I’ve always loved reading. In high school, I used to wrap my head around romance and fiction. Frequently, Iwould write stories. But since I transitioned to the part of my life where I had to make life-changing decisions, build my career and assume my choices, I pivoted towards personal development books. A wise man once said that every book you read is a conversation with the author. Through these conversations, I uncovered trauma I didn’t know I had, and started the journey of improving my relationships with different key aspects of my life: finances, productivity, self-worth and mindset. Having read these books has helped me improve a lot of aspects of my life, and I am sharing these recommendations with you in the hope that it does the same for you.

I previously made a list of personal development books that I recommend, a few years ago, and it helped many.

Life’s a journey. And the more “quality” companions you bring along with you, the more quality support you get too. With no further ado, here are the personal development books that elevated me in 2022. 

Personal Development Books: Mindset Upgrade

Essentialism (Greg McKeown)

I first encountered this book when it was recommended by my “new” mentor, Gloria Atanmo (GloGraphics). Back then, she was not my mentor, but I used to be inspired by her outlook on life, productivity, creativity and who she is as a content creator and a business woman. When I first encountered this book, every single chapter pinched a part of my heart, making me feel like “Greg (the author) is speaking to me”. I loved this book because it helped me to realize that in a world where more is more, in fact, less is more. And the more you focus on what you have, the more you realize you have a lot more than you think. It helped me to declutter my mind, my approach to things and ease into life in a way I never had. I will definitely re-read it again this year.

Relentless: From Good to Great to Unstoppable (Tim Grover)

I didn’t think I could find a personal development book that could describe key aspects of my character as much as this one did. I felt like Tim Grover was speaking to me. At first I refused to associate myself with the traits that he described, but the more he went on, the more I realized: this is me! Using daily analogies of everyday heroes who are relentless and have become unstoppable, Tim Grover re-infused in me the desire to activate the power that comes with being relentless, which I had temporarily left dormant because I felt like at times, it was a burden. This book describes what mental toughness truly is, and gives tangible examples of how it plays daily. If you tend to set goals but also give up because you are not as resilient as you would like to be, this book is for you. 

Get off your “But” (Sean Stephenson)

Ah, an ode to all the excuses we give ourselves to NOT go for the things God has destined us for. Get off your But is the wake-up call that you need if you’re sleeping on yourself, feeling demotivated or always believe that others have more reasons to succeed than you. With every chapter of this personal development book, I felt more and more drawn to draw in my inner courage. But the biggest lesson for me beyond this book, was seeing everything that the author, Sean Stephenson had overcome and achieved in his life, despite having a long-life disease that makes existence unthinkably challenging: osteogenesis imperfecta (Brittle Bone Disease). If I didn’t learn anything from this book, I would have learned the biggest lesson from Sean Stephenson’s achievements during his earthly life. 

Start with Why: Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action (Simon Sinek)

A book for leaders: leaders of teams, businesses, organizations. I definitely need to re-read this one. This personal development book had so many leadership concepts to grasp (based on vision and mission), and I don’t think I grasped them all. I still have it in my library, and I hope to revisit it this year.

The Secret (Rhonda Byrne)

My mom first introduced me to this book series. In reality, I think I got my love for self-development books from her. This personal development book epitomizes the power of attraction, which in reality is a law in the universe set by God, creator of the universe. People might consider this magical, but I would argue that this is because they are not aware of how the universe works. As human beings, the energy we radiate is the one we attract, and what we live through and experience in our life is a reflection of this. This personal development book shows you examples of how you can change your life by changing your thoughts. 

The Power of No (James Altucher and Claudia Azula Altucher)

I liked this book because it used real life examples (from the authors) on how they set boundaries in their life so that they can achieve the things that were more in line with their destiny. Interestingly, because they are both narrating the book, you get two different perspectives. If you struggle with setting boundaries and prioritizing yourself, this book would be a great read.

Personal Development Books: Finances

The Mindset of a Millionaire (Bob Proctor, Chris Widener, Larry Iverson, Debbie Allen, Sherrin Ross Ingram, Pamela Jett)

This was an excellent book to end the year 2022 with. In this collection, you get not just one, but at least 6-7 accounts from millionaires on how they changed their mindset, built their wealth and sustained it in the long term. I loved this book because each author shares experiences from his/her own life and business, which gives you a wealth of perspectives and industries to learn from. I was surprised to learn about how one of the authors shared his roadmap to becoming a millionaire by being a writer and a podcaster. This book blew my mind, and I am definitely going through it again in 2023. Too good to have only one serving!

The Science of Getting Rich (Wallace D. Wattles)

Yes, there is a science to it, according to Wallace D. Wattles, and he made sure to remind us of this every single time! I loved how he simplified the concept of building wealth, and demystified it. I also loved how he emphasized on the fact that if you follow the pathway and the systems of those who have acquired and maintained wealth, you will always get there. This personal development book is a GREAT piece to start with if you want to be rich, wealthy, but still feel a little bit uncomfortable thinking or talking about money. Abundant money. 

Nice girls don’t get the corner office: 101 Unconscious Mistakes Women Make That Sabotage (Lois P. Frankel)

This book is the personal development/professional book I didn’t know I needed. I thought I had the whole corporate, business aspect figured out until Lois pointed out some of the mistakes that I would make “unconsciously” on a daily basis. As soon as I started with this book, I also started implementing the tips right away, and could feel the difference within me. I love how she gives easy “calls-to-action” to follow and put in practice as you go along, with every single lesson. This book is for every woman out there. Every single one. Get it.

Personal Development Books: Productivity

Civilisation du poisson rouge: Petit Traité sur le marché de l’attention (Bruno Patino)

This book is in French, and I am not sure if it has already been translated in english. This book was recommended to me by one of the francophone YouTube leaders that I follow. In this book, Bruno shows how social media has finessed its way into commanding our attention at 4 different levels, changing our behavioral and consumer habits and making us more disconnected from our reality. I needed this book at a time when I felt like I was consuming more social media content than I was creating, and I felt out of touch with my reality. I enjoyed the awareness that this personal development book helped me restore, and would recommend it. If you don’t understand French, try to look for any similar book on social media and its impact on our society.

High Performance Habits: High Performance Habits: How Extraordinary People Become That Way (Brendon Burchard)

I was introduced to Brendon Burchard by my now mentor, Gloria Atanmo (back then she wasn’t, but now, she is!). She used to share a lot about the impact that he has had on her life, and I wanted to experience it as well. I discovered Brendon during the pandemic, and his teachings have had such a tremendous impact on my productivity. Imagine trying to find a glimpse of light during such a chaotic time! With what I learned from High Performance Habits, I was able to structure myself around my priorities, organize my months and weeks in alignment with my higher vision, and achieve a lot more even at a time when the world was disrupted. I purchased the High Performance Planners, which I don’t stop recommending to anyone who wants to get started with a life planner with a focus on productivity. The planner goes hand in hand with the book. 

The 4-Hour Workweek: Escape 9-5, Live Anywhere, and Join the New Rich (Timothy Ferriss)

Can you believe that this personal development book by Timothy Ferriss was actually released in 2009? Where were we? (laughs heartily). Now that we live in an era where everyone wants to be remote (or at least the majority), this book is even more relevant. I would admit that when I first read this personal development book, I didn’t believe the concept. And even after hearing Tim’s arguments, I was still on the fence. However, looking back now, I can understand and see why it makes sense and how it can be implemented. I think I’ll give this book another go in 2023. I definitely recommend this if you are considering turning to remote work at some point in your life: in 2023 or beyond. Remote work has truly opened doors for me, including being able to travel to more than 25 countries without having to quit my full-time job. Also interested in finding companies that are hiring remotely around the world? Check out my FREE Remote Jobs Directory!

Personal development Books: Relationships

Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus (John Gray)

Ah, the urge we have to want to make men understand and see things our way, even though they are completely different creatures. No wonder God chose to create man and woman on two different days. This book did not make me understand men, but made me understand they are different. And that is probably ALL we need to know? LOL. But in all seriousness, this is also the beauty of human nature. The dichotomy between men and women: they clash, but are bound to love each other, for that is how they sustain and maintain the human race. I loved this book. It gave me a better perspective and understanding of the male “race”, and I think I am getting back to it in 2023!

PS: I was able to get learn from these 13 books by using Audible from Amazon. Audible provides audiobooks in almost all categories. Essentially, the majority of physical books have audiobooks versions. This was very convenient for me because I could listen to these audiobooks on my way to work, while working out, while making dinner, or running errands. Even though I like the feeling of flipping through the pages of a book, I absolutely love the convenience of audiobooks because I can sneak in a few chapters a day as while I am on the go. Try it out by getting a free 1-month trial of Amazon Audible here, and let me know what you think.

PS: if you purchase from any link included here, I might get rewarded. That means we are both winning, because I wouldn’t recommend a book that I didn’t encounter personally.

I hope you get a pick from this personal development books list that will help you elevate in terms of mindset, finances, productivity or relationship this year. Do you have any book recommendations for me? If yes, drop it below, and let me know why you love it!