Funnily enough, none of these books are actually about business. I’m a huge fan of mindfulness, and any book that challenges me to look at my life and mindset through a new, more analytical lens will teach me more about entrepreneurship than any “business” book will ever provide. A quote that always stuck with me throughout college is to “never let your schooling interfere with your education.”
The Gap And The Gain by Dan Sullivan
This book can be summed up with two thoughts. Either the events of your life are happening TO you, or the events of your life are happening FOR you. Nobody is ever truly standing still, you’re always trending in one direction or the other. This book asks, “are you trending up, or down?” and provides insight in how to remain in the GAIN, trending upward, rather than the GAP, spiraling downward.
Atomic Habits by James Clear
Small habits compounded over time can have an atomic impact on your life. The truly life changing choices are not the ones that risk the most, seek the most, or happen the quickest. They are the positive habits that you choose, day after day, that will truly propel you forward.
The Slight Edge by Jeff Olson
This book has a similar tone to Atomic Habits, again reiterating the way your daily thinking and daily choices can every day bring you one step closer to a happy, meaningful, successful life. Essentially, the philosophy behind the straight edge is to do all the tiny things that appear to be trivial but have a tremendous impact when done consistently over time.
Think Like A Monk by Jay Shetty
This smooth and easy read outlines all the principles of practicing monks and shows you how you can appropriate those ideals into your everyday life. I’m still in the first half of this book but already I’m thinking differently about the stressors in my life (and my business), how I approach negative feelings, and questioning what’s truly cluttering my creative mind.
How Are You Really? by Jenna Kutcher
This New York Times best seller is about staying true to your authentic self. Jenna tells her story of love, loss, and her path to entrepreneurship, but in doing so she also asks you to look at your own life. To stop and consider asking yourself how you’re really, truly feeling in the moment. How to celebrate when life hands you a win, and how to nurture yourself when life hands you a loss. Honestly, this book brought me to tears within the first three pages.
