6 Self-Improvement Books That Will Transform Your Life

With anxiety and depression on the rise and mental health becoming a growing concern, so many of us are searching for ways to find fulfillment and inner peace in our lives.

For so long, a majority of us have been programmed to believe that in order to become more successful and experience true happiness, we have to sacrifice leisure time, pressure ourselves, please others, perform perfectly and bury ourselves in our work. By pursuing this empty and false future ideal and listening to what society defines as success, we’re spinning our wheels and trying to reach an end goal without any finish line in sight. Instead of feeling joy, we’re riddled with anxiety, fear and self-doubt. When we focus on outcomes and external validation to determine our identity and self-worth, we remove ourselves from the present and become disconnected from our true selves.

After years and years of living out of alignment with ourselves and what lights our soul on fire, there comes a point in time when some of us start to acknowledge that we may need to change our ways. So many of us desperately seek solace from our negative self-talk and freedom from the mental prison that is our minds.

The solution lies in our own hands.

With self-development books, we have the power to take control of our minds and experience personal, emotional or spiritual growth. These books are full of timeless, practical, life-changing advice that helps you reframe your thinking and shift your daily habits, so you can improve the quality of your life. They’re an inexpensive, accessible, hands-on alternative to therapy that’s readily available at any time or place. By reading these books, you’ll feel motivated to adopt healthier habits, well-equipped to challenge self-limiting beliefs and able to go about your life with more ease.

Self-development books have radically transformed my perspective and have given me such exceptional input on ways to repair my relationship with myself and enhance my outlook on the world.

With so many self-help books on the market, it can be overwhelming to know where to start. I’ve compiled a list of the best books that have the most perceptive insights and stellar advice. Each book is grounded in scientific research but also relies on real-life stories and experiences from the authors themselves. If you’re looking for ways to take back control of your life, give these books a read.

1. Mindset: The New Psychology of Success by Carol S. Dweck

Our minds are powerful entities. In this enlightening novel, Stanford University psychologist Carol S. Dweck explains how our mindsets determine our success. When we adopt a growth mindset and believe that our abilities evolve and grow, we are much more likely to flourish in life than those who think their traits, such as personality, athleticism and intelligence, are predetermined.

Through an in-depth examination of the growth and fixed mindset, this account looks at how the two mindsets influence our experience in the classroom, in the office and at home. This book is essential for parents, students, teachers, coaches, athletes and managers who want to achieve their potential and make an impact.

Buy it here.

2. Make Peace with Your Mind: How Mindfulness and Compassion Can Free You from Your Inner Critic by Mark Coleman

For anyone whose mind is a place of self-doubt and self-ridicule, the practices and advice in this book are liberating. Meditation teacher Mark Coleman takes a deep dive into the inner critic, the voice in our heads that convinces us we aren’t enough. Through mindfulness meditation and self-compassion, we can learn how to free ourselves from the inner critic’s tight grasp and manage our overbearing thoughts. This is an inspirational, practical guide for anyone who wants to find inner peace.

Buy it here.

3. How to Be Yourself: Quiet Your Inner Critic and Rise Above Social Anxiety by Ellen Hendriksen

If social anxiety or shyness dominate your everyday existence, this novel is groundbreaking. With a sense of humor, a friendly voice, research from academic studies and real-life stories from those with social anxiety, clinical psychologist Ellen Hendriksen helps anyone calm their anxiety, feel comfortable in social situations and embrace their authentic selves. This book is full of useful tools that we can apply to our everyday lives, and it captures the nuanced detail of what it’s like living with social anxiety. I would recommend this to everyone and anyone.

Buy it here.

4. The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch

After Randy Pausch, a computer science professor at Carnegie Mellon, was diagnosed with terminal cancer, he spent his last few moments on earth preparing his final lecture called “Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams,” which is all about living life to the fullest.

Through this first-person narrative, Pausch stresses the importance of overcoming hardships, chasing your dreams and living in the present moment. He reflects on his life by sharing childhood stories, personal experiences and tender familial moments.

This book is full of positivity, wisdom and humor. It’s both a heart-wrenching and heart-warming account, so be prepared to shed a few tears.

Buy it here.

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

Some self-books can be heavy and daunting, but bestselling author and success coach Jen Sincere shares a lighthearted take on ways to show up as your best self. In each short, digestible chapter, Sincero’s approachable advice and attainable exercises help you identify and challenge self-sabotaging beliefs, doubts and worries, so you can show up as your best self and fall in love your life. Her personality, humor and honesty shine through the pages and make this book so beloved. She reassures us that we’re already amazing, so it’s time to start believing it!

Buy it here.

6. The Gifts of Imperfection: Let Go of Who You Think You’re Supposed to Be and Embrace Who You Are by Brené Brown

This New York Times bestselling author has studied vulnerability, shame, courage and empathy for the past two decades, and she’s compiled her findings into four compelling novels that combine sound research and first-hand experiences. The Gifts of Imperfection is one of my favorites because Brown’s sage advice and authentic storytelling help you identify and interrupt negative thought patterns, overcome insecurities and recognize your worth. Her words of encouragement and reassurance inspire you to let go of perfection and start to accept who you are right now.

Buy it here.