Early into dating, my now husband said to me, “Do you realize that about one in three of your sentences begins with ‘I was reading and…?” No, I hadn’t realized that. But it made sense.
I love to read. My Kindle tells me that I’ve read continuously for 373 weeks. That’s over seven years of reading at least once a week. And that doesn’t include offline books.
When I can’t find something new to read, I seek out top ten lists. What kind of lists? I’ll admit, I’m not a big fan of fiction. Heck – I don’t even read many compliance-related books (don’t tell anybody!). What I love most is a good mindset book to expand my thoughts.
It’s about to be summer, so it’s summer reading season. While none of my choices will take the place of a trashy romance or thriller, they will grow your mind, be entertaining, and thought provoking at the same time.
Each of these books has changed my mindset and the way I approach my life and work. In no particular order, here are my top ten choices to improve your mindset and life.
The Magic of Thinking Big is a classic. It was written in 1959 by David J. Schwartz, PhD., but it’s still as fresh and inspirational as ever. The book is about the incredible results that come from dreaming big and believing that we can be, have, and do anything we choose. I pick this one up to fuel my fire whenever I’m feeling off.
2. How to Win Friends and Influence People
How to Win Friends and Influence People is a seminal mindset book. It was written by Dale Carnegie many decades ago, but there’s a reason people still read it today. When my first book, How to Be a Wildly Effective Compliance Officer came out, it was featured in the Wall Street Journal. The article’s author, Ben DiPietro, described it as the How to Win Friends and Influence People for the compliance officer. I’ve rarely been so proud.
Jen Sincero’s book You Are a Badass is a modern marvel. I’m not going to lie – there’s a lot of woo thinking in it, but she makes the mindset for success totally relatable. Hers is a rags to riches story where she breaks down how she moved from miserable to wildly successful. The tone is somewhat snarky and full of cussing. Reading it is like listening to your best friend tell raucous stories with heart and important lessons while drinking too much wine.
I love Ryan Serhant’s book Big Money Energy. It’s subtitled “How to Rule at Work, Dominate at Life, and Make Millions.” Who doesn’t want that? Ryan Serhant was cast in the TV show Million Dollar Listing when he wasn’t so much a million-dollar listing real estate agent. He’s got a fantastic fake it ‘til you make it mentality, coupled with laugh out loud stories and great advice for thinking really big. Ryan’s audacity is outrageous and outrageously entertaining.
5. Presence
Amy Cuddy’s Presence teaches relatable, science-based information on how to have a more powerful presence. I highlighted the line, “Presence stems from believing in and trusting yourself – your real, honest feelings, and abilities. That’s important, because, if you don’t trust yourself, how can others trust you?” A major focus of this book is overcoming imposter syndrome. It’s great.
6. 12 Power Principles for Success
Mindset guru Bob Proctor’s 12 Principles for Success is a seminal text for the mindset movement. With sections on risk, persistence, responsibility, confidence, action, goals, and more, it covers many of the most important topics for both personal and professional success. It’s relatively short and filled with terrific advice.
7. The Most Powerful Woman in the Room is You
I loved The Most Powerful Woman in the Room is You so much that I read it within 24 hours. Lydia Fenet is a high-flying auctioneer at Christie’s. She easily weaves stories of the most expensive art sales ever with candor about her climb up the corporate ladder. Her raw honesty and useful advice enthralled me. If you’re interested in a story-driven book with powerful underlying messages, read this one.
8. Act Like a Success, Think Like a Success
This is a book where pop culture meets great mindset. Steve Harvey’s book Act Like a Success, Think Like a Success, chronicles his meteoric rise to fame, but more importantly, his mindset shifts and techniques that allowed him to become the success he is today. His “dream big” philosophy is inspiring. He pulls no punches, but does so in a way that only a world-class comedian can.
9. Secrets of Six Figure Women
I’ve read this book many times over the last fifteen years, and every time I do, I get something different from it. In Secrets of Six Figure Women, author Barbara Stanny looks at the actions, beliefs, and mindsets of multi-six figure earners versus those who struggle. She believes that mindset determines outcomes. It’s a great read that will make you question your own ways of being.
10. Never Eat Alone
I read Keith Ferrazzi’s Never Eat Alone just as I was starting my company, Spark Compliance (now Spark Compliance, a Diligent brand), and boy am I glad I did! It’s the ultimate networking handbook. If you hate networking and feel icky about it, read this book for inspiration. You’ll come away excited to meet new people and to keep in touch with them. It’s both thoughtful and uplifting.
Take some time for yourself this summer to improve your mindset and grow your confidence. Experience new ideas. Try out different techniques. Be inspired. These ten books are a great place to start. Happy reading!