It’s now February. Have the blues taken over from champagne-fuelled excitement yet? Have the resolutions been quietly dropped? If the answer is yes, it might be time to seek encouragement. If you want to “do better”, you could do worse than to pick up a self-help book.
Every year sees an avalanche of new motivational titles, some of dubious merit, but there are also enduring classics that have inspired legions of folk to achieve their goals.
These are ten of my recommendations for the ultimate self-help reading list:
1. The Power of Now A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment, Eckhart Tolle
Paris Hilton took this book with her to read in jail, but don’t let that be a put-off. The core message, based on Zen Buddhism, is that living in the now, rather than fixating on the past or future, is the route to happiness.
2. Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff…and it’s All Small Stuff, Richard Carlson
The first of a bestselling series of self-help books that teach techniques in perspective. The idea is to break with overdramatisation, which allows worry to flourish — and focus on appreciating the good things in life.
3. The How of Happiness, Sonja Lyubomirsky
Lyubomirsky, a psychology researcher at the University of California, presents a theory that everyone has a happiness ‘set point’ that determines how positive they feel. It offers a practical approach to help readers find a higher level of happiness.
4. Feeling Good: The New Mood Therapy, David D Burns
This book introduced to a lay audience the basic tenets of cognitive behavioural therapy. The effects of this book on depressed people have been studied by psychologists, who found that in some cases it may be as effective as drugs or psychotherapy.
5. Feel The Fear And Do It Anyway, Susan Jeffers
Classic book with an anti-time-wasting message that urges readers to stop trying to perfect their mental state before getting on with the things they want to do. Jeffers theory is that positive emotions usually follow once you start taking action.
6. Getting Things Done, David Allen
This book presents a system of organising to do lists, while always asking: “What’s the next action?”. The idea is to mentally declutter, allowing greater focus and productivity. The process is captured on a simple one-page flowchart – perfect to pin over your desk.
7. The Road Less Travelled, M Scott Peck
This pop-psychology watershed presents psychotherapy as an exercise in “love” and “spiritual growth”. Harmonizing psychoanalysis and spirituality, Christ and Buddha, Peck inspires readers and helps them explore their self discipline, love, faith and growth.
8. How To Win Friends And Influence People, Dale Carnegie
Described by The Times as “The most successful self-help book of all time” this confidence-boosting book, first published in 1937, remains relevant and compelling. A no-nonsense, practical, easy-to-read guide to being a better person.
9. Think and Grow Rich, Napoleon Hill
This is the result of Hill’s studies into what makes individuals more successful and wealthy. He found that successful people share certain mental qualities and he devised thirteen steps to help anyone be more successful personally, professionally and financially.
10. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Stephen R Covey
Covey presents principles for solving personal and professional problems. He reveals a step-by-step programme that coaches readers in how to live with fairness, integrity and dignity. The idea is that this approach allows them to create and maximise opportunities.
Do you have any recommendations? Let me know.
