Today I am sharing 7 must-read books for entrepreneurs. If you are looking for inspiration, motivation, and everyday practices to build a life you love, these books are for you.
Why listen to me?
You don’t have to, but I do love to read. In fact, this year I set a goal to read 50 books. I’ll admit, I was a tad overzealous since I’m only at 32, but no problem, I’m going to be pretty pleased with 40.
More than reading, I love to share good books with other people, and I assume this is the first post of many where I’m going to share books with you.
Why these 7 books?
Some people call these types of books Self-help, while others call them Personal Development books or Motivational books. You could simply call them good books, but where is the fun in that?
Regardless of what you call them, within these books you will notice a few key themes:
- A heavy dose of focusing on a success mindset
- Getting very clear on exactly what you want
- A bias for action (manifesting is important, but also go get it!)
In No Particular Order, Here are 7 Must-Read Books for Entrepreneurs
**Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. This post contains affiliate links, which means that I may make a commission, at absolutely no cost to you, if purchase using my link**
1. You are a Badass by Jen Sincero
The title is actually “You Are a Badass: How to Stop Doubting Your Greatness and Start Living an Awesome Life” and pretty much covers what the book is about.
If you are ready to start living an awesome life, then you need to read this book.
You are a Badass is a no-frills book filled with necessary bluntness. It may be the reason I finally launched this blog.
It’s motivational, refreshing, and entertaining. I did a mixture of reading and listening to this book, I personally recommend listening to Jen on the audiobook, she reads it well.
I not only like her advice, but she backs it up with practical applications (& funny stories). It’s also an incredible reminder that you are a badass, and you should go after whatever you want. Period.
2. Grit by Angela Duckworth
If you have ever assumed that you shouldn’t go after something you want just because you aren’t good at it (yet), this is for you.
If there were a book that I wish I would have read in high school, it’s this book.
Let me tell you a story. When I was growing up, I assumed that if I was not naturally talented at something, then it wasn’t for me.
There was a time in high school when I wanted to be a runner, but since I couldn’t naturally run a 7-minute mile (like many other students in my class), I assumed it wasn’t for me (talk about a limiting mindset).
Anyway, I don’t know precisely when my mindset shifted, but at some point I realized that if I wanted to be a runner, I merely had to start running (brilliant, I know). So I started running and eventually ran a half marathon.
You might be wondering why this little story matters?
Well, in the book Grit, Angela Duckworth studies extremely high-achieving people (think Olympic athletes, CEOs, etc.) to prove her hypothesis that grit, a combination of passion and long-term perseverance, is far superior to natural-born talent.
I found Grit not only interesting and motivational but a fascinating read about the human behavior behind success in general.
Plus, she provides tips on how you can build up your grit.
Ps: I found the first chapter or so a bit slow, but I clearly loved the rest of the book.
3. Dream More by Dolly Parton
If all you know about Dolly Parton is that she’s got big hair, even bigger boobs, and sings, there is a heck of a lot you don’t know about Dolly Parton.
She’s an incredible woman who has built a life for herself coming from almost nothing. Which really says something. I mean, is there anyone who hasn’t heard of Dolly Parton?
On top of that, she’s also an incredible philanthropist and a savvy businesswoman. If anyone knows about hustle, it’s Dolly Parton.
Dream More is written around four pillars:
- Dream more
- Learn more
- Care more
- Be more
The book itself is actually an expansion of a commencement speech Dolly gave at the University of Tennessee. This makes sense because it reads very much like a heartfelt chat with Dolly, in that it’s delightful, funny, and charming.
Dream More is a quick heartwarming read that will leave you feeling inspired, motivated, and wanting to know more about Ms. Dolly Parton.
4. Fail Until You Don’t by Bobby Bones
If you are looking for a book about the reality behind a really hard working guy and how that hard work paid off, this is a good one.
I don’t remember how I came across this book, but I occasionally listen to his morning show, and like his upbeat personality, so I gave it a go. I’m glad I did.
If you don’t know, Bobby Bones is the youngest inductee ever into the National Radio Hall of Fame (pretty impressive) and hosts a daily country radio talk show, “The Bobby Bones Show.”
His book, Fail Until You Don’t, is written around his “Fight. Grind. Repeat.” mantra.
It illustrates how incredibly dedicated (maybe even too dedicated in some instances?) Bobby is to his craft. I appreciate how honest Bobby is about the amount of hard work it may take to achieve your goals.
And he is very transparent when it comes to the “Grind” part of his mantra. AKA the work after the excitement of something new wears off when you have to keep going and do the same thing every day even when it’s boring, difficult, tiring, etc. to win (very similar to Grit).
Bobby really drives home the point that when things get hard, people give up. It’s the people who don’t give up that win.
5. Everything is Figureoutable by Marie Forleo
First of all, Marie Forleo is great. If you haven’t heard of her, you need to watch some MarieTV on YouTube. Right now. She’s inspiring, motivational, and has done incredible interviews.
In Everything is Figureoutable, Marie demonstrates that you are both accountable and able to go after whatever you want. She is a self-proclaimed eternal optimist, and it certainly comes across in this book.
Like most successful people, Marie pushes action and provides you with personal stories from her life, people she has coached, as well as steps to take in your own life to get clear on what you want and get it.
In her book, she makes it clear that while you may not take the path you initially thought to get to your goal, you can get anywhere you want to go (if you have an open mind and are willing to put in the work).
It’s very much a “where there’s a will, there’s a way” read.
6. The 5-Second Rule by Mel Robbins
Do you ever need a nudge to get off of Instagram, out of bed, or off the couch? Then this may be the book for you.
Mel Robbins wrote this book as an expansion of her TED talk that went viral. The 5-Second Rule is a quick read about the science behind the “5-second rule” (not the one when you drop a cracker on the floor, think a NASA countdown to launch).
Count in your head, 5-4-3-2-1, and then you act on your intention instead of giving your brain time to provide you with an excuse not to.
Does this work? Yes.
Can you still give yourself a reason not to do something in the same 5 seconds? Sure.
But there are times when I find this habit useful. When you catch yourself procrastinating, for example, try the 5-second rule and move.
I saw some reviews that mentioned you could watch the TED talk instead of reading the book. I found the book before I knew about the TED talk based on the recommendation of a colleague, so I didn’t watch the TED talk.
Given how simple the principle is, I could understand getting a lot from the TED talk.
7. Atomic Habits by James Clear
Disclaimer: I am still in the process of reading this book, but I’m far enough in that I feel like it deserves a place on this list.
What if you could make your life immensely better, even change your life, just by making tiny changes to your daily habits?
It might sound too good to be true, but that’s precisely what James Clear uses Atomic Habits to prove.
James Clear has been touted as one of the world’s leading experts on habit formation, and in his book discusses the power of creating tiny (atomic) habits that will change your life.
He provides essential strategies for habit formation to improve your life and make success easier to achieve. I think it’s fascinating to learn what causes habits and how tinychanges can make such a huge difference.
Habits are important because who we are and what we will achieve depends on the habits that we do every day.
Get Reading
Well there you have it, 7 must-read books for entrepreneurs to build a life you love or get inspired to take on 2021 (Still need a little nudge to get started?).
I could probably talk about books all day. Just writing this posts makes me want to read more. If you have any suggestions for books, let me know in the comments! I would love to add them to my reading list.
*Bonus tip! You can get books, I mean all books (ebooks, paperback, audiobooks, etc.) from your local library and even delivered straight to your kindle or phone – visit your local library website to learn how! Cheers!
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