Motivational Books For Work & Life

Updated for 2019!

One of my new year’s resolutions was to READ MORE BOOKS. Of course, right? I am pretty picky when it comes to reading. I don’t usually read fiction, and I am not interested in most novels. Instead, I prefer to read inspirational books or nonfiction titles. I’m not talking “self-help” books, but I am referring to books that can either teach you something or provide you tips to live a better life.

When the new year began, I asked members of Bloggers Get Social to share their favorite books. I categorized them into two different blog posts. For fiction favorites, check out this post of must read books. For inspirational ideas, keep reading!

Setting goals? Click here to visit my New Year’s Resolutions resources, more inspirational books, and a free journal to jot down your goals!

Motivational Books: Book Club Ideas

Your Best Year Ever by Michael Hyatt: In Your Best Year Ever, Hyatt shares a powerful, proven, research-driven system for setting and achieving goals. Readers learn how to design their best year ever in just five hours.

Listful Thinking: Using Lists to Be More Productive, Successful and Less Stressed by Paula Rizzo: Listful Thinking is the book that will give readers their lives back with indispensable tips on saving time, getting organized, improving productivity, saving money, and reducing stress.

Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World by Cal Newport: Deep work is the ability to focus without distraction on a cognitively demanding task. It’s a skill that allows you to quickly master complicated information and produce better results in less time. Deep work will make you better at what you do and provide the sense of true fulfillment that comes from craftsmanship.

The Effortless Everyday by Katie Lee: In The Effortless Everyday, Katie combines her years of experimenting, client results and research of the most successful people to share her method for addressing everyday life. Because time and again she noticed that it didn’t matter the level of success someone reached; the overwhelm, stress and guilt were always present.

Unfu*k Yourself: Get out of your head and into your life by Gary John Bishop: It isn’t other people that are standing in your way, it isn’t even your circumstances that are blocking your ability to thrive, it’s yourself and the negative self-talk you keep telling yourself.

Get Your Sh*t Together: How to Stop Worrying About What You Should Do So You Can Finish What You Need to Do and Start Doing What You Want to Do (A No F*cks Given Guide) by Sarah Knight: In The Life-Changing Magic of Not Giving a F*ck, “anti-guru” Sarah Knight introduced readers to the joys of mental decluttering. This book takes you one step further–organizing the f*cks you want and need to give, and cutting through the bullsh*t cycle of self-sabotage to get happy and stay that way.

Grace, Not Perfection: Embracing Simplicity, Celebrating Joy by Emily Ley: Grace, Not Perfection takes this message from a daily planner to an inspirational book that encourages women to simplify and prioritize. Designed with Emily Ley’s signature aesthetic, this book gives women tangible ways to simplify their lives to give space to what matters most.

A Simplified Life: Tactical Tools for Intentional Living by Emily Ley: In A Simplified Life, you’ll find Emily’s strategies, systems, and methods for permanently clearing the clutter, organizing your priorities, and living intentionally in 10 key areas—from your home and meal planning, to style and finances, parenting, faith life, and more.

How to Manage Your Home Without Losing Your Mind: Dealing with Your House’s Dirty Little Secrets by Dana White: In How to Manage Your Home Without Losing Your Mind, Dana explains that cleaning your house is not a one-time project but a series of ongoing premade decisions. Her reality-based cleaning and organizing techniques debunk the biggest housekeeping fantasies and help readers learn what really works.

You Are a Badass: How to Stop Doubting Your Greatness and Start Living an Awesome Life by Jen Sincero: In this refreshingly entertaining how-to guide, bestselling author and world-traveling success coach, Jen Sincero, serves up 27 bite-sized chapters full of hilariously inspiring stories, sage advice, easy exercises, and the occasional swear word, helping you to: Identify and change the self-sabotaging beliefs and behaviors that stop you from getting what you want, Create a life you totally love. And create it NOW, Make some damn money already. The kind you’ve never made before.

You Are a Badass at Making Money: Master the Mindset of Wealth by Jen Sincero: You Are a Badass at Making Money will launch you past the fears and stumbling blocks that have kept financial success beyond your reach.

Her latest book, Your are a Badass Every Day, is a quick read and a must for daily motivation. Pair it with the 2019 desk calendar, and you’ve got 265 days of sassy inspiration.

Unf*ck Your Habitat: You’re Better Than Your Mess by Rachel Hoffman: Interspersed with lists and challenges, this practical, no-nonsense advice relies on a 20/10 system (20 minutes of cleaning followed by a 10-minute break; no marathon cleaning allowed) to help you develop lifelong habits. It motivates you to embrace a new lifestyle in manageable sections so you can actually start applying the tactics as you progress.

A Year of Positive Thinking by Cyndie Spiegel is a cute book for daily reflection.

Off the Clock by Laura Vanderkam tackles time management for busy women. She is one of my FAVORITES for trying to make sense of my busy schedule.

Say Goodbye to Survival Mode by Crystal Paine: This book provides practical ideas for setting goals, as well as inspirational, big-picture perspective to help you lead a more purposeful life.

Money-Making Mom by Crystal Paine: Paine shares creative ways to manage money, generate income and live a life of deeper meaning.

Chasing Slow: Courage to Journey Off the Beaten Path by Erin Loechner: In Chasing Slow, Erin turns away from fast and fame and frenzy. Follow along as she blazes the trail toward a new-fashioned lifestyle—one that will refresh your perspective, renew your priorities, and shift your focus to the journey that matters most.

Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert: With a tagline of “creative living beyond fear,” this is a great read for anyone looking to do the work they love to do.

Everything by Gretchen Rubin. I can count on her to release a new book every so often, and Better Than Before is an amazing read about habits. The Happiness Project changed my life when I read it hen it first came out, and I’m kind of obsessed with each book she releases. You won’t be disappointed! Her newest book (March 2019) is about decluttering!

My Favorite Planners

Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo: In this New York Times Best Seller, Japanese cleaning consultant Marie Kondo promises that if you properly simplify and organize your home once, you’ll never have to do it again.

Make It Happen by Lara Casey: The author encourages women to take the leap toward whatever they have always wanted, but have been too paralyzed by fear and other obstacles to go after.

Cultivate: A Grace-Filled Guide to Growing an Intentional Life by Lara Casey: Women often feel like they have to have it all together in order to live a meaningful life. Instead they feel inadequate, overwhelmed, and exhausted as they to figure out how to do it all. Author, business owner, and mom to three Lara Casey offers sound and grace-filled advice: “We can’t do it all, and do it well. But, we can choose to cultivate what matters.”