What's the best book about motivation that you can recommend?

darklocal

darklocal

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I am not a good reader and I rarely read a book. I struggle to complete reading a book but I really wanted to make it a habit to complete one book per month. The first one that I am planning to read is The Goal Program from Zig Ziglar. Any other books you can recommend? Thanks in advance!
 
Good idea, I'm following this topic!

I'd really like to learn to write more and better content and motivation is a big problem because I don't really like writing. I've also been searching for book recommendations but most advice on "being a better writer" is aimed at fiction. I've picked up Stephen King's On Writing in the hopes of learning something but I could use some motivation book recommendations as well.
 
Great goal. Keep us posted with your reading list.

There's been some great book threads on here before (not sure if any were directly related to motivation).

I've recently finished Rich Dad, Poor Dad and Millionaire Fastlane as well as Thinking, Fast and Slow - highly recommend all of them.

None of those is focused on motivation per se, but all have helped light a new fire under my ass in terms of staying focused on the grind and changing the way I think about business/money.

Honestly, even all the overhyped books like 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, 4 Hour Work Week, and Awaken the Giant Within are worth reading. Some great nuggets in those, although no shortcuts are offered, of course.

On Writing by Stephen King is a great book, but I didn't really find anything useful in it in terms of copywriting/marketing. Naturally, it's geared towards writing fiction.

The laboratory threads on here honestly keep me motivated more than anything else. But I do love to read so I would also love some book recommendations (motivation or otherwise).
 
I don't find self help books very motivating. They are good at teaching methods and new ways of thinking, but they're not really motivating long term.

Biographies on the other hand are highly motivating, because you follow someone who is massively successful and you see them fail and learn, but you know how it ends. It is extremely motivating and extremely valuable imo. All these things that people try to pry from them during their prime, then they give it away in a biography. Imagine all these billions of people that lived and only a few, a couple thousand, become these genius successes. Imagine that someone actually put all their secrets down for you to read. You would be crazy not to.

Steve Jobs biography was very motivational for me. His almost super human work effort and belief system. His insanity in not settling for less than perfection and yet actually achieving it.

While it isn't a biography, I feel like Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand is also very motivational. It does an excellent job of really breaking down the world into doers and takers. I wouldn't use this book to look at other people as takers and losers, as some readers have done, but rather to see what lies behind the great fortune or the great factory or the great company: the everyday desire to work and produce.

In the same realm, I would recommend reading classic, great literature. This is similar to biographies in that works who survive hundreds, if not thousands, of years, have obviously stood the test of time. They hold truths, big truths, life altering truths. Some books just change you, you'll never be the same again. Go for the "classics", from the greek Illiad to Marcus Aurelius to Dostovyevski.

I'll also add Jordan Peterson for good measure, which is the most recent motivational dude, I've taken in. He is pretty low level though, more for disorganised and insecure 20 somethings, but I feel like he also really works on a mindset level and can change your mindset towards individual responsibility.
 
I like to read a lot - both fiction and non fiction books.

I recommend Deep Work by Cal Newport . This is a guide for anyone who is looking to learn how to stay focused on their work and greatly increase their productivity. Helps you identify distractions in your life and how to avoid them in order to make it to the top of your career ladder and how to accomplish more in your life.

Outliers by Malcom Gladwell is another great read. Wish I had read it earlier in my life. It made me realize that being successful in life is a component of many things and not just being an A student. So many things can hamper your growth or cause you to be successful. If you want to master a skill or become an expert in any field, read this book to find out how.

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey is a good read. One of the things I learned in this book is to be proactive in life. I like the principles he discusses in the book. I also read the 'sister' book, which is The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Families, and I learned some tips that have helped me better manage my family and reduce conflict at home.

Currently Reading Goals by Brian Tracy. What he discusses seems pretty simplistic, but I was blown away by it all. I hadn't realized how important it is to set goals in life but now that I know, I am starting to implement that and work towards defining what my goals are and how to achieve them.

The Millionaire Next Door was an eye opener when it comes to financial matters. The author shares tips and insights into how the wealthy live and how they spend their money. It was surprising because the rich don't spend money on things I thought they do.

The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle emphasizes living in the moment. Be present and mindful of the present instead of spending too much focus on the past and the future.
 
@greatwriter Interesting list, I have heard talk about "Deep Work".

I already am mindful about these concepts, because I get cognitive fatigue after a few hours, so I have to be very efficient when I work and not waste time. I can also tell immedieatly when my concentration is gone.

One thing I do to get around this is switch to a different kind of task, so if I was writing, then I might do some code or graphical design.

That seems to help with cognitive fatigue and for others who get distracted.
 
I highly recommend you read "The Go-Giver"

That book changed my mindset. It will help you in both business and life.
 
Recently read 10x by Grant Cardone and loved it. Ending up reading a bunch of his other books after that. Fantastic stuff.
 
"Science of Success" by Wallace D Wattles

Amazing book tht's been around for nearly 100 years. VERY RELATEABLE for the average Joe and a reminder to experienced.

Did we already have a post about these type of books?
 
From my experience, there are two types of motivation:
  1. Short-lived motivation triggered by manipulation of emotion
  2. Long-lived motivation triggered by a change in beliefs and gain of knowledge
I have read a lot of self-help books when I was in early twenties. Basically all the famous titles. Now I can't even read one page of those books as I have become so sick of it. The truth is most of these books are written in a very similar way so that it can excite you, trigger your emotion and thus motivate you in the short term. However, usually this kind of motivation is not sustainable as it's not based on any real knowledge gain and shift in mindset. When the motivation is gone, you will be tempted to find another self-help book to feel that spark again, only to repeat the cycle again afterwards.

On the contrary, I find content that really shows how money is made, how life can be improved exactly to be much more inspiring. My favourite book is Fastlane Millionaire by MJ DeMarco. This book doesn't talk about all the wishy washy stuff about motivation. It shows you exactly how rich people get rich. Another type of mindset-altering content I am referring to is high-quality, detailed case studies. Yes you might say that these are not books about motivation but to me, understanding the exact process/journey of someone else's success can really trigger a shift in mindset. Such eye-openers can create a much more long-lasting motivation in my experience.

Therefore, if you are looking for motivation, I strongly recommend you to head to the Boardroom section and really read the big guys' case studies. You can also head to the Fastlane Forum and read about the journey of real-life successful entrepreneurs. (Just read all the Gold Threads!) If those don't excite you, I don't know what will. :wink:
 
EyesExist said:
"Science of Success" by Wallace D Wattles

Amazing book tht's been around for nearly 100 years. VERY RELATEABLE for the average Joe and a reminder to experienced.

Did we already have a post about these type of books?
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Science of Getting Rich? I think since it was written 100 years ago and now public domain some people have edited versions of it. But nonetheless my top fav. He was def born before his time! Genius.
 

1. Can't Hurt Me: Master Your Mind and Defy the Odds​

2. Unfu*k Yourself: Get Out of Your Head and into Your Life​

3.Good Vibes, Good Life: How Self-Love Is the Key to Unlocking Your Greatness​


Enjoy.. :smile:
 

Can't Hurt Me: Master Your Mind and Defy the Odds i​


This is one of my favorite motivational books.

Jocko Willink has some nice ones as well
 
Entre Eyes said:
Science of Getting Rich? I think since it was written 100 years ago and now public domain some people have edited versions of it. But nonetheless my top fav. He was def born before his time! Genius.
Click to expand...

Yeah, there's some connection to that. I dont remember how but maybe they sort of did it like the bible, gave a modern version OR just slimmed down some

He was WAY AHEAD of his time. That book is powerful. It's the basis for almost all of these books people are writing today imo......... Alchemist, The Secret, etc
 
Not really motivational-oriented, but I find a lot of inspiration from The Road by Cormac McCarthy and All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque. These are extremely dark books. The Road is a boy and a man's journey through a post-apocalyptic nightmare. And AQOTWF is a fictional account of WW1 written by a German veteran. Some people call them incredibly depressing, but I see the opposite. The perseverance of the human spirit. The ability as humans that we have to endure when it seems as though there isn't hope. It really puts into perspective how small our problems are and how much we whine. The Road may be fantasy, but AQOTWF is a very real fictional take on WW1 by a man who lived through it. And Cormac McCarthy is considered the best living American author with The Road being arguably his best work. And AQOTWF is considered one of the best books of all time.
 
There's some great books already recommended here. I'd humbly add to the list the following:

Maverick and the 7 Day Weekend, both by Ricardo Semler. His is a fascinating story - he took over at his family's very large, but out of date manufacturing business in Brazil and turned it into a highly successful and revolutionary business. Maverick is that story, whist the second book is how he managed to make himself unemployed. I find both highly motivational.

The 4 Hour Work Week has already been mentioned. I think the most valuable part of that book for me are the chapters on lifestyle design - which netted back down to how much [little] I really needed to enjoy the lifestyle I wanted (not some dream sold by a guru).

Work Less, Make More by James Schramko is concise and full of actionable advice - in particular working out your effective hourly rate - it's eye opening and will uncover some surprising insights. For example a business which caused me my most perceived hassle/time, turned out to be one of the best in terms of my effectively hourly rate. << less out and out motivational, more tactics and sage advice from a guy who knows his shit.
 
The most motivating quote I've ever read was from a fantasy book where one of the characters says

"Once you've got a task to do, it's better to do it than live with the fear of it."

This one line has probably been responsible for more of my promotions at work than any other book.
 
geobak said:

Can't Hurt Me: Master Your Mind and Defy the Odds i​


This is one of my favorite motivational books.

Jocko Willink has some nice ones as well
Click to expand...
Second that.

Discipline equals freedom is great.

It's no nonsense. Basically says that motivation is fleeting and will leave you. But discipline is the real key
 
There is some great suggestions in this list.
One that I would recommend is Atomic Habits by James Clear. Ive found a great intro to building and maintaining some great habits.

Edit: spelling
 
I recommend "No Excuses: The Power of Self-Discipline by Brian Tracy". The book shows how you can achieve success in the three major areas of your life: personal goals, business goals, and relationships. How to be more disciplined in one aspect of your life and stop making excuses.
 
I'm Now reading 'the Alchemist'
This seems like something that compliments the "Richest Many of Babylon"

Pretty much a story-telling format of how to pursue your Dreams and stay motivated
 
I gain motivation from books that outline an actionable strategy instead of blabbering about others' success. Most books fall into the latter category.

I did enjoy a number of Naval's articles and Tweets, I converted them into pdf and reread whenever I can.
 
I just received my copy of The Psychology of Money today from Amazon so I am excited to did into that, I also have Profit First. I decided to purchase hardcover books so that I'm reading from a book instead of a digital screen. I want to give my mind and eyes a break from the computer screen especially since that is my day job.....for the time being that is.

As for writing, I used to always say I can't write because I don't like it. I am determined to stop talking negative to myself and about myself and now I'm going to learn to love writing. Even being an I.T. professional I don't type so I am going to start there first. When I eventually have a team of writers I want to be good at writing so that I can properly evaluate the writers I hire especially since this is the business we are in. I haven't started just yet but I did enroll in a free course on Udemy called Secret Sauce of Great Writing. The course has 159k+students over all with almost 11k reviews and a 4.5 rating.
 
Anything that talks about changing your long-term motivation in the form of changing your mindset, beliefs, habits and goals. Emotional based motivation is fleeting and can't be relied upon.

Anything by Jim Rohn is good. Despite the name, 7 Strategies for Wealth & Happiness is arguably his best book.

If you have four hours to kill, you won't regret watching this. He takes about 20 minutes to get going.

 
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I'm not sure if it can be considered a book about motivation, but Release Your Brakes! by James W. Newman has been a great resource for me.

I've been a negative and pessimistic person for a while now internally (on the outside nobody would be able to tell because I love encouraging other people) and it's helped me understand how I can reshape how my mind thinks about things and how doing so will lead to more self-esteem (and therefore more success).

It's one of the few books Dan Pena recommends (some of us here like what he has to say) and I'm glad he put it on my radar. I read it at the start of this year and I'm in the process of using it to form affirmations for myself (I never thought I'd actually need them but the past month and a half has exposed how bad of a place I am at mentally).
 
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