One of my goals in 2023 that I have doubled down on in 2024 is to read more. In his book Steal Like an Artist, Austin Kleon said “School is one thing. Education is another. The two don’t always overlap. Whether you’re in school or not, it’s always your job to get yourself an education.” I definitely would have rolled my eyes at a quote like that a few years ago. But now, I can honestly say I have grown significantly in the past two years personally and professionally thanks to knowledge I wouldn’t have attained without reading. So whether you are a seasoned reader or just getting started, here are 4 Books That Might Change Your Life if you give them a read; because they changed mine!
Soundtracks by Jon Acuff
I absolutely had to start with this book. Jon is goofy, witty, and if you take yourself too seriously, you might hate this book. But if you can let your guard down and take a look at yourself honestly, I think it attacks an issue a lot of us have. I have personally experienced overthinking and negative self talk keeping me from something I wanted to do. I have also seen it repeatedly in the life of my friends. Jon talks in depth about “seeing your thoughts for what they are – a personal soundtrack for your life.”
He encourages you to imagine what could happen if instead of allowing overthinking and negative soundtracks to hinder your life, you turned it into your greatest asset by giving it the positive language you want to be hearing throughout the day. And I promise you will feel silly chanting positive affirmations at the mirror in the morning. But, give the concepts in this book a shot and you may be surprised at the changes you feel!
Atomic Habits by James Clear
I’m not exactly putting you onto a big secret here. Atomic Habits by James Clear has been extremely popular the past few years. James gives practical, actionable steps to eliminate bad habits and replace them with new habits that are steps toward the type of person you want to be. The idea of the book is that small changes (atom sized) lead to huge progress in your life. He encourages the reader to “Decide the type of person you want to be. Prove it to yourself with small wins.”
Ideas like habit stacking, making the habit attractive, and more are littered throughout the book. What I especially love is that this isn’t some abstract ideas book. James consistently gives practical step by step instructions to implement the process in your life. If you are someone who wants to improve your health, start a business, or be a better friend, Atomic Habits has a wealth of helpful information!
The Compound Effect by Darren Hardy
The Compound Effect is one of my more recent reads from this January! While the first half of the book is kind of Atomic Habits junior, it is a great reminder about the power of stacking habits. We often think of the idea of compounding in a financial sense with interest. But Darren discusses the power of compounding habits and stacking small wins that add up to big changes.
But the second half of the book is where it really starts to pick up steam! Darren talks at length about the power of momentum. While it may be hard to start something new, as you pick up steam it gets simultaneously easier and more powerful! “It’s far easier and requires a lot less energy to take off once and maintain a regular speed (even if slower than most everyone else) all along the way.”
One of the other ideas I loved from the book was the affect of all of the information we consume. Whether it’s social media, the news, or your crazy uncle, we are constantly inundated with negativity. He encourages countering that negativity with positivity – through books, podcasts, and more. This book is a great holistic consideration of the way your actions are affecting your life and future!
I Will Teach You to be Rich by Ramit Sethi
I recommend this book a bit cautiously. I’m certainly not a financial expert. I’m sure there are many better finance books out there that give more thorough advice. But, in the name of keeping things “approachable,” I really enjoyed how digestible this book was! It takes a concept that is complex and daunting and makes it fairly easy to understand and implement. Ramit is a big proponent of doing things 80% perfect for the majority of the results, instead of getting lost in the minutiae. It honestly aligns pretty well with my view on men’s style as well!
There were a number of concepts I really enjoyed from the book. First, focusing on “Your Rich Life” which might look wildly different from person to person. For example, I don’t really desire to own a Ferrari, but would love to have a nice home to host friends and be able to give money to organizations I believe in. By defining what “rich” looks like for you, it gives you a clear target when working towards financial success, instead of some vague version of the American Dream!
I also thought the book was very practical, and gave specific action steps that you could apply regardless of where you fall in your financial journey. As someone who has been exposed to a lot of Dave Ramsey, it was refreshing to consider that I could still buy my wife coffee some days without falling into a pit of financial doom! And, it was a fun book to read – which I’m sure can’t necessarily be said about all finance books!
Final Thoughts
If you’re intimidated about starting to read, I get it! I’ve been there. Two things have been really helpful to me. First, my dad talks a lot about having a time, a place, and a plan when it comes to spiritual disciplines like prayer and reading your Bible. I think that is equally helpful when it comes to reading. If I just hope to read at some point in the day, it rarely happens. Instead, I know I am going to be on one cushion on my couch every morning at 6:10 AM. Removing that variable has been super helpful.
Secondly, the Amazon Kindle has really changed reading for me! While you don’t get the feel and smell of a nice new book, the convenience is a game changer. You can take it with you anywhere, and a new book is immediately just a download away! I definitely recommend checking it out if you want to read more this year.
And since I am newer to this, I want to keep growing my booklist. I would love if you would drop one or a few of your favorites in the comments of this post!
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