These 5 Books Will Change Your Life If……

In the realm of personal development, there’s thousands upon thousands of books out there. Where does one begin when a quick Amazon search of the term “personal development” leads to over 70,000 results? Over the years I’ve been blessed to work with hundreds of people, mostly within the realm of health, fitness, but also a growing number in the business mentorship category. With few exceptions, those that were willing to develop the discipline and then learn to enjoy the process of personal development experienced growth and results unparalleled when compared to those too stubborn to adopt a new discipline.

“After school, I told myself I’d never pick up another book.” – Yes, people have actually said those words too many times to count.

“I’m just not much of a reader,” Seriously, if I had a nickel for every time I’ve heard that line.

Profound life-changing wisdom can be found in many books if people were to simply open up their minds to the idea of change and to the prehistoric discipline of reading good books. It’ll remain a mystery why some people don’t choose to want to grow throughout their lifetime, learn new skills, conquer new challenges, and look back at life with no regrets when the Lord hopefully calls them home.

Personally, I would call myself an avid seeker of personal development and becoming my best self. I say that to say, that the rate of books I read in a year probably wouldn’t impress you that much, which makes me glad because hopefully you have this thought to yourself: “Oh, he only reads that much? I can do that!”

In an average month, I would say I read 1-2 books. I like to mix it up from personal development, career development, skill development, and the occasional biography. I prefer the books that are composed in a story-like fashion because I find them to be much more enjoyable as well as helpful for my learning style. This means that I only read 12-24 books per year. I typically aim to read for 30 min to an hour before bed, which helps me with better sleep patterns, and allows me to chip away a couple chapters a day at the book that I’m reading. Upon waking, I like to fill my brain and heart with 10-15 minutes of reading a devotional and prayer for the day ahead. All in all, this means that I’m only reading for a minimum of 45 min to a maximum of 75 minutes per day.

Now you might be thinking to yourself, “I don’t have 45-75 minutes extra per day.”

Yes you do.

Shut off the TV at night Netflix Nellie and put down your phone Scrolly McScrollerson and exchange that for a book. Got some drive time to and from work? Listen to the book on audible. Search for an excuse to win here my friends. Excuses are easy to find, do the hard thing and find the reason to win.

This obviously isn’t an exhausted list; however, when people ask me what books have changed my life, these are the first 5 that come to my mind. Sure there are books that require specificity to what area of life you’re looking to grow in; however, these books, in my opinion, will lead to growth no matter what:

1. How to Win Friends and Influence People
2. In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day
3. Outwitting the Devil
4. The Traveler’s Gift
5. The Bible

These are not in order of importance, and if it were, #5 would most definitely be #1. Why? Because every self-help, personal development, or leadership book I’ve ever read takes wisdom directly from the Bible. The Bible is the O.G. of personal development and leadership, and it was modeled best by the greatest leader to have ever walked the Earth, Jesus. Here’s a quick summary of the 5 books:

1. If you’re struggling with learning how to relate to people, develop conversations, and get a long with people, devour this book.
2. If you’re struggling with belief in your ability to do something great, this faith filled book will blow your mind and get your inspired.
3. If you’re stuck, and you’ve been stuck a long time and need to understand the forces that are working against you and how to outwit them, this book is for you. Buckle your seat belt.
4. One of the best stories I’ve ever read, and the wisdom is so profound within the story. Whenever I’m recommending someone’s first book to read for personal development, this one hits the mark every time and generally leaves the reader hungry for more reading.
5. The biggest decision we will ever make in our lifetime is what do we do with Jesus? Where do we put our hope? Who created the universe? This isn’t a one and done book, this is a book to read the rest of your life bit by bit. It’s the most important book there is, and the good news; you likely already own one!