Books I return to when I want to change how I think, act, and train. Each entry has the book, a short take on why it matters, and one line from the book itself.
The Power of Habit
Want to know how habits are formed, and changed? This is the book. And we all have habits we need to change. Both weight loss and weight gain are rooted in habits.
This is how willpower becomes a habit: by choosing a certain behavior ahead of time, and then following that routine when an inflection point arrives.
Switch: How to Change Things When Change Is Hard
The Heath Brothers break down behavior change using an easy-to-understand Rider and Elephant model.
The bigger the change you’re suggesting, the more it will sap people’s self-control… what they’re exhausting are the mental muscles needed to think creatively, to focus, to inhibit their impulses, and to persist in the face of frustration or failure. In other words, they’re exhausting precisely the mental muscles needed to make a big change.
Meditations
One of the world’s most famous and influential books.
You have power over your mind – not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength.
Wherever You Go, There You Are
In our fast-paced world, taking time for meditation can make all the difference. Not only will you feel better, you’ll become more present. While it appears complicated and time-consuming, this book breaks it down into small and easy-to-understand chunks.
If we hope to go anywhere or develop ourselves in any way, we can only step from where we are standing. If we don’t really know where we are standing… We may only go in circles…
Love Yourself Like Your Life Depends on It
From too depressed to get out of bed and open the drapes to loving himself as if his life depends on it, Ravikant shares how the most important relationship you’ll ever have is with yourself.
It’s easy to wish for health when you’re sick. When you’re doing well, you need just as much vigilance.
Sway: The Irresistible Pull of Irrational Behavior
Based on social psychology, behavioral economics, and organizational behavior, Sway examines the hidden psychological influences that derail our decision-making. This book changes the way you think about the way you think.
Having a long-term plan–and not casting it aside–is the key to dealing with our fear of loss (loss aversion).
Manual for Living
Our desire to have control cripples us. Don’t try to control the things not in your power. Our opinions determine how we feel about events and things, not the event or thing itself. Think carefully about how you spend your life, because you may end up chasing things that are neither as desirable nor as important as they seem.
An uninstructed person will lay the fault of his own bad condition upon others. Someone just starting instruction will lay the fault on himself. Some who is perfectly instructed will place blame neither on others nor on himself.
Mindset: The New Psychology of Success
In this book, Dweck shows how success in school, work, sports, the arts, and almost every facet of life is dramatically influenced by how we think about our talents and abilities.
For people with a growth mindset, it’s not about immediate perfection. It’s about learning something over time: confronting a challenge and making progress.