Our Favorite Personal Development Books, December 2017
1. A Real-Life Guide to Stepping Back, Slowing Down, and Creating a Simpler, Joy-Filled Life
“Less is more” is not just a slogan; to Rachel Jonat, it’s a way of life. She’s the creator of The Minimalist Mom website and the author of Do Less, a guide to a minimalist lifestyle. Now further along the minimalist path, she’s here to teach us how to do nothing. If that sounds unlikely, keep this in mind: Jonat and her husband adopted a minimalist way of living in 2010 and paid off $80,000 in debt in two years.
Of course, The Joy of Doing Nothing is not really about doing nothing. It’s about extending the concept of minimalism beyond stuff. It’s about liberating yourself from the sense of urgency that injects so much stress into everyday life. Jonat shows how to step away from the things you think need doing, so you can concentrate on what’s really important. Stop overscheduling, scale back and take care of yourself.
2. Believe It to Achieve It
Overcome Your Doubts, Let Go of the Past, and Unlock Your Full Potential
Motivational superstar Brian Tracy, author of Eat That Frog!, has a new plan to help people let go of negative thoughts. Because this can be really hard to do, Tracy teamed with psychotherapist Christina Stein to comb the latest scientific research for what they call their Psychology of Achievement program.
It’s intended to identify patterns of thinking that keep people from reaching their goals, in business and in life. Some negativity arises from childhood trauma, others from painful later disappointments. Some of the most destructive negative thinking resides in the subconscious, sabotaging efforts at success and happiness. Tracy and Stein promise to help control negativity, replacing it with positive thinking.
3. Field Manual
For Jocko Willink, former Navy SEAL and author of the New York Times best-seller Extreme Ownership, the only way to make real progress is through discipline. Without discipline, Willink says, it’s too easy to quit. Discipline Equals Freedom is a guide to preparing yourself to succeed.
Part One focuses on your thoughts. “To reach the goals,” Willink writes, “and overcome obstacles and become the best version of you possible will not happen by itself and it will not happen cutting corners, taking shortcuts, or looking for the easy way. There is no easy way.” In Part Two, Willink highlights the importance of your actions, how to properly fuel your body, prevent injury and recover. And for those who are really looking to push themselves, the appendix is filled with specific and intense workouts. If you attempt them, remember: Don’t cut corners.
4. Your Competitive Edge
Jim Stovall and Raymond H. Hull, Ph.D., say personal development is impossible without learning. That’s why learning is the most basic skill, and why you can never stop learning, especially in the modern information economy, where what you know can be more critical than what you do. Stovall, a former Olympic weightlifter turned best-selling author and motivational speaker, and Hull, an expert at training public speakers, share the latest on how to learn, plus how to put new knowledge to work.
5. 12 Steps to Finding Emotional Healing, Spiritual Fulfillment, and Renewed Energy
Habib Sedeghi, a former health expert at Fox News, bases this book on the mind-body practices he used to recover from testicular cancer 20 years ago. Mingling Western medicine with Eastern spirituality, his program promises to rid the body of harmful thoughts, while his Intentional Unsaturation Diet flushes the body of the effects of repressed emotions to make it easier to be clear in body, mind and soul.
6. A Jump-Start Guide to Overcoming Low Motivation, Depression, or Just Feeling Stuck
Director of psychotheraphy at the Treatment Resistant Depression program at Emory University, Rachel Hershenberg says the little things in life can be as important as the big ones. Everyday choices as simple as turning off the TV and going for a walk, or signing up for a class in something that interests you can, over time, help defeat low motivation and negative moods. Hershenberg bases her strategies on behavioral and activation and commitment therapies, which have worked for many people.
This article originally appeared in the December 2017 issue of SUCCESS magazine.
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Chauncey Mabe is a freelance writer, book critic, and blogger in Miami, Fla. For 23 years he served as Book Editor and Senior Entertainment Writer at the Sun-Sentinel in Fort Lauderdale. He was Book Blogger for the Florida Center for the Literary Arts, the parent organization of Miami Book Fair International, from 2009 to 2012. He also blogs for the Betsy Hotel South Beach hotel, which sponsors literary events year round. His reviews and feature stories have appeared in publications such as the Toronto Globe & Mail, the Serving House Journal, Inspicio, the Palm Beach Arts Paper, the Baltimore Sun, the Juneau Empire, and the Chicago Tribune.