Books are incredible resources that allow you to grow, especially those that focus on productivity, finance, lifestyle, and personal development. Each one offers distilled wisdom and insights from experts who’ve spent years mastering their fields. Since September 2023, I’ve been reading daily and have gained invaluable knowledge from these books, authored by people I may never meet.

If you’re new to reading or want to kickstart a reading habit, I highly recommend The Miracle Morning by Hal Elrod. His enthusiasm for making the best of yourself and his accessible writing style can energize you, just as it did for me in late 2023.

Some Key Recommendations to Get You Started

This list is a work in progress, featuring books that have significantly shaped my outlook on life. I hope some of them will inspire you as they have inspired me.

Personal Development

• The Miracle Morning by Hal Elrod
• How To Know Everything by Elke Wiss
• Someday is Today by Matthew Dicks
• Master Your Mindset by Michael Pilarczyk
• Can’t Hurt Me by David Goggins

Creativity

• Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert
• The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron

Productivity

• Feel-Good Productivity by Ali Abdaal
• Hyperfocus by Chris Bailey
• Atomic Habits by James Clear
• The 12 Week Year by Brian Moran & Michael Lennington

Financial Development

• Secrets of the Millionaire Mind by T. Harv Eker
• The Psychology of Money by Morgan Housel

Work

• Ten Year Career by Jodie Cook

Relationships

• The Love Prescription by John Gottman and Julie Schwartz Gottman
• Mating in Captivity by Esther Perel
• How to Not Die Alone by Logan Ury

Tips for New Readers

Don’t Like The Book? QUIT! If you’re struggling to finish a book, it’s okay to put it down and move on. It might be that you are currently not in the right state of mind for the book. Or it simply does not resonate with you at all. That is fine, there are plenty of people sharing valuable lessons.

Don’t Overdo the Note-Taking. Excessive note-taking can turn reading into a chore. Instead of detailed notes, use a pencil to underline key points directly in the book or highlight important text in e-books. This keeps you in the flow and makes it easier to revisit important insights later. Avoid the hassle of adding comments after every chapter; just focus on enjoying the reading experience.

You Will Not Remember Everything. And that is fine. If a book really resonated with you, you can always revisit it later. Perhaps even better: many books have summaries available online, which can be a great refresher. Once you’ve read a book, a summary can often help jog your memory and reinforce the key points.