10 Books That Will Change Your Life (and How They Changed Mine)

There is no shortage of personal growth books out there. And have you noticed how they are all marketed as books that will change your life?

The right book, read at the right time, can guide you toward your goals, help you navigate challenges, and unlock the best version of yourself.

But with so many to choose from, how can you know which ones are truly worth your time?

Not all of the personal growth books I’ve read deliver on their promise, but some have completely changed my life by shifting my mindset, inspiring me to create better habits, and get intentional about creating lasting change.

I’ve put together my list of 10 books that will change your life and shared my experiences with each so you can decide which ones resonate with you the most.

Where possible, I’ve included a brief anecdote from my life about why each book is transformative, a key takeaway, and some practical advice that you can apply in your life right now.

If you’re seeking inspiration, motivation, or strategies to improve your life, here are 10 books that will change your life and how you can apply their lessons to see real and lasting transformation in your life!

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Books That Changed My Life

I wanted to start this list off with my personal favorite collection of books that changed my life.

I went through a pretty serious personal growth spurt during my mid 20s, and I credit each of these books to helping shape me into the person that I am today.

The Gifts of Imperfection by Brené Brown

The first of many books by Brené Brown that you will find on this list!

I grew up as a very insecure perfectionist. I believed that if I could just make myself perfect in all the areas of my life, I wouldn’t ever have to worry about people seeing me for who I was.

Needless to say this led to a lot of issues in my life.

When I read this book for the first time I noticed that there are so many quotes from The Gifts of Imperfection that feel like they are being spoken directly to me and what I needed to hear.

You can read my summary of The Gifts of Imperfection to learn more about why this book has such a special place in my heart.

• Why it’s transformative: It helped me learn how to not just accept myself for who I am, but love myself for my imperfections (something I have struggled with throughout my entire life).
• Key takeaway: It takes courage to be vulnerable and share your imperfections with the world, but doing so allows you to live your life whole-heartedly from a place of worthiness.
• Practical tip: Repeat the following affirmation to yourself every morning and every night: no matter what gets done and how much is left undone, I am enough.

Mindset: The New Psychology of Success by Carol S. Dweck

As you may have read in my story, I grew up with a very serious fixed mindset problem. I took every failure extremely personally, and I always felt like I was terrible at things if I couldn’t crack them on the first shot.

Mindset by Carol Dweck explains how a growth mindset (believing you can improve through effort) leads to greater achievement than a fixed mindset (believing your abilities are static).

• Why it’s transformative: It helped me learn how to reframe challenges as opportunities to grow rather than threats to my ability (this was HUGE for me).
• Key takeaway: There is SO much that can be learned from challenges, setbacks, and failures that we often miss because we are so focused on the painful emotions that come with them.
• Practical tip: When you encounter a challenge, ask yourself, “What can I learn from this?” Instead of seeing failure as a setback, view it as an opportunity for growth.

The Happiness of Pursuit: Finding the Quest That Will Bring Purpose to Your Life by Chris Guillebeau

The Happiness of Pursuit is a book that helped me understand a truth about passion and purpose that I missed while I was hustling to prove myself at work.

Chris Guillebeau explains that “challenge is the essence of adventure”, or it is the challenges and obstacles that we face in our lives that give us meaning and purpose.

• Why it’s transformative: It helped me understand that my teaching job was challenging me, but I didn’t love the challenge. This helped me make the decision to leave my teaching job and find a new career that offers more exciting and rewarding challenges that inspire purpose in my life.
• Key takeaway: We are led to believe that a happy life is easy and carefree. But the reality is that if we had no challenges or obstacles in our lives, we would have no purpose or meaning to attach to our actions.
• Practical tip: Spend some time thinking about the dreams and goals that you have for your life. Take one step toward them, and fall deeply in love with the challenge of making your dreams a reality.

Best Books To Read In Your 20S

When I think back to the person I was when I was in my 20s, there are so many great books that I have read now that I would recommend to myself (although 20-year old me probably wouldn’t willingly read them!).

This list is made up of the best books to read in your 20S (or beyond, really!).

The 5AM Club by Robin Sharma

If there’s one lesson I could teach myself in my 20s it would be to take advantage of the time that is available each and every day.

My 30s brought on the demands of a job, kids, and more, making me truly value every second of silence that I get to myself.

• Why it’s transformative: This book completely changed the way I see my free time. While I was reading this book I found myself taking a second look at my free time that I had and wondering whether I was optimizing myself for my day. You can read my summary of the 5AM Club to learn more about how this book transformed my life.
• Key takeaway: The book provides an incredible morning routine that involves waking up at 5 AM every day and breaking the first hour into 20 minute intervals, each with their own specific focus on high-value activities. The idea is that this first ‘victory hour’ is a distraction-free hour where you can focus on optimizing yourself for the rest of the day.
• Practical tip: Even if you can’t commit to getting up at 5 AM every day, carving out an hour to intentionally set your day up for success is enough to change the way you live your life!

Daring Greatly by Brené Brown

If there’s one lesson I think it’s important for people in their 20s to learn its that being vulnerable does not make you weak.

In Daring Greatly, Brené Brown explores the power of vulnerability and how embracing it can lead to stronger connections, greater creativity, and personal courage. By understanding and challenging your shame triggers, you can live a more authentic and wholehearted life.

You can check out my 5 key takeaways from Daring Greatly to learn more!

• Why it’s transformative: Once I started learning to be vulnerable and show up as my authentic self, I was able to empower myself to start believing that I am enough, just as I am.
• Key takeaway: Vulnerability is not weakness. Being and showing yourself leads to innovation, creativity, and connection.
• Practical tip: Reflect on areas where fear of judgment holds you back. Take small steps to share your authentic self, starting with trusted friends or loved ones.

Atomic Habits by James Clear

James Clear provides a comprehensive guide to building good habits and breaking bad ones by focusing on small, consistent changes. He emphasizes the importance of identity-based habits, or becoming the type of person who embodies the actions you want to take.

This is a great read for young people in their 20s to help them form healthy habits that they can carry with them later in their lives.

• Why it’s transformative: It may sound simplistic, but understanding that meaningful progress doesn’t come from massive, overnight changes but from small, consistent actions that compound over time.
• Key takeaway: Focus on improving by just 1% every day. The power of compounding will lead to extraordinary results.
• Practical tip: Start with James Clear’s “habit loop” formula: Cue, Craving, Response, Reward. For example, if you want to start exercising, use a specific cue (putting your gym clothes out), pair it with a craving (the reward of feeling good after), and create a habit that sticks.

Motivational Books To Read to Change Your Life

The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle

Eckhart Tolle’s spiritual classic teaches the importance of mindfulness and living fully in the present moment. By letting go of past regrets and future anxieties, you can free yourself from unnecessary suffering and find peace in the now.

• Why it’s transformative: The Power of Now was a powerful read for me to help integrate mindfulness into my life as a regular habit. Tolle’s framework for reducing stress, managing overthinking, and finding inner calm will change your life if practiced regularly.
• Key takeaway: The biggest key takeaway for me was the idea that present moment is all we ever truly have. Embracing it can shift your entire outlook on life.
• Practical tip: Practice grounding exercises, like focusing on your breath or your surroundings, to anchor yourself in the present moment when your mind starts to wander.

Rising Strong by Brené Brown

I promise, this is the last Brené Brown book on this list! This one was too important to not include when I reflect back on how I was able to change my own life.

In Rising Strong, Brené Brown explores the process of recovering from failure, disappointment, and setbacks. She argues that the key to resilience is not avoiding struggle but learning to navigate it with courage, vulnerability, and self-awareness.

Brown emphasizes that those who rise strong turn failures into powerful lessons, allowing them to live more wholehearted and authentic lives.

• Why it’s transformative: I have cozy memories listening to the audiobook version of this book (which is narrated by Brené Brown herself!) on the way to the job I was in the process of walking away from and was feeling very defeated by. Brené Brown truly felt like a trusted friend who helped me rise strong from what I thought was a bitter defeat.
• Key takeaway: The stories we tell ourselves about our failures shape our ability to recover. Challenging and rewriting these stories with honesty and self-compassion helps us rise stronger. You can read more about this in my summary of Rising Strong.
• Practical tip: When you experience failure or disappointment, pause and write down the story you’re telling yourself. Then ask: What parts of this are fact? What are assumptions? What is a more truthful, compassionate version of this story?

The 4-Hour Workweek by Tim Ferriss

Tim Ferriss challenges traditional work models by advocating for designing your life around freedom, flexibility, and automation. This book is packed with strategies for outsourcing tasks, increasing productivity, and prioritizing the things that truly matter.

• Why it’s transformative: After I left teaching, I was determined to reset my life and build it from the ground up in a way that prioritized my family. This book helped me by redefining success and teaching me how to redesign my life in a way that aligns with my passions and goals.
• Key takeaway: Question the status quo! There’s more than one way to work, live, and succeed.
• Practical tip: Conduct a “time audit” to identify areas where you’re spending unnecessary time or energy, and outsource or eliminate low-value tasks.

The Art of Work: A Proven Path To Discovering What You Were Meant To Do by Jeff Goins

Jeff Goins explores the journey of finding one’s true calling while debunking the myth that purpose is discovered in a single moment of clarity.

Instead, he presents it as a lifelong process shaped by experiences, mentors, and unexpected opportunities. Goins outlines a path that includes listening to your life’s cues, embracing apprenticeship, practicing deliberate action, and viewing setbacks as stepping stones.

• Why it’s transformative: The Art of Work reframes purpose as something that unfolds over time rather than a single grand revelation, making it feel more attainable. It also emphasizes that failure and redirection are natural, even necessary, parts of the journey.
• Key takeaway: Your calling is not just about passion but about paying attention to what life is teaching you, embracing challenges, and being open to unexpected opportunities.
• Practical tip: Reflect on past moments where you felt most engaged and fulfilled. Use these insights to guide your next steps rather than waiting for a perfect, fully formed purpose to appear.

Designing Your Life by Bill Burnett and Dave Evans

In Designing Your Life, Bill Burnett and Dave Evans argue that instead of searching for a single “true calling,” people should approach life as a design challenge: prototyping, testing, and iterating to create a fulfilling path.

The book introduces practical strategies like reframing dysfunctional beliefs, building multiple potential life paths (Odyssey Plans), and using curiosity and experimentation to guide decisions.

Check out our Designing Your Life book summary for more details!

• Why it’s transformative: It replaces the pressure of finding one perfect life path with a flexible, creative approach. By embracing experimentation, failure becomes a learning tool rather than a setback, making it easier to navigate uncertainty.
• Key takeaway: There’s no single “right” path in life. Anyone can design a meaningful and joyful life and find success by designing, testing, and refining different possibilities until they create one that works for them.
• Practical tip: Try creating three different “Odyssey Plans” for your next five years. One based on your current trajectory, one for an alternative career/life path, and one for a radical reinvention. This exercise expands possibilities and helps you move forward with intention.

Which of These Books Will Change YOUR Life?

These 10 books that will change your life offer unique perspectives and actionable lessons for personal growth, resilience, and transformation.

Whether you’re looking to shift your mindset, cultivate better habits, or find deeper meaning, each one has the potential to leave a lasting impact.

My hope is that my personal takeaways that I have shared provide you with some insight into just how powerful these books have been for me during a time where I was very intentional about changing my life.

Choose a book from this list that you feel speaks to your current challenges or goals, and let its wisdom guide you toward a brighter, more fulfilling future.

Growth starts with action, so pick up a book today, and watch as it changes your life!

Don’t forget to share this post with your friends and family on social media! If you know someone who could use a good collection of books that will change their life, this post could be what they need to help them with their search!

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