Top 5 self-improvement books to read this holidays
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The holiday season is right around the corner! It’s time for us to wind down and take it easy. For many of us, nothing screams quality ‘me-time’ more than curling up under the blanket with a good book and a cup of hot chocolate beside the fireplace. End-of-year is the perfect time to reflect on your achievements and progress of this year and there’s no better companion than self-improvement books. Filled with positive energy and inspiring advice, the following suggestions will guide you through a journey of personal development to start the new year on the right foot.The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle
The best self-improvement book for your thinking
This book contains powerful anecdotes and advice on how to enjoy living in the presence and make the most out of your life. For the 18 year old high school graduates who is stressed about which major to enroll in; for the 30 year old who has not figured out their life yet; for the 65 year old retirees who regret not taking risks to switch careers; so much introspection about the past and the future can only get you so far but learning to accept what you can do at the moment is how you should live your life. “The author shows you how to live in the present to have a pain-free identity. Spending even a moment worrying about the future or regretting the past is wasting time. Since all you have to live in is the now, this book gives you practical strategies to live each moment as it happens.”
— Irina - Workden's community memberAdditional resources: Eckhart Tolle decoding the power now: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2uXm65gtyAA
Where to get the book in Canada: https://amzn.to/3XSKF6K
2. Rich dad poor dad by Robert Kiyosaki
The best self-improvement book for personal finance
The author takes us through his journey of financial literacy through his lens as a son of the ‘poor dad’ - his real father - who works hard but never obtains financial security, and his father’s best friend - the ‘rich dad’ - who accumulates wealth through investing and entrepreneurship. This book offers personal anecdotes and wisdom on how to use money to generate more wealth and to shift the mentality of working for money to making money for you. Despites the controversial attention surrounding this book, do give it a read to broaden your perspective on personal finance.“Rich Dad Poor Dad is a must read for everyone! As someone who aims to inspire and guide people to building wealth through investing, I believe that financial literacy is extremely important. The concepts explained in this book have truly changed my life.”
— Eliane - Workden's community memberAdditional resources: Check out Robert Kiyosaki’s talk on personal finance: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=azq0S0DKS50Where to get the book in Canada: https://amzn.to/3H4bqPs
3. Atomic Habits by James Clear
The best overall self-improvement book
Have you ever fallen into the trap of making and breaking New Year’s resolutions? If the answer is yes, no matter how big or small the goals are, then Atomic Habits will be a good read for you. As the title suggests, this book is filled with personal anecdotes and advice on how to form good habits and break bad ones. James Clear, an expert on habit formation, strongly advocates for incremental changes over drastic changes. Therefore, the advice presented is extremely actionable, with diagrams and end-of-chapters included throughout the book. They are also extremely personable and customizable, since we are unique beings with unique personalities, experiences and knowledge, it takes knowing yourself to change yourself for the better. Atomic Habits will certainly help you embark on that journey!Additional resources:Check out James’s talk on how powerful small changes can be: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U_nzqnXWvSo
Where to get the book in Canada: https://amzn.to/3UpuWsT
4. The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck by Mark Manson
The best self-improvement book for changing your mindset
Contrary to the rather bold title, Manson essentially wishes to convey the idea of only ‘giving a f*ck’ about things that really matter. The essence of this book lies in recognizing and understanding your values, which will guide you through the kind of adversities you will face, the relationships you will form, the personal goals you will set out to achieve and so on. We live in a dynamic world full of chaos and existential uncertainty, so what to care when time and energy are limited? That’s when this book might come in handy. Additional resources:Summary of the book by the author himself: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lz8sUiXAnbsWhere to get the book in Canada: https://amzn.to/3UpuWsT
5. The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo
The best self-improvement book for lifestyle organization
‘A cluttered space is a cluttered mind'' is the embodiment of this book written by Marie Kondo - a Japanese organizing consultant, author and TV host of the hit Netflix series ‘Tidying up with Marie Kondo’. It embraces philosophies, cultural traditions and advice on how to keep your personal tidy. Kondo proposes the idea of ‘spark of joy’ - the process of asking yourself how the item that you own makes you feel. Whether it gives you genuine happiness or it just makes your life easier, it’s considered a keeper. In a nutshell, it’s a practice to show gratitude and be mindful/intentional about how one leads their life through the items one own and use.Additional resources:How to ‘Konmari’ your desk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UElNicTxomo
Where to get the book in Canada: https://amzn.to/3H2uXj5
Happy reading and happy holidays!