“He who thinks he knows everything has a lot to learn.”
Resources
Call it self-help, betterment, personal development, motivation, goal-setting, spirituality, airy-fairy being in touch with one’s self or whatever label you like. But our motivation and our attitude largely govern our destiny. Most people find that hard to swallow, especially those that think they are at the mercy of their environment and the world owes them something. If you don’t know where you are going, how can you expect to be motivated to get there?
I find this whole phenomenon incredibly interesting and subscribe to the concept that you are what you think. It’s not a matter of being in love with yourself, but more about being confident about your abilities and your purpose. When was the last time the most interesting person in the room was the serial complainer? Who wants to be that person? Not me and probably not you. Think about it.
Failing to plan is planning to fail. To do anything well in life requires some kind of planning or ‘design’. It’s about immersing yourself in subjects that you find interesting and then seeing if you can integrate those learnings into your career and build your expertise.
Okay, so if you’ve fallen asleep by now then perhaps I’m rambling or not making my point. But if you’re interested, then here’s a list of books and resources that I find invaluable or even just entertaining and interesting. There is more value in summarising each book, in my own words, so I’m going back through and doing that now (slowly).
Some of the links are to audiobooks, others are to printed books. Amazon’s delivery is exceptionally fast, and free if you’re a Prime customer, but I am all for buying local and supporting local bookstores. Take a wander down to your local and see what you can find from this list.
One last thing. What got you out of bed this morning? Perhaps it was money, perhaps it was your purpose, perhaps it was the alarm and the call to work. Life really can be a holiday if we trade something we enjoy doing for money. Keep learning, keep searching, and keep an open mind and curious attitude.
My favorites: I’ve created this list in order of when I read the books. My favorites, as of April 2024, are Shoe Dog, Elon Musk, A New Earth, and Can’t Hurt Me.
Books and audiobooks
Shoe Dog – A memoir by the creator of NIKE by Phil Knight
Elon Musk by Walter Isaacson
The Diary of a CEO: The 33 Laws of Business and Life by Steven Barlett
Happy Money: The Zen path to a happier and more prosperous life by Ken Honda
Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance by Dr Angela Duckworth
Raising Men: Lessons Navy SEALs Learned from Their Training and Taught to Their Sons by Eric Davis
Never Finished: Unshackle Your Mind and Win the War Within by David Goggins
Can’t Hurt Me: Master Your Mind and Defy the Odds by David Goggins
More Important Than Money: An Entrepreneur’s Team by Robert Kiyosaki
Learned Optimism by Martin Seligman
12 Rules For Life: An Antidote to Chaos by Jordan Peterson
Younger Next Year: Live Strong, Fit, Sexy, and Smart―Until You’re 80 and Beyond, 2nd Edition, by Chris Crowley and Henry S Lodge
365 Days of Getting Sh*t Done: How to overcome procrastination and hold yourself accountable by Daniel W Kuss
The Barefoot Investor 2020 Update: The Only Money Guide You'll Ever Need by Scott Pape
The Daily Stoic: 366 Meditations on Wisdom, Perseverance, and the Art of Living by Ryan Holiday
Never Split the Difference – Negotiating As If Your Life Depended On It by Chris Voss
The War of Art by Steven Pressfield (not to be mistaken for the Art of War by Sun Tzu)
Unshakeable by Tony Robbins
Wellbeing at Work: How to Build Resilient and Thriving Teams by Gallup
Trillion Dollar Coach: The Leadership Handbook of Silicon Valley's Bill Campbell by Eric Schmidt, Jonathan Rosenberg, Alan Eagle
Limitless: Upgrade Your Brain, Learn Anything Faster, and Unlock Your Exceptional Life by Jim Kwik
The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari – A Fable About Fulfilling Your Dreams & Reaching Your Destiny by Robin S Sharma
Wellbeing: The Five Essential Elements by Gallup, Tom Rath and Jim Harter
Strengths Based Leadership by Gallup, Tom Rath and Barry Conchie
Strengths Based Selling by Gallup and Brian Brim
It’s The Manager by Gallup, Jim Clifton and Jim Harter
First, Break All the Rules by Gallup
How Full Is Your Bucket? by Gallup
Strengths Based Parenting by Gallup
This Naked Mind: Control Alcohol Find Freedom, Rediscover Happiness & Change Your Life by Annie Grace
Atomic Habits by James Clear
Habits for Happiness by Dr Tim Sharp
Mindset by Dr Carol Dweck
As A Man Thinketh by James Allen
Power Questions by Andrew Sobel and Jerold Patterns
The Magic of Thinking Big by David J. Schwarz
7 Strategies for Wealth and Happiness by Jim Rohn
How To Stop Worrying And Start Living by Dale Carnegie
Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future by Ashley Vance
The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck: A Counterintuitive Approach to Living a Good Life by Mark Manson
The Obstacle is the Way by Ryan Holiday
Ego is The Enemy by Ryan Holiday
Daring Greatly: How the Courage to Be Vulnerable by Brene Brown
“I define vulnerability as uncertainty, risk and emotional exposure. With that definition in mind, let’s think about love. Waking up every day and loving someone who may or may not love us back, whose safety we can’t ensure, who may stay in our lives or may leave without a moment’s notice, who may be loyal to the day they die or betray us tomorrow—that’s vulnerability.” ― Brené Brown
The Millionaire Fastlane: Crack the Code to Wealth and Live Rich for a Lifetime by MJ DeMarco
The Art of War by Sun Tzu
The Tantra Experience: Evolution through Love by OSHO
This life is a gift from existence, to be lived and enjoyed. But with the seemingly impossible and conflicting demands of society, morality, and culture, people struggle with feelings of unfulfilled potential, frustration, and guilt rather than living full lives.
The world of tantra has no division between higher and lower. The simple, ordinary things of life are transformed into great things when we enter into them totally - be it car fixing, floor cleaning, or lovemaking. Osho shows how, by living this vision, new heights of consciousness and freedom are realised.
Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead by Sheryl Sandberg
Understanding Life by Lawrence West (Chapter 1 available for download)
Me, Inc.: Build an Army of One, Unleash Your Inner Rock God, Win in Life and Business by Gene Simmons
How to Break Up with Your Phone: The 30-Day Plan to Take Back Your Life by Catherine Price
A New Earth - Awakening to Your Life's Purpose by Eckhart Tolle
This is my favourite book of all time. I’ve listened to it 6 times and counting – each time a new lesson and insight emerges. Highly recommended.
The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle
Strengths Based Parenting: Developing Your Children's Innate Talents by Mary Reckmeyer Ph.D.
How Full Is Your Bucket? by Tom Rath
My 4 Year Old The Property Investor by Cam McLellan
Cashflow Quadrant by Robert T Kiyosaki
Money: Master the Game by Tony Robbins
Quantum Warrior | The future of the mind by John Kehoe
Little Voice Mastery: How to Win the War Between Your Ears in 30 Seconds or Less and Have an Extraordinary Life! by Blair Singer
Remote by Jason Fried & David Heinemeier Hanson
Unlimited Power by Tony Robbins
Mind Power for the 21st Century by John Kehoe
Mind Power Home Study Program [4-week course] by John Kehoe
Living an Exceptional Life (Live) by Jim Rohn
Inspired Destiny by Dr John Demartini
The Ten Faces of Innovation by Tom Kelley
Secrets of the Millionaire Mind by T Harv Eker
The Tom Peters Seminar by Tom Peters
How to solve all your money problems forever by Victor Boc
The Joy of Living: Unlocking the Secret and Science of Happiness by Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche
Money – From Fear to Love by Dr Margaret H Smith
Business Networking and Sex by Dr Ivan Misner.PHD
The Win Without Pitching Manifesto by Blair Enns
The Power of Less by Leo Barbuta
Start with Why by Simon Sinek
Outliers: The Story of Success – The Story of Success by Malcolm Gladwell
For those of us who feel like our peers are more gifted and talented than we are, this book proves that being ‘gifted’ is just the foot in the door of success. The other 90% is hard work and persistence.
High Performance Leadership by Brian Tracy
High Performance Sales by Brian Tracy
Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl
Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson
The Success Principles by Jack Canfield
21 Success Secrets of Self-made Millionaires by Brian Tracy
The Wolf of Wall Street by Jordan Belfort
Guerilla Marketing Weapons by Jay Conrad Levinson
Purple Cow by Seth Godin
Good to Great - Why Some Companies Make the Leap...And Others Don't by Jim Collins
The Knack: How Street-Smart Entrepreneurs Learn to Handle Whatever Comes Up by Norm Brodsky and Bo Burlingham
All Marketers are Liars by Seth Godin
The Designer’s Guide to Marketing & Pricing by Ilise Benun & Peleg Top
The Millionaire Next Door by Thomas J. Stanley and William D. Danko
Delivering Happiness by Tony Hsieh (CEO of online shoe and clothing shop Zappos.com)
Business Stripped Bare by Richard Branson
The One Minute Manager by Kennith Blanchard & Spencer Johnson
Rework by Jason Fried & David Heinemeier Hanson
Eat that Frog by Brian Tracy
Commonsense Direct & Digital Marketing by Drayton Bird
The Think Big Revolution by Michael Port
Maverick! by Ricardo Semler
The Seven-Day Weekend by Ricardo Semler
Seven habits of highly effective people by Stephen R. Covey
Losing My Virginity by Richard Branson
The 4 Day Work Week by Timothy Ferris
The Business Coach by Brad Sugars
The Leadership Code by Dave Ulrich, Norm Smallwood, Kate Sweetman
Think and Grow Rich by Napolean Hill
Work Smarter Not Harder by Jack Collis
Thick Face, Black Heart by Chin-Ning Chu
The E-Myth by Michael E. Gerber
Book Yourself Solid by Michael Port
Beyond Booked Solid by Michael Port
The Success System That Never Fails by William Clement Stone
Who Moved My Cheese by Spencer Johnson
Would you like Attitude with that? by Justin Herald
What are you waiting for? by Justin Herald
It’s not about the bike by Lance Armstrong
Beyond Dreaming by Brian Leaning-Mizen