I remember those days I would spend sitting on my grandmother's patio as a young child, how I would sit there for hours engrossed in the pages of a new book. The feeling of being swept away to a whole new reality was always a comfort. I love books and I have been an avid reader for well, my whole life. Over the years I have found that my tastes have changed and it's always so exhilarating because each book is literally a new adventure, a new experience. When I was younger, there wasn't a mystery book I wouldn't have my nose buried in. I still love the genre but of course my taste have evolved and I now find myself reading every inspirational book I can get my hands on. I have been asked on numerous occasions, why do you love reading so much? In all honesty, I'm just obsessed with books. I love the way they feel in my hands, the way the pages graze against my fingers, the smell of aged paper, crisp and full of knowledge waiting to be discovered; stories waiting to be told and most importantly how they have the power to transform my life. I now have an ever growing list of books I want to read before the year is up! I started reading inspirational books when I was around 18 years old, I was on the verge of graduating from college and well I just felt that I was on a path that needed expansion. I felt like I was destined for something beyond comprehension by most and I needed to fuel the passion I held. So today I wanted to share with you my lovely readers my August 2021 reading list of personal development books I read this year and some I wish to read before the month ends for mindset shifts, success habits and tips to make me a better version of myself.
1. You Are A Badass by Jen Sincero
The first personal development book I read was You Are A Badass by Jen Sincero. This was one of the first books I read this year for personal development, I had seen a lot of buzz around this one over the years but I hadn't gotten my hands on a copy until recently and let me tell you it quickly became one of my favorites.
The inspiring approach that Jen Sincero’s hilarious took on personal growth , money, and mindset has been a break through for me especially as an entrepreneur. In fact, this book not only kept me thoroughly entertained throughout the entire book but it was also quite eye opening. I think what really made me fall head over heels for this book was the realistic views she portrayed. This wasn't the typical and often cliché "if you love yourself and everything will fall into place" but rather "you can't achieve anything unless you create the space in your mind that ensures you will. "
I actually live for the honesty in this book and in a nutshell it is super inspiring. I mean seriously you will undoubtedly feel like a complete boss bitch when you finish reading it,( which is the whole point of the book anyways, lol)
If you want to take a read which I highly recommend you do, you can get your very own copy here.
--->You Are A Badass by Jen Sincero(Physical Copy)
---> You Are A Badass by Jen Sincero(E-Copy)
2. Girl Code by Cara Alwill Leyba
As an entrepreneur, I can testify to the fact that a lot of blood, sweat and tears goes into running a business, so if you are a boss babe at hear, then you definitely need to get your hands on this gem.
This book is literally my bible when it comes to running and scaling my business especially being from a small town. Having read this brilliant work of art, I have come to develop this mindset that absolutely anything is possible. I mean this book is so inspiring and each time I read it I develop such a great appreciation for the artist. When I made the decision to start my online stationery store, even with all the planning I had done, it was still a huge leap of faith on my part. I had to take it upon myself to develop not only as a person by as the driving force behind my business and having stumbled across this book in my research was the best thing that happened to me before launching.
It is so easy especially as a first time business owner to feel like you have no idea what you're doing and feel totally out of place in the entrepreneurship world. You scroll on social media platforms and see all the success of many business owners making insane amounts of money, making things happen, their businesses thriving - it seems effortless. So, you start to question yourself and everything you are doing; am I promoting my products enough? should I sell something else? are my services too expensive? do I need to expand? We all have fallen into the comparison trap, myself included and it can be a major setback to your progress, you start to lose your inspiration.
Now, while this is common among business owners, even those who have been in the industry for years, a shift of your mindset can make a huge difference. It's something that definitely needs to happen if you want your dream to be more than just a dream but a major success. The road to success starts with becoming a victor to an inner battle and this book provides the ammunition you need to make sure this battle is won. The step-by-step game plan is perfect for new and upcoming entrepreneurs or business owners because it gives you an idea of what you need to do, how to change your mindset and how stay motivated as you build your business. This book is an absolute life saver.
---> Girl Code by Cara Alwill Leyba(Physical Copy)
---> Girl Code by Cara Alwill Leyba(E-Copy)
3 . Atomic Habits by James Clear
I think that this book is a really great follow up from Girl Code by Cara Alwill Leyba. Something that I really loved about this book from the onset is how it instills in your mind that quality of you life can really depend on the quality of you habits. For instance, if you starting doing something for yourself each day, something new and it's nothing elaborate but rather something small like taking the time to meditate for maybe 15-30 minutes each day it may not seem like a big deal at first and may only improve your day a bit. However, what happens when you keep doing it every single day, for a month, a year even two years is that you start to see a significant change in the way you feel, act, think, live and this is the effect that James has managed to ingrain in his readers.
I have gain a much better understanding of productivity and success through reading his book as they are both marathons and you must be in for the long haul. You have to be patient and put in the work necessary every single day. Now you may be wonder how then do I go about building these habits for myself? Well, James has answered this question by breaking down exactly how to create good habits: make it obvious, easy, attractive and it must always be satisfying. Once you've read the book those four terms or steps will make a lot more sense.
You can get your own copy right here!!
---> Atomic Habits by James Clear(Physical Copy)
---> Atomic Habits by James Clear(E-Copy)
4. Getting Things Done by David Allen
This is a book for anyone who needs help with productivity. I love the idea of being productive but it wasn't something that always came naturally and even now I still struggle from time to time with being productive. You have so many things that you have to do and want to do but then you can't decide what you want to do first. For me, it's all about having a system for getting through all your tasks and getting them done.
Now, I do have a system but having read this book by David Allen it was such an eye opener to how flawed by system was. I realized that my issue lied in prioritization and the system that he laid out in this book has really helped me to decided what comes first and what I can schedule for later. This book is definitely a great read for anyone who has found that productivity and organization just doesn't come naturally to them you can really get some great information on how to develop this trait from reading this book.
You can get your own copy right here!!
--->Getting Things Done by David Allen(Physical Copy)
--->Getting Things Done by David Allen(E-Copy)
5. The Subtle Art of Not Giving A Fuck by Mark Manson
This book was such a fun read, just by the cover alone I was drawn in to get myself a copy. This book is one I would recommend to anyone who is trying to reinvent themselves and just look at their live in a whole new way. There are so many things that hinder us from achieving our goals but something that this book really highlighted is how we allow anxiety and fear to play a major role in our lives and hinder what we want to achieve.
Setting a goal is one thing but acting on that goal to accomplish it is another. Even before we are able to achieve this goal we are riddled with this fear of failure, this fear that we will be judged and disliked if we go after what we want. It's infuriating but it's true. Reading this book was an eye-opener to the fact accepting the fact you are afraid, that you are anxious is the most powerful step you can take towards achieving anything in your life.
Even more important is letting go the fear of what people think about you and what you're doing, living you life with the mindset that you need approval from those who have no importance in your life is something many of us are guilty of and it's a major hindrance. This book has been a great motivator for me lately with many of the decisions I have made for my life and although I was hesitant, I found the courage I needed to take those first steps. This book is a must read for anyone who needs a bit of motivation to keep them or place them on a path of success.
--->The Subtle Art of Not Giving A Fuck by Mark Manson(Physical Copy)
--->The Subtle Art of Not Giving A Fuck by Mark Manson(E-Copy)
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