Can I let you in on a secret to success?
Here it is …
The most successful people in the world are avid readers.
And in this article, you are going to learn about the top 10 best self help books.
These books have helped me transform from having a “poverty consciousness” to an “abundance consciousness.”
What does this mean?
To set the stage, let me start with a true story.
My father grew up on a farm in North Dakota.
When he was a kid, they had no running water, no electricity, no indoor plumbing ...
He just didn't have much.
In fact, there were months when he would have to go to the pawn shop and sell things just to pay the bills!
But now, just one generation later, I've generated millions of dollars online.
You could attribute that to my learned skills or tactics ...
But the truth is that the tactics and skills were only part of the equation.
The actual truth is this:
I changed the scripts that were playing in my head.
When you improve your mindset – when you flip the script, so to speak – you've just accomplished some heavy-lifting ...
Why?
Because what happens in our external world is actually a reflection of what is going on inside of us.
So, how do you fix a bad internal conversation?
How do you reduce the suffering in your life, and start living with a true mindset of power, success, positive thinking, and – ultimately – fulfillment?
Changing your mindset will require a “shift” in your thinking.
And these self-help books will give you that power.
Let's dive in!
#1 - Think And Grow Rich, and Grow Rich With Peace of Mind, by Napoleon Hill …
Or The Success System That Never Fails, by W. Clement Stone
There are many variations of the classic book Think And Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill.
Personally, my favorite is the original, untouched version.
This book basically documents the success system that Napoleon Hill discovered through his life and research.
But The Success System That Never Fails by W. Clement Stone is another book that teaches very similar concepts.
A lot of people assume that the book Think And Grow Rich is all about thinking your way to success ...
But that is not true at all.
In this book, Hill talks a lot about not only changing your thinking, but also applying that transformed mindset to the real world.
In other words, it’s also about the “doing” that goes with the thinking.
It was first published in 1937, but the ideas are still magic, and they are just as relevant today.
In short, there is a lot of power in this book, and it is the number-one recommended book on my list.
The Success System That Never Fails, on the other hand, focuses more on systems for success … which you might find superbly helpful.
And finally, there is Grow Rich With Peace of Mind.
This was Napoleon Hill’s last work, and it summarizes all of his ideas – condensing them down in the most cohesive, coherent way.
All of these books are great!
Choose one and begin reading it ASAP …
Or get all three to get started on your path to self-development.
Get Think And Grow Rich here.
Get The Success System That Never Fails here.
Get Grow Rich With Peace of Mind here.
#2 - You Were Born Rich, by Bob Proctor
This book was published in 1984, and it is actually a seminar and book based on the ideas and concepts written about in Think And Grow Rich.
In other words, it’s basically Bob Proctor's variation and “take” on Napoleon Hill's teachings.
Bob Proctor has been called "the master thinker."
He has an impressive reputation in the game of systematizing one’s life.
From creative positive thinking, to better habits, this book is full of concepts that will help you grasp a better mentality about life and money.
The goal?
… “Unlocking your infinite potential.”
Get the full seminar on YouTube here.
Get the book You Were Born Rich here.
#3 - The Science Of Getting Rich, by Wallace Wattles
This timeless book was published back in 1910.
You’ve undoubtedly heard – and perhaps consider yourself of a practitioner – of the law of attraction.
Well, this book most likely served as one of the major origin points for the concept of the law of attraction.
Many people who have talked about the law of attraction since then (and there are a lot of them out there!) are essentially recapitulating what Wallace Wattles taught in this original book.
This early book is awesome, however, because it is in the public domain …
This means anyone can get it for free online.
If you are into the mode of thinking that inspires the law of attraction, you might just want to go back to the “source” ...
Which happens to be this book.
You’ll find it highly, highly recommended by many people.
Download The Science of Getting Rich for free here.
#4 - Psycho Cybernetics, by Maxwell Maltz
This self-help book, written in 1960, is all about the power of the subconscious mind.
Discovering the power of the subconscious mind has really been the biggest “aha” moment for me …
Both in my business and on my path of personal development and self-discovery.
This book is the absolute best summary of everything that has to do with your subconscious mind:
- How the subconscious mind works
- The concept that you are actually a goal-achieving being
- How to program yourself and your subconscious mind to go after goals
- How to create a reality for yourself that will help take you away from suffering and into positive thinking and success
It is just a super highly recommended book.
Get Psycho Cybernetics here.
#5 - Prosperity Consciousness, by Frederick Lehrman
This is one of those self-help books that is really focused on money.
It focuses on your relationship with money, and also teaches you a system for how to manage it.
There is this “magic of the universe” truth that says this:
“When we prove we can manage some, we will get more.”
This self-help book really does a great job of explaining and building upon that principle …
And it is amazing how well it works!
This book taught me …
- How to escape the “poverty cycle”
- How to build better money habits
It is very highly recommended if you care about learning how to manage money wisely.
Get Prosperity Consciousness here.
#6 - Big Magic, by Elizabeth Gilbert …
Or The War of Art, by Stephen Pressfield
If you are a creative person who wants to start a YouTube channel, blog, or podcast, then these books are absolutely for you!
What does podcasting have to do with creating?
Everything!
Whether you are creating in the digital world or the physical world, you are still a creator ...
And both of these books are terrific self help books for creators.
Don't misunderstand the idea of “creativity” here ...
Anything that you put effort into can be creative.
What does this mean for you?
Being an anesthesiologist can be art!
Both of these books basically help you to look at the process of identifying your “arc” in life. They also teach you how to cultivate, harness, and share what you love with the world.
Do you consider yourself a creator?
If so, these are two of the best books you can possibly read …
Highly recommended!
Get Big Magic here.
Get The War of Art here.
#7 - The 10X Rule, by Grant Cardone
Grant Cordone is a sales trainer and a wealth coach. He teaches real estate investing and sales, and has a massive social media presence.
He is also really knowledgeable of Google and YouTube, and does a lot with search engine optimization.
This book is the only thing of his that I have bought, personally …
And it is likely the only thing of his that I will ever buy.
The 10X rule is a big idea, and both Melanie and I have gone through this book.
Cardone is a little bit intense at times, but sometimes you need somebody to tell you how it is.
In short, he is a straight shooter.
In this book, he will tell you to get it together …
- Get on the path
- Go hustle it up
- Do the work
- Step up to the plate
If you are at a point where you need a drill-sergeant approach, then this book is highly recommended for you.
Get The 10X Rule here.
#8 - Unlimited Power, and Awaken the Giant Within, by Tony Robbins
These are, in my opinion, Tony Robbins' best self help books.
They are both older books, and I would recommend buying the actual books, because the audio versions are shortened and abridged.
How will these books help you?
They will inspire you to become the best version of yourself!
These books will help you to love yourself and what you are doing, as well as to accept one important concept …
You need to have a different mindset when it comes to success and business.
They are straight up some of the best self help books out there, written by “the man” himself, Tony Robbins.
Get Unlimited Power here.
Get Awaken The Giant Within here.
#9 - The Millionaire Next Door, by William D. Danko and Thomas J. Stanley
Interestingly, this book is actually an academic study.
The Millionaire Next Door caused the biggest mindset shift within me that I have ever experienced as a result of a self-help book!
It basically answers the big questions about wealth:
- What is wealth?
- What do wealthy people do?
- What do millionaires do?
It focuses on the fact that wealthy people focus on growing and building assets, not liabilities.
Wealthy people actually spend very little money on liabilities.
New flashy cars, for example, are not assets ... they are liabilities.
If you want to truly generate wealth, and understand how the truly smart, wealthy people do it, this is absolutely one of those self help books best for looking at the issue.
It dives deeply into the philosophies of wealth and money.
Get The Millionaire Next Door here.
#10 - The 80/20 Principle, by Richard Koch
First off, this book is on this list because I think most people don't understand what the 80/20 principle is and how it works in real life.
I get it.
It took me a while to finally make the decision to read it.
When I first started reading this book, I asked myself this question:
"Am I really going to go through this?"
And I am so glad I did.
I can confidently tell you that understanding this principle, practicing it, and focusing on it has given me so many new ideas, new understandings, and a new depth of knowledge.
Knowledge of what?
How a success-driven mindset works.
It got me to see the world differently ...
And when you change the way you look at things, the things you look at start to change as well.
This concept has revolutionized my business, even just within the last six months.
I am already building new things based on the “aha” moments I had while going through it.
Get The 80/20 Principle here.
Conclusion
Keep in mind that the most successful people in the world are avid readers.
CEOs who earn a thousand percent more than floor workers average about five books per month.
The average CEO in America reads about 60 books per year ...
And they earn a lot more money than those who don't read at all.
Is this a coincidence?
It absolutely isn't.
For most people, the last book they read was either in high school or in college ...
And they only read it because they were required to.
There are also obviously a lot of other great self-help books out there as well ... books by authors like Jen Sincero, Dale Carnegie, Brené Brown, etc.
But at the end of the day, it is super important that you choose a path of education.
The cool thing is that this has never been easier. A lot of these books are available as audio books.
You have a cell phone, right?
Well grab some earbuds, and get listening!
In fact, the first thing I do every morning is listen to an audio book while I make my coffee. I take this valuable time to fill my mind with positive information.
I also do this when I'm doing yard work, doing dishes, washing the car, working out, etc.
I make it a point to fill my mind with positive thoughts whenever I have the opportunity ...
And I make sure to do it every single day.
So put in the time and effort, and start on a path of learning.
You will be amazed at what can happen when you start to reprogram your subconscious mind!