Photo by Noémi Macavei-Katócz
Some posts contain affiliate links, which means that if you make a purchase, I may earn a commission.
I know what it looks like when my life gets out of balance: I’m distracted, unmotivated, and unsure of what I’m even working towards.
The sooner I realise this, the better. Then I can start to treat my body, mind, energy, and focus with more respect and get back on track.
I also like to pick up a few self-improvement and personal development books to remind me:
a) Why it’s better to be working towards my goals than watching Netflix.
b) That I’m capable of doing so much when I get to work and focus on the right things.
Here are some of the best self improvement books for 2023 I’ve found to give me a kick in the pants when I’m feeling lost, lazy, distracted, or unmotivated.
Browse through the list, see what jumps out, and let the books help you improve your life, reach your goals, and be the best version of you. Let’s get started…
The best self-improvement books to change your life in 2023
The Greatness Mindset: Unlock the Power of Your Mind and Live Your Best Life Today by Lewis Howes
Read The Greatness Mindset if you want… the encouragement and tools to transform one of the essential levers for living well: your mindset.
You’ve probably heard of Lewis Howes and his podcast, The School of Greatness. His new book for 2023, The Greatness Mindset, will wake up the ideas, dreams, and potential inside you to guide you towards the life you dream of living.
Outlive: The Science and Art of Longevity by Peter Attia MD with Bill Gifford
Read Outlive if you want to… discover the latest science-backed ways to get your body and mind in the best shape for longevity.
If you want to live better – and longer – I’d wholeheartedly recommend Outlive, Peter Attia’s groundbreaking new manifesto on the science and art of longevity.
Like Peter’s popular podcast, this book will challenge conventional medical thinking and reveal a new approach to health. Learn how to prevent chronic disease and extend healthspan, not just lifespan.
Excellent Advice for Living: Wisdom I Wish I’d Known Earlier by Kevin Kelly
Read Excellent Advice for Living if you want to… feel inspired by easy-to-read, wise, and practical snippets of wisdom for living well in one of the top self-help books for 2023.
If you hang around in tech circles, you’ve probably heard of Kevin Kelly, co-founder of Wired, author, and technology thinker.
This new motivational book is a collection of ideas and proverbs that started on Kevin’s 68th birthday, when he began to write down for his young adult children what he wish he knew earlier about life.
At Your Best: How to Get Time, Energy, and Priorities Working in Your Favor by Carey Nieuwhof
Read At Your Best if you want to… enjoy an actionable self-help book about time management to recalibrate your life and get in the best position for success.
What does it look and feel like when you’re at your best in your work, relationships, and health? At Your Best is a fantastic self-improvement book for getting your time, energy, and priorities working in your favour in 2023.
Think Big: Take Small Steps and Build the Future You Want by Dr Grace Lordan
Read Think Big if you want to… inspire yourself to think bigger and take bolder leaps in 2023 with an inspiring personal growth book.
How would your life change if you started thinking bigger? If you dreamed bigger dreams, set bigger goals, and made bigger changes? This personal development book is the answer.
I love Dr Grace Lordan’s guide to thinking bigger and taking actionable steps to build the future you want.
Never Finished: Unshackle Your Mind and Win the War Within by David Goggins
Read Never Finished if you want to… stop making excuses and get in the right state of mind to achieve big things.
David Goggins’s first book, Can’t Hurt Me, is one of the most popular self-improvement books of the last few years, offering unbeatable motivation to push harder and find more resilience.
For more tough love and harsh truths about why you’re not where you want to be (and how to change that in record speed), read Goggins’s new book for 2022, Never Finished.
The Build-a-Habit Guide: A Research-Backed Program to Make Habits Stick by Therapy Notebooks
Read The Build-a-Habit Guide if you want to… follow a research-backed program to make new habits stick in a beautiful clothbound self-help book.
One of the core parts of any self-improvement journey is building positive habits. With this beautiful book from Therapy Notebooks, one of my favourite creators of self-help notebooks, it’s more appealing than ever to build good habits.
Keep your copy of the expert-backed guide on your desk and take it with you as you go about your day for accountability and motivation.
The Comfort Crisis: Embrace Discomfort To Reclaim Your Wild, Happy, Healthy Self by Michael Easter
Read The Comfort Crisis if you want to… discover the evolutionary mind and body benefits of living at the edges of your comfort zone and reconnecting with the wild.
The Comfort Crisis is one of the most inspiring and readable non-fiction books I’ve read in the last couple of years. Pick up a copy and learn how embracing discomfort is actually a path to reclaiming your happiest and healthiest self.
The Well-Lived Life: A 102-Year-Old Doctor’s Six Secrets to Health and Happiness at Every Age by Gladys McGarey M.D
Read The Well-Lived Life if you want to… discover how to honour your body, health, and time on earth from a woman who knows this better than anyone.
In The Well-Lived Life, one of the best self-help books for 2023, 102-year-old Dr Gladys McGarey shares what she’s learned about transforming your health and your life.
It’s a new book that will not only change the way you think about health and longevity, but also what it means to live a life full of joy and satisfaction.
Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals by Oliver Burkeman
Read Four Thousand Weeks if you want to… rediscover the real meaning of time management, productivity, and living well.
How do you actually want to spend your time here on earth? Four Thousand Weeks is one of the most inspiring books to help you answer that question – and one of the best productivity books I’ve ever read.
I flew through this philosophical self-development book in 2022 and covered it with notes and annotations. It’ll make you rethink productivity and time management and dive into what it’s all ultimately for.
Stolen Focus: Why You Can’t Pay Attention- and How to Think Deeply Again by Johann Hari
Read Stolen Focus if you want to… win back your focus and learn how to pay attention in a world that wants to distract you.
Have you also lost your ability to pay attention? Stolen Focus is Johann Hari’s groundbreaking examination from 2022 of why this is happening to so many of us – and how to regain the art of thinking deeply.
Do Hard Things: Why We Get Resilience Wrong and the Surprising Science of Real Toughness by Steve Magness
Read Do Hard Things if you want to… achieve your biggest goals in the face of challenges, adversity, and discomfort.
What does resilience actually mean? According to Steve Magness, performance expert and author of Do Hard Things and Peak Performance, we usually get it wrong.
Do Hard Things is his exploration of the science of real toughness and how you can work with your body to transcend discomfort and find strength you never knew you had.
The Art of Impossible: A Peak Performance Primer by Steven Kotler
Read The Art of Impossible if you want… lessons from the elite performers – athletes, artists, scientists, CEOs, and more – who have changed the definition of what’s possible.
What are you truly capable of? A lot, explains Steven Kotler in this inspiring guide to peak performance.
Read this to learn how to stretch your potential, exceed your expectations, and achieve your most impossible dreams.
Discipline Is Destiny: The Power of Self-Control by Ryan Holiday
Read Discipline is Destiny if you want to… take your next step on the path to self-mastery, upon which all the other virtues depend.
Discipline is Destiny is Ryan Holiday’s 2022 addition to his bestselling Stoic Virtues Series, inspired by the stories of historical figures we can emulate to live our best lives.
With this new book from one of the best personal growth authors, make 2023 the year you become laser-focused on your goals and the deep work you need to reach them, inspired by those who mastered the power of self-control to live incredible lives.
Stop Living on Autopilot: Take Responsibility for Your Life and Rediscover a Bolder, Happier You by Antonio Neves
Read Stop Living on Autopilot if you want to… stop coasting and make a bold and courageous shift in your life.
If you like reading actionable self-help books to help you get back on track, read this bestseller from success coach Antonio Neves.
It’s a fantastic book to help you recommit to your life, find your drive, and take action in the next 30 days, setting the groundwork for lasting happiness rather than chasing quick fixes.
