.
- Show Honest and Sincere Appreciation: Recognizing others’ efforts encourages positive behavior and strengthens relationships. It creates a culture of encouragement and support.
- Impact on Professional and Personal Life: In the workplace, these principles can lead to better teamwork, improved collaboration, and increased opportunities for advancement. In your personal life, they can enhance your interactions with family and friends, leading to more fulfilling relationships.
By applying Carnegie’s advice, you’ll find that not only do you win friends, but you also influence people in a positive way, leading to success both professionally and personally.
2. Money Master the Game
If you’re like most people, you are probably working in a job you hate with no money and no way to escape the rat race. “Money Master the Game” by Tony Robbins is here to change that and challenge how you approach your finances. This book is full of useful financial wisdom, its the equivalent of taking a personal finance class in college, but it also includes strategies and tips from leaders in finance.
This book takes you on a journey to completely change your mindset, encouraging you to make your money work for you NOT for you to work for your money. Experts like Warren Buffett and Ray Dalio share their financial knowledge and Tony transforms that knowledge into actionable steps nearly anyone can follow.
Reading this book is like having a personal financial coach. It’s not just about saving; it’s about smart investing — learning what investing is, and understanding the principles of financial freedom. With clear guidance, you’ll learn how to create a solid financial plan that fits your personal goals and money aspirations.
Key Lessons:
- Diversification: Don’t just buy a bunch of bitcoin or Nvidia stock. Spread your investments to minimize risk and maximize returns.
- Compounding: Start early to take advantage of compound interest, which can significantly grow your wealth over time.
- Asset Allocation: Balance your portfolio to protect against market fluctuations.
- Financial Security: Build a “lifetime income plan” that provides stability and peace of mind.
“Money Master the Game” is more than just a financial guide—it’s a life-changer. If you’re ready to take control of your financial future, give it a shot. Trust me, you won’t regret it.
3. The Surrender Experiment
I heard about this memoir while listening to the Tony Robbins podcast and all I can say is WOW. Michael Singer is an excellent writer who shared what happens when you surrender to the universe and just say “Yes”. You are probably thinking, “well how does this pertain to me and my career.” Think about it, everyday we are bombarded with tons of questions and annoying people. This book helped me learn that life has a bigger plan and nothing is that serious.I also recommend The Untethered Soul by Singer as well.
Key Lessons:
- Embrace Change: Life is always changing and what you except to happen rarely happens exactly as planned. With the, change is inevitable. Change can lead to personal growth and challenge how you previously approached life.
- Stay Open to Opportunities: By being open, you are accepting what opportunities life has to offer. While doing this you may find yourself closer to your true purpose.
- Practice Non-attachment: We live in a world where we are attached to people, things, places, etc. Learning to let go can be liberating. Letting go of attachment can significantly reduce stress and lead to living a much more fulfilling life.
- Cultivate Inner Peace: Surrendering to life fosters piece within allowing you to live a life of peace a true harmony.
4. Atomic Habits
Having a job, personal life, and trying to maintain your sanity is not easy. The key is having the right habits, and this book will help you learn the strategies to create positive habits. Since reading this book, I now go to pilates 5+ times a week, make dinner for my boyfriend every night, have numerous side hustles, take care of my dog while working from home, and manage to get 8+ hours of sleep every night.
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Key Lessons:
- Focus on Systems, Not Goals: Having well defined systems are what leads to progress, not goals. Changing the way you operate life by implementing small, consistent changes leads to building effective habits.
- Habit Formation Process: Habits are formed through a four-step process: cue, craving, response, and reward. Understanding the four step process helps in designing better habits that lead to remarkable life changes.
- Make Habits Obvious, Attractive, Easy, and Satisfying: Use the four laws of behavior change to build good habits and eliminate the bad habits in your life:
- Make it Obvious: Design your environment around making your habit stick. For example, set your workout clothes out on your dresser the night before you plan to workout.
- Make it Attractive: Pair habits with things you enjoy.
- Make it Easy: Simplify the process to reduce friction. Attend a workout class vs. going down to the gym. All you will have to do is attend the class and follow instructions, no need to plan a complicated workout.
- Make it Satisfying: Reward yourself to reinforce the habit. Sticking with the workout example, treat yourself to a coffee after you finish a workout class.
- Identity-Based Habits: Focus on the type of person you want to become, not who you are now. If you transform your identity, it will be that much easier to transform your habits and therefore your life.
- The Compound Effect: Small changes add up and build on one another overtime. This leads to truly remarkable results, but you need to be patient and consistent.
5. The Coaching Habit
This book provides a great crash course on being a coach, not manager. The book focuses on saying less by asking more questions. I highly recommend this simple, yet, effective book to first time managers. I also love how there are parallels in this book to Atomic Habits.
Key Lessons:
- Ask More, Tell Less: Encourage a coaching mindset by asking questions rather than constantly talking to your direct reports and giving them advice. Coaching is all about empowering individuals. You can do so by asking the 7 questions that Stanier advises asking in the book.
- The Kickstart Question: “What’s on your mind?” Initiates meaningful conversations and encourages individuals to critically think about whats bothering them or top of mind.
- The AWE Question: “And what else?” Encourages deeper thinking and exploration of other items that are top of mind.
- The Focus Question: “What’s the real challenge here for you?” Identifies core issues and challenges individuals to share where they are struggling.
- The Foundation Question: “What do you want?” Clarifies what an individuals goals and desires are.
- The Lazy Question: “How can I help?” Prompts the other person to articulate their needs.
- The Strategic Question: “If you’re saying yes to this, what are you saying no to?” Highlights trade-offs and priorities.
- The Learning Question: “What was most useful for you?” Reinforces learning and reflection.
- Stay Curious: Asking questions highlights your interest and curiosity. Use curiosity as a tool to foster open dialogue and understanding of your coachee. Avoid jumping to conclusions or solutions too quickly.
- The Advice Trap: Resist the urge to provide immediate advice and instead guide individuals to come to their own conclusions while forcing them to critically think.
- Empowerment through Coaching: Coaching helps others develop autonomy and confidence, leading to better problem-solving and decision-making whereas giving advice and constantly doing things for individuals creates dependence.
Conclusion
Reading these transformative books offers profound insights and practical strategies for personal and professional growth. Each book provides unique lessons that, when applied, can lead to lasting change.
Together, these books equip you with tools to build better habits, improve relationships, embrace change, and inspire others. By integrating their teachings into your daily life, you unlock your full potential and set a course for a more fulfilling and successful future.
