So, you’ve read all the personal development books you can get your hands on. You are a fiend looking for an answer to this crazy thing called life, but you still have that gnawing feeling when you wake up in the morning. There’s gotta be more to it. Maybe you feel like you are reading the same message over and over.
Here’s where these books with bite-sized practical life applications can offer a different counterintuitive perspective. They focus on giving you unique and reasonable ways to improve your life and grab onto the purpose you crave. Plus, they are all written by different authors that are just like you and have been where you are now.
The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck: A Counterintuitive Approach to Living a Good Life by Mark Manson
Warning: A couple of these books have strong language, but I think the point is driven home perfectly. You will benefit from the new ways of thinking and be able to apply these actionable tips right away. I feel confident passing these recommendations on to you as they help me greatly!
This is not your average personal developement book. Mark Manson cuts through the crap and will have you saying over and over again…that sounds exactly like what I’m going through! It’s not the same regurgitated positive affirmation “make yourself feel better” type stuff. He says that the pursuit of more happiness actually makes you unhappy. In a world where we are constantly bombarded by pictures of friends on social media “having a grand old time,” this book will help you break out of the “fear of missing out” depression and the “Feedback Loop from Hell.” And, it will have you embracing your limitations and focusing on the things that TRULY MATTER like your family and personal values.
You can easily get one here!
You Are a Badass: How to Stop Doubting Your Greatness and Start Living an Awesome Life by Jen Sincero
This book is for people who would rather die than pick up an actual self-help book. Before writing this book, Jen Sincero, author and a life success coach, tried several techniques to make herself feel better and be more successful. The screaming in the pillow, the writing letters and never sending them, the journaling, and all the workshops. But when it really came down to it, what helped her was believing that she already had all the tools to help her be successful. In her 27 bite-sized chapters, she serves up hilarious anecdotes, pro life tips, and easy exercises accompanied by a few curse words and an “in your face” writing style. You’ll learn to fall in love with what makes you unique, figure out how to change what you can control, and create a life worth living.
You can easily get one here!
Chop Wood Carry Water: How to Fall in Love with the Process of Becoming Great by Joshua Medcalf
This short fictional story disguised as sage life advice will remind you of the “wax on, wax off” scene from Karate Kid. The master “Akira-sensei” assigns John, a boy who just wants to become a samurai warrior, several menial tasks that seem unrelated to his training. All along, these tasks applied over time made him stronger both mentally and physically in his samurai training even though he was just chopping wood and carrying water. The master tells John the story of how a bamboo tree grows. You can water a bamboo tree for up to 5 years and see absolutely no results on the surface, but after 5 years of nothing…BOOM! It’s 90 feet tall in under 6 weeks. It’s all about what’s happening underneath the surface. Inside of you! That’s what really makes the difference. Whenever you want to accomplish something, whether it’s becoming a samurai warrior or building a business from scratch, don’t lose faith if the return on your investment isn’t apparent right away. Keep doing the work and you’ll surely reap your reward soon enough.
You can easily get one here!
Burn Your Goals: The Counter Cultural Approach to Achieving Your Greatest Potential by Joshua Medcalf and Jamie Gilbert
Another goodie fast read from Joshua Medcalf, this time accompanied by Jamie Gilbert, motivation speaker and mentor. This book has an incredibly practical and straightforward message. You will easily devour these delightful nuggets of advice in one sitting. Their approach basically turns every methodical process-based approach to success upside down. You don’t have to be a slave to your to-do list. Instead, burn those goals and let your natural-born talents and passions propel you through towards your purpose. It will definitely make you re-evaluate your methods. It’s like the golf coach that understands the importance of letting go of the outcome and just focusing on one shot at a time. If you are looking to start where you are, give your very best on a daily basis, and push yourself to where you want to be, then this is the book for you.
You can easily get one here!
Mindset: The New Psychology of Success by Carol S. Dweck
For the science-minded person, Dweck, world-renowned Stanford University psychologist, delves into the psychological aspects of our mindset. This book is not a light read, but there are valuable case studies and scientific data to back up her theory of the “growth” mindset versus “fixed” mindset. A fixed mindset, of course, believes that your abilities are unchangeable. You can’t do anything about your natural born abilities or deficiencies. A growth mindset, however, is based on the fact that your basic qualities are cultivated through effort. Change is possible! No matter where you came from, what family you were born into, or what your current learning abilities are, it’s very possible for you to change those circumstances. You just have to break out of that fixed mindset. While the book doesn’t really have much in the way of practical applications, just knowing about these mindsets can set into motion a whole new amazing way of looking at life to motivate you to go out and get what you want.
You can easily get one here!
The Noticer: Sometimes, all a person needs is a little perspective by Andy Andrews
You’ll immediately fall in love with Andy Andrews’ writing and the new perspective on life you’ll learn from his books, specifically The Noticer. This is a fictional story about Jones, a mystery man who shows up just at the right time for a young man who is fed up with life. He offers him “a little perspective” and convinces him there are several things worth living for. The smallest things can go unnoticed like missed birthdays, an overgrown holly bush, or several insincere “I love you’s”. Jones helps the characters realize these small things unnoticed over time can lead to divorce, bankruptcy, or even death.
You will easily devour this book because you’ll want to see exactly what brilliant insight Jones has to say next. Like this one: “Have you ever considered how often we judge ourselves by our intentions while we judge others by their actions? Yet intention without action is an insult to those who expect the best from you. ‘I intended to bring you flowers, but I didn’t.’ ‘I meant to finish this work on time.’ ‘I was going to be there for your birthday …’ Despite popular belief to the contrary, there is absolutely no power in intention.” See also The Traveler’s Gift.
You can easily get one here!
The Slight Edge: Turning Simple Disciplines into Massive Success and Happiness by Jeff Olsen
Every second counts, every yard counts, every comma counts. Want to rise above the rest? Put the slight edge into practice today! It’s all about repeating simple, small disciplines and taking those baby steps daily towards your goals. One step becomes two and so on. There is no magic bullet. Make your bed, eat one less piece of junk food, run a little bit further each day, rinse and repeat, and grow over time. This book dives into this principle with several examples of where the slight edge separated the winners from the losers. You already have the tools within you to accomplish your desires, you just have to use the slight edge.
You can easily get one here!
Rhinoceros Success : the Secret to Charging Full Speed Toward Every Opportunity by Scott Alexander
This audacious little book doesn’t just get you motivated to grab life by the horns, but it actually puts the horns on you! Not following? Scott Alexander says that YOU ARE A RHINOCEROS. Rhinos get up every morning, brush their horns, get ready to charge the day, do the work necessary to make their dreams comes true, and maybe lay in a mud a couple weeks out of the year to recharge. Everyone else is considered a miserable cow. So, which are you, a rhino or a miserable cow? This book is a bit zany, but that’s the point. You’ll be able to read it in one sitting, but the information gleaned will stay with you for decades.
You can get one easily here!
While there are endless possibilities when it comes to personal development tactics, just doing something today can be a total game changer. Checking out these books will not only give you great practical advice, it will keep you engaged as well. So pick one, start reading, and begin doing and contributing to your success today!
Now, what was your favorite counterintuitive personal development book? Let me know in the comments below. I’d love to see them!
Want more personal development tips? Check out my credit score guide here!
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