Different things empower and inspire us to become the best of ourselves. But I think books are an invaluable resource and should be a constant companion. Here are 15 books to read now to inspire growth in 2023.
How are you planning to grow or evolve this year? What vision do you hold for yourself? Who will you become this year? How will you show up? What will you do? And what will you have? Each stage in our lives requires a different version of ourselves. We are meant to shed the layers of who we became to survive different situations, people, and things to always live in the best version of ourselves.
The beginning of the year is the best time to set a foundation to build upon for the rest of the year. I am learning how essential this is to my growth. While it may appear overwhelming. With the proper preparation, you will be inspired to gain perspective, take action, and develop better or new habits that you can build on throughout the year.
Forty-three percent of people are expected to fail at their New Year’s resolutions before February. And almost one out of four quit within the first week of setting their New Year’s resolutions.” Sad statistics but very true. I stopped making resolutions because it would be a thing of the past before I got to the second week of January. Then I would go with the flow for the rest of the year. And fight like heck in the final two quarters to achieve success around my goals and plans. It was a sad and uninspiring existence.
What if…
What if we choose to do this differently? And we start slow, be intentional, make the necessary preparations, and finish the year strong? That would be amazing. And completing the year strong does not mean only accomplishments and buying more things we certainly do not need. It means you have achievements, but you also grow and evolve.
You develop better habits or form new ones. And you have created and mastered your schedule, which targets all the parts that make your life a whole. Work, play, relationships, fun, family, et cetera.
While today we are sharing 15 books, there is no need to read all 15 of them [unless you want to]. I mean, what is the point of reading 15 books and having zero takeaways to impact your life positively? I would instead have you choose the best one for you, read it, and apply it to your life.
Read on for the 15 Books to Read Now to Inspire Growth in 2023.
How to Own the Room
by Viv Groskop
How to Own the Room fills the gap for what most public speaking books neglect to tell us.
Most books about public speaking do not tell you what to do when you open your mouth, and nothing comes out. And they do not tell you how to get over the anxiety about performance that most people naturally have. They do not tell you what to do in the moments when you are made, as a woman, to feel small. They do not tell you how to own the room. This book does.
From the way Michelle Obama projects happy high status and the power of J.K.Rowlings understated speaking style to Virginia Woolf’s leisurely pacing and Oprah Winfrey’s mastery of inner conviction, what is it that our heroines do to make us sit up and listen–really listen–to their every word And how can you achieve that impact in your own life Here’s how.
Why We Sleep
by Matthew Walker
After struggling with chronic insomnia, I decided to do something about it—that something began with arming myself with information. Why We Sleep is chalk filled with details to help you understand the importance of sleep and how a lack of sleep can affect us.
A New York Times bestseller and international sensation, this “stimulating and important book” (Financial Times) is a fascinating dive into the purpose and power of slumber.
Sleep is one of the most important but least understood aspects of our life, wellness, and longevity. Until recently, science had no answer to why we sleep, what good it serves, or why we suffer such devastating health consequences when we do not sleep. Compared to the other basic drives in life—eating, drinking, and reproducing—the purpose of sleep remained elusive.
An explosion of scientific discoveries in the last twenty years has shed new light on this fundamental aspect of our lives. Now, preeminent neuroscientist and sleep expert Matthew Walker gives us a new understanding of the vital importance of sleep and dreaming. Within the brain, sleep enriches our ability to learn, memorize, and make logical decisions.
It recalibrates our emotions, restocks our immune system, fine-tunes our metabolism, and regulates our appetite. Dreaming mollifies painful memories and creates a virtual reality space in which the brain melds past and present knowledge to inspire creativity.
No Such Thing as Normal
by Bryony Gordon
I became aware of all of the things that affect my overall well-being, and that includes my mental health. Whenever I felt crappy, I would say oh man, what a horrible feeling and leave it at that. Now I question my feelings and thoughts and am often led to a sort of awareness.
‘Mental illness has led to some of the worst times of my life… but it has also led to some of the most brilliant. Bad things happen, but good things can come from them. And strange as it might sound, my mental health has been vastly improved by being mentally ill.’
From depression and anxiety to personality disorders, one in four of us experiences mental health issues every year. In these strange and unsettling times, more of us than ever are struggling to cope. In No Such Thing as Normal, Bryony offers sensible, practical advice, covering subjects such as sleep, addiction, worry, medication, self-image, boundary setting, therapy, learned behavior, mindfulness, and, of course – as the founder of Mental Health Mates–the power of walking and talking.
She also strives to equip those needing help with tools and information to get the best out of a poorly funded system that can be both frightening and overwhelming. The result is a lively, honest, and direct guide to mental health that cuts through the Instagram wellness bubble to talk about how each of us can feel stronger, better, and a little less alone.
The Mountain Is You
by Brianna Wiest
I have not read this, but it is on my TBR list–I have heard and read nothing, but good things about The Mountain Is You.
This is a book about self-sabotage. Why we do it when we do it, and how to stop doing it—for good. Coexisting but conflicting needs create self-sabotaging behaviors. This is why we resist efforts to change, often until they feel completely futile.
But by extracting crucial insight from our most damaging habits, building emotional intelligence by better understanding our brains and bodies, releasing past experiences at a cellular level, and learning to act as our highest potential future selves, we can step out of our own way and into our potential.
For centuries, the mountain has been a metaphor for the significant challenges we face, especially ones that seem impossible to overcome. To scale our mountains, we must do the deep internal work of excavating trauma, building resilience, and adjusting how we show up for the climb. Ultimately, it is not the mountain we master but ourselves.
101 Essays That Will Change The Way You Think
by Brianna Wiest
I recently purchased this book [last week] and can not wait to read it.
101 Essays That Will Change The Way You Think, the global bestseller and social media phenomenon, is a collection of author Brianna Wiest’s most beloved pieces of writing. Her meditations include why you should pursue purpose over passion, embrace negative thinking, see the wisdom in daily routine, and become aware of the cognitive biases that create how you see your life.
Some of these pieces have never been seen; millions of people around the world have read others. Regardless, each will leave you thinking: this idea changed my life.
Atomic Habits
by James Clear
I have owned this book since its published date but ashamed to say I have not yet read it. I plan to, this year, finally.
The #1 New York Times bestseller. Over 4 million copies sold!
Tiny Changes, Remarkable Results
No matter your goals, Atomic Habits offers a proven framework for improving–every day. James Clear, one of the world’s leading experts on habit formation, reveals practical strategies that will teach you exactly how to form good habits, break bad ones, and master the tiny behaviors that lead to remarkable results.
If you’re having trouble changing your habits, the problem isn’t you. The problem is your system. Bad habits repeat themselves repeatedly, not because you don’t want to change but because you have the wrong system for change.
You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems. Here, you’ll get a proven system that can take you to new heights.
Learn how to:
make time for new habits (even when life gets crazy);
overcome a lack of motivation and willpower;
design your environment to make success easier;
get back on track when you fall off course;
…and much more.
Atomic Habits will reshape the way you think about progress and success and give you the tools and strategies you need to transform your habits–whether you are a team looking to win a championship, an organization hoping to redefine an industry, or simply an individual who wishes to quit smoking, lose weight, reduce stress or achieve any other goal.
The Obstacle Is The Way
by Ryan Holiday
In The Obstacle Is The Way, Ryan Holiday tells us that we can turn different situations into victories even if they appear impossible initially. He encourages us to accept what we can not change and change the things we can.
The book draws inspiration from stoicism, the ancient Greek philosophy of enduring pain or adversity with perseverance and resilience. Stoics focus on the things they can control, let go of everything else, and turn every new obstacle into an opportunity to get better, stronger, and tougher.
As Marcus Aurelius put it nearly 2000 years ago: “The impediment to action advances action. What stands in the way becomes the way.”
If you’re feeling frustrated, demoralized, or stuck in a rut, this book can help you turn your problems into your biggest advantages. And along the way, it will inspire you with dozens of true stories of the greats from every age and era.
Never Finished
by David Goggins
David Goggin is back with the same energy he brought us in Can’t Hurt me. In Never Finished, David Goggins reminds us of the importance of attitude and so many nuggets. His books are extremely hardcore, but he shares so much knowledge it would be a shame not to read them. Reviewers speak about the use of profanity in his book; however, they are minimal and, in my opinion, not enough to distract from his message.
Can’t Hurt Me, David Goggins’ smash hit memoir, demonstrated how much-untapped ability we all have but was merely an introduction to the power of the mind. In Never Finished, Goggins takes you inside his Mental Lab, where he developed the philosophy, psychology, and strategies that enabled him to learn that what he thought was his limit was only his beginning and that the quest for greatness is unending.
The stories and lessons in this raw, revealing, unflinching memoir offer the reader a blueprint they can use to climb from the bottom of the barrel into a whole new stratosphere that once seemed unattainable.
Whether you feel off-course in life, are looking to maximize your potential, or drain your soul to break through your so-called glass ceiling, this is the only book you will ever need.
Breaking the Habit of Being Yourself
by Dr. Joe Dispenza
The book Breaking the Habit of Being Yourself is based on Dr. Dispenza’s research and personal experiences. And teaches us how to change our thoughts, beliefs, and perceptions to change our reality.
New science is emerging that empowers all human beings to create the reality they choose.
In Breaking the Habit of Being Yourself, Dr. Joe Dispenza combines the fields of quantum physics, neuroscience, brain chemistry, biology, and genetics to show you what is truly possible and how to recondition the body and create better health.
Not only will you be given the necessary knowledge to change your energy and any aspect of yourself, but you will be taught the step-by-step tools to apply what you learn to make measurable changes in any area of your life.
Untamed
by Glennon Doyle
I am happy I did not allow reviewers to stop me from purchasing this book. Untamed is about women finding their voices. Glennon Doyle encourages us to look inside ourselves for answers, be a model, not a martyr and be brave.
There is a voice of longing inside each woman. We strive so mightily to be good: good partners, daughters, mothers, employees, and friends. We hope all this striving will make us feel alive. Instead, it leaves us weary, stuck, overwhelmed, and underwhelmed. We look at our lives and wonder: Wasn’t it all supposed to be more beautiful than this? We quickly silence that question, telling ourselves to be grateful, hiding our discontent—even from ourselves.
Soulful and uproarious, forceful and tender, Untamed is both an intimate memoir and a galvanizing wake-up call. It is the story of how one woman learned that a responsible mother is not one who slowly dies for her children but one who shows them how to fully live.
It is the story of navigating divorce, forming a new blended family, and discovering that the brokenness or wholeness of a family depends not on its structure but on each member’s ability to bring her full self to the table. And it is the story of how we can begin to trust ourselves enough to set boundaries and make peace with our bodies. At the same time, we honor our anger and heartbreak and unleash our most accurate, wildest instincts. So that we become women who can finally look at ourselves and say: There She Is.
Speak by Tunde Oyeneyin
I am excited to read Speak–I have heard only amazing things.
On any given day, thousands of devoted people clip into their bikes and have their lives changed by Tunde Oyeneyin. From her platform in a Peloton studio, she encourages riders, with her trademark blend of positivity, empathy, and motivational “Tunde-isms,” to push themselves to their limits on and off the bike.
Now, fans and readers everywhere can learn about her personal journey and discover how they too can “live a life of purpose, on purpose” with Speak, a memoir-manifesto-guide to life inspired by her immensely popular Instagram Live series of the same name.
Taking us through each step of the SPEAK acronym—Surrender, Power, Empathy, Authenticity, and Knowledge—Oyeneyin shares the lessons she has learned about loss, love, and body image. And how she has successfully created an intentional, joyful life for herself, offering an accessible blueprint for anyone looking to make a positive change in their lives.
Radical Confidence by Lisa Bilyeu
I bought Radical Confidence because of the title and was happy I did. Lisa helps you take control of your mind, release your insecurities, and tame that negative voice in your head.
A personal memoir, part guide to life, Radical Confidence “challenges the deep-rooted beliefs that prevent so many of us from knowing or reaching for our dreams” [Dr. Nicole Lepera, New York Times bestselling author of How to Do the Work]. Lisa teaches you how to:
- Dream big
- Boost your confidence
- Toughen the F up
- And learn how to save yourself
Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert
Elizabeth Gilbert tells us in Big Magic that we should allow our fears and passions to coexist. And we should permit ourselves to create.
Readers of all ages and walks of life have drawn inspiration and empowerment from Elizabeth Gilbert’s books for years. Now, this beloved author digs deep into her own generative process to share her wisdom and unique perspective on creativity. With profound empathy and radiant generosity, she offers potent insights into the mysterious nature of inspiration.
She asks us to embrace our curiosity and let go of needless suffering. And shows us how to tackle what we most love and face what we most fear. She discusses the attitudes, approaches, and habits we need to live our most creative lives. Balancing between soulful spirituality and cheerful pragmatism.
Gilbert encourages us to uncover the “strange jewels” in each of us. Whether we are looking to write a book, make art, find new ways to address challenges in our work, embark on a dream long deferred, or infuse our everyday lives with more mindfulness and passion, Big Magic cracks open a world of wonder and joy.
Best Self by Mike Bayer
In the Best Self, Mike Bayer tells us to be less concerned with reaching our full potential and to define the version of ourselves that will make us the happiest.
Ask yourself…are you truly who you want to be? Is this the life you want? Are you living each day as your best self? What can you change today?
How would you answer those questions? Think about your daily life. Are you thriving or going through the motions? Are your days full of work, relationships, and activities that are true to your authentic self, or do you feel trapped on a treadmill of responsibility?
If you dream of a better life, now is the time to turn your dream into reality. And the tools you need are within your grasp to design a fulfilling life on the deepest levels. Best Self will show you how.
The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck by Mark Manson
This is a MUST read “The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck” it shines the light on the toxic positivity culture and advises you not to believe you know anything with certainty, for it keeps you from improving.
In this generation-defining self-help guide, a superstar blogger cuts through the crap to show us how to stop trying to be “positive” all the time so that we can truly become better, happier people.
For decades, we’ve been told that positive thinking is the key to a happy, rich life. “Fk positivity,” Mark Manson says. “Let’s be honest, shit is fked, and we have to live with it.” In his wildly popular Internet blog, Manson doesn’t sugarcoat or equivocate. He tells it like it is—a dose of raw, refreshing, honest truth that is sorely lacking today.
The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F**k is his antidote to the coddling, let’s-all-feel-good mindset that has infected modern society and spoiled a generation, rewarding them with gold medals for showing up.
Manson makes the argument, backed by academic research and well-timed poop jokes, that improving our lives hinges not on our ability to turn lemons into lemonade but on learning to stomach lemons better. Human beings are flawed and limited—”not everybody can be extraordinary, there are winners and losers in society, and some of it is not fair or your fault.”
Manson tells us…
Manson advises us to get to know our limitations and accept them. Once we embrace our fears, faults, and uncertainties, once we stop running and avoiding and start confronting painful truths, we can begin to find the courage, perseverance, honesty, responsibility, curiosity, and forgiveness we seek.
There are only so many things we can give a fk about, so we need to figure out which ones matter, Manson makes clear. While money is nice, caring about what you do with your life is better because true wealth is about experience.
A much-needed grab-you-by-the-shoulders-and-look-you-in-the-eye moment of real talk, filled with entertaining stories and profane, ruthless humor, The Subtle Art of Not Giving a Fk is a refreshing slap for a generation to help them lead contented, grounded lives.
Comment below: Have you read any of the books from this list? Or do you have a book on your list—share it with us.
