In today’s blog, I want to share my top favourite self-development books with you. Whether you call them self-help, self-improvement or self-development books, these are always my favourite genre of books to read. I love these types of books because every time I read one, I learn something new about myself and the way I interact with the world, and I grow from the experience.

Self-Development Books As A Powerful Resource For Growth

Whether you are looking to improve aspects of your life, change your career, or to manage difficult mental health challenges, Self-development books are a useful resource for anyone. Unfortunately, with the severe lack of provisions in mental health care, there is an increasing need for books like these. Using self-help books can help whilst we wait for additional support from professionals. In fact, you can access suitable books by asking your general practitioner for a list of books on prescription.

One of the most powerful things about self-development books is that they can inspire us to change what isn’t working in our lives. Additionally, they can help us to feel less alone. When I began reading self-development books, I was amazed to find that other people felt the same as I did. This recognition helped me to feel more hopeful about my ability to manage my challenges. I also began to feel empowered to take control of my life and make the changes I needed. Self-help books can also help us to see ourselves and the world differently, and in doing so, learn healthier ways to manage our inner and outer lives.

My Top Six Recommended Self-Development Books

There are so many incredible, life-changing self-help books available. However, in this post, I want to focus on the ones which made the biggest impact on my life. The following books are the ones that I return to read time and time again. These books have helped me to gain greater self-awareness and overcome challenges. Reading them has helped me to develop self-mastery and come to realize my full potential*. 

1. The Celestine Prophecy – James Redfield

The Celestine Prophecy was the first self-development book I ever read. This book tells the fictional story of the search for an ancient manuscript, which contains nine insights on how to live a better life. Within the book, woven into the story, are powerful insights into the human condition.

Having never read anything like this before I was enthralled, and it changed my entire viewpoint of the world. Reading The Celestine Prophecy opened my eyes to a completely new way of relating to myself and the world and with it a hunger for continual personal development. The books that follow on in the series, are just as compelling and transformative. I am forever grateful to James Redfield for opening my eyes and starting me off on an incredible journey.

2. Conversations with God – Neal Donald Walsch

Discovering the works of Neal Donal Walsh was a fantastic place to arrive at after I read the Celestine Prophecy. As an LGBT+ person, I am someone with a history of not being too comfortable with religion. Conversations With God helped me to see the concept of God very differently. Not as a judging being, but as an underlying power in all that makes life work around us and through us.

The profound insights in Conversations with God made lasting changes to my inner world and I still re-read this and the following books in the series repeatedly. Importantly, having my conception of the word God changed, meant that I wasn’t put off by the spiritual aspect when I later began my recovery with Alcoholics Anonymous.

3. The Road Less Travelled -Scott Peck

A lot of what Scott Peck talks about in The Road less Travelled, resonates with my experience in the twelve-step program. I read this in my first year of recovery and I related to so many of his insights. The discussion of discipline and delaying gratification was particularly helpful.

I recognized myself a lot inside the page of The Road Less Travelled. And bringing my issues to light helped me to understand why I often act the way I do. In turn, through this book, I found better ways to deal with my addictive personality. This is a profound book in delving deep into our behaviors and using powerful tools to transform them.

4. Feel The Fear and Do It Anyway – Susan Jeffers

As a person with chronic anxiety, I have lived in a constant state of fear. I still have anxiety, but largely due to this book, I have learned better ways to manage my anxiety. Reading this book helped me to see that avoiding things was never going to stop me from being afraid, in fact, quite the opposite. Rather, I might as well do them anyway, I may well still be scared but I would also have achieved something!

The idea that making mistakes is OK, was one I knew, but still struggled with. A large reason why I was afraid to try, was for fear of failing.  Thanks to Feel The Fear and Do It Anyway, I began to take more risks, to trust I could experience fear and anxiety, but still be OK. There is a lot of practical common sense in this book, but it is delivered in an empowering way which inspires you to act on it.

5. The Artists Way – Julia Cameron

This book was suggested to me by a friend in the fellowship when I expressed my wish to write my memoirs.  Well, it’s the Twelve steps of AA, for writers! This book is far more than a writer’s book, it is a powerful tool for healing our past selves and reconnecting with our dreams and desires

I absolutely adore The Artists Way. Reading it and doing the exercises, alongside my recovery from addiction, helped me to find a part of myself I had forgotten I had lost. I remembered how much I loved creativity and how much I had missed it. The artists’ way sowed the seeds for later on in my life, when I began to look at changing my career.

6. You Are a Writer (So Start Acting Like One) – Jeff Goins

This is so much more than a book on how to be a writer, although it does contain some incredibly helpful tips and advice on writing. More importantly for me, this is a book about acknowledging one’s abilities and self-belief. I picked this up, to learn how to write, and what I discovered, was that the teacher was already within me. I already was a writer, I just had to act like one.

This seemingly simple but profound book helped me at a time when it was clear that my career as a counsellor was not possible, and to see that, a career as a writer, was likely always going to be the path for me. Jeff just helped me to see the truth.

Self-Development Books as A Personal Journey

Reading through my recommendations, I can see the journey these books have taken me on through the years. From my first awakening with The Celestine Prophecy to finding my own way to connect with a higher power through conversations with God. In accepting the good and bad in myself, and learning to steer my behaviours and emotions with Feel the Fear and The Road.  From reconnecting with my inner creativity in the Artists Way and You Are A Writer, and finally discovering the right path for me, as a freelance creatorpreneur.

What an incredible and profound journey! I hope these books help you in your own journey too. If you have read any of these I would love to hear your thoughts. Or if you have any suggestions for books, I would love to hear those too.

Keep on keeping on friends!

Hello! My name is Finn and I have a passion for creating honest content, that inspires personal growth and promotes well-being.

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books on a bookshelf with a hand reaching in to select a book. text reads 6 self development books that changed my life
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*Please note, this blog contains affiliate links which means when you buy through me. I may make a little commission. However, this is of no extra cost to you, and I only recommend products that I have personally found helpful.

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