The Best Personal Development Books for 2021

The Best Personal Development Books for 2021

“A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies. The man who never reads only lives one.” ~George R. R. Martin

Reading is a habit that should be practiced and cultivated by everyone.

It is a habit that is practiced by nearly every successful person in existence.

So, if you’re one of those “I don’t read” people, listen up!

Non-fiction personal development books teach you the tools to overcome self-imposed limitations and help you succeed in life.

Some of the topics they cover include, but are not limited to: time management, productivity, finances, habits, living intentionally, decision making, self-discipline, and more.

Before we dive into the list, let’s talk about why personal development matters.

Why Personal Development Matters

“The life you currently live, is the life you think you’re worth.” ~Terri Savelle Foy

I love this quote because it makes you question if where you’re at is fulfilling and purposeful, or leaves you longing for more.

It makes you consider what your current lifestyle says about you, and how that conclusion makes you feel about yourself.

Nobody wants to read that quote and think about how unfulfilling their job is or how they’re living paycheck to paycheck, barely getting by.

How dysfunctional (or absent) their relationships have become.

The bad habits they’ve maintained for years, negatively impacting their life, but they just can’t seem to give them up.

Personal development starts with the understanding that the path to happiness, success, joy, fulfillment, and purpose in life only comes through one’s own personal growth.

Through personal development and subsequently, personal growth, you learn the value (and practice) of self-discipline, good habits, productivity, building exceptional relationships, time management, setting goals (and achieving them) and so much more.

If you’re reading this now and thinking you want more for your life (and you should!), this list is for you.

Grab some books and get inspired to change, then make that change by applying what you’ve learned.

I’ll admit-reading has always come naturally to me, but unfortunately for some, it doesn’t. That doesn’t mean you can’t learn to love reading.

But just for the stubborn of you out there, I’ve also included the audio book where possible.

That said, let’s dig into the best personal development books for 2021.

The Best Personal Development Books for 2021

Rich Dad, Poor Dad

This book is not new, but its content has never been more relevant.

My husband and I both read this book in 2020 and I wish I’d read it much sooner.

It is the #1 finance book of all time, and rightfully so.

The key takeaway is the rich have a learned financial intelligence that the poor and middle class do not.

Robert Kiosaki teaches you the financial intelligence you need to become rich and get out of the rat race.

His explanation of the tax system is also eye-opening and informative.

If there’s one book on this list you should read, it just might be this one.

Many people hate talking about-or reading about-money because it invokes all the negative feelings they have regarding their own financial situation.

But those are the people who need to read this book the most!

Get the book here.

Audio version available here.

Smart Women Finish Rich

Another important book about money and finances.

Again, if you’re someone who hates talking about money because of your current financial situation, you need to read this book.

David Bach explains how you don’t have to make a 6 or 7-digit salary to become a millionaire.

A change as simple as forgoing your routine morning Starbucks run can save you a lot of money in the long run.

Ultimately, our spending habits are tied to what we consider of value, and our spending habits are directly correlated with our financial status.

He also explains the importance of financial literacy for women, who often rely on their husbands to take care of all the finances and quite often end up screwed as a result of their ignorance.

Get the book here.

Girl, Stop Apologizing: A Shame-Free Plan for Embracing and Achieving Your Goals

Hot on the heels of the success of Girl, Wash Your Face, Rachel Hollis follows up with Girl, Stop Apologizing.

The book is divided into three sections:

• Excuses to Let Go Of
• Behaviors to Adopt
• Skills to Acquire

I will likely, at some point, read this book again.  It breaks down the truth behind excuses such as “that’s not what other women do” or “I’m afraid of failure” and why you need to ditch them.

The “Behaviors to Adopt” section is probably my favorite.

If you’re struggling to figure out what steps to take to form good habits, this section is extremely helpful.

She even gives you exercises you can easily put into practice to build up good habits.

Get the book here.

You can find the audio version of this book here.

Breaking the Habit of Being Yourself: How to Lose Your Mind and Create A New One

This book delves into the idea you can completely re-program your brain.

If you feel stuck and you see your dreams as impossible, you’re going to want to get this book. Dr. Joe Dispenza gives you step-by-step tools to apply what you’ve learned to any area of your life.

Changing your thinking and understanding you aren’t doomed to repeat the past by changing your thinking is where all positive change in life stems from.

I read this book in 2020, and it significantly has had a lasting impact that has permanently changed the way I think.

If you struggle with self-limiting beliefs and thoughts, you need to read this book, because your thoughts control everything.

Get the book here.

Audio version available here.

High-Performance Habits: How Successful People Become That Way

Brendon Burchard teaches you the six habits to make your life extraordinary, based on extensive research Burchard did on high performers.

Each habit is backed with thought-provoking exercises you can do on your own to implement the teachings into your own life.

This was another book I read just this past year that helped me move the needle forward.

I recommend all of Brendon Burchard’s content-his podcast has helped me tremendously as well.

You can get the book here, audio version here and the accompanying High Performance Planner here.

5 Things Successful People Do Before 8 AM

In this book, Terri Savelle Foy shows you how to create an effective morning routine based off the routines and habits of successful people.

You’ll learn the cornerstone habits that make up a successful morning routine, such as journaling, reading and exercise, and, additionally, the habits of unsuccessful people and how to determine if you’re headed in the direction of success.

If your morning routine currently consists of hitting snooze ten times and wasting the first hour of your day checking and scrolling social media, this is a great book to help establish habits that set you up for a great day.

Get the book here and the audio book here.

Think and Grow Rich

An oldie but a goodie by Napoleon Hill, this book is still just as relevant today as it was when it released back in 1937.

That’s one of the benefits of investing in personal development books-much of what they teach is evergreen, and the content remains relevant decades-or in this case, nearly a century-later.

These are the books you want on your bookshelf in your personal library, so they’re always there for a re-read when you need them.

In Think and Grow Rich, Napoleon Hill teaches the principles of success based on stories of experience from Andrew Carnegie, Thomas Edison, Henry Ford and other millionaires of his time.

Get the book here and the audio version here.

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change

Stephen Covey’s 7 Habits continues to be a best-seller because, despite its age (30 years old), Covey ignored trends and pop culture to produce an evergreen system of 7 habits to invoke personal change that are still relevant today.

A classic, must-read in the personal development niche regarding change.

Get the book here and the accompanying workbook here.

The 15 Invaluable Laws of Growth: Live Them and Reach Your Full Potential

I’m a huge John Maxwell fan.

Bias aside, there is so much value in this book. I’ve recommended it to several people since finishing it, and plan to read it again.

The law of trade-offs was probably my favorite of the 15 “laws” but each one brings value of its own.

Maxwell shows you how to apply each law to your own life.

Remember-it’s easy to read a book, but it’s in the application of what you’ve learned to your own life that counts.

Get the book here and the audio version here.

The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up

There’s power in decluttering and organization, and it’s more than just the obvious.

We live in a society obsessed with accumulating “stuff,” but it brings chaos more than it brings us happiness.

Marie Kondo teaches you how to declutter your house for good and never have to do it again.

Why is decluttering and organization pivotal to personal development?

Because when your home is clean, organized and free of random items that no longer serve you, it releases the mental clutter in your brain that disrupts your peace.

You can get the book here and the audio version here.

No Excuses: The Power of Self-Discipline

Brian Tracy shows you how to be more disciplined in each area of your life throughout the 21 chapters in this book, with activities at the end of each chapter you can practice to develop the habit of self-discipline.

Tracy points out that success doesn’t happen as a result of good luck, but as a result of goal-setting, self-discipline, and determination.

Get the book here.

The audio book is available here.

Atomic Habits: An Easy and Proven Way to Build Good Habits and Break Bad Ones

James Clear gets down to the root of habit formation: our systems.

If you have a faulty system in place, you’ll likely succumb to bad habits.

Reform your system, and succeed at creating good habits and ditching the bad ones.

Clear teaches you how to overcome a lack of motivation and will-power, create an environment conducive to success, how to get back on track when you fall off, and more.

Get the book here.

Audible available here.

How to Win Friends and Influence People

In Andrew Carnegie’s timeless classic, he teaches you how to get people to like you, win people over with your way of thinking, and how to get people to change without them manifesting resentment.

Get the book here and the audio version here.

Girl, Wash Your Face: Stop Believing the Lies About Who You Are, So You Can Become Who You Were Meant to Be

I couldn’t not mention this best-selling staple.

In this book, Rachel Hollis discredits the lies you’ve been telling yourself for years, such as, “I’m not good enough,” “I should be further along by now,” “I’m a bad mom,” and many more.

You can’t miss this one.

Get the book here and the audio version here.

Beyond the Pages

As you can see from this list, there’s more to success than just reading personal development books.

You must apply what you’ve learned.

When you get to the end of a chapter and see questions or other activities tied into the chapter’s theme, don’t skip over it.

This is how you apply what you’ve learned to your own life, and, furthermore, how you grow so you can improve in the areas of personal development you’re struggling in.

Another way you can apply what you’ve learned is to use a coding system.

Every time you have a reading session, use these codes to help you remember and apply what you’ve learned:

Q-Use “Q” for a quote you want to keep. I have a ton of quotes in my notes app on my phone for reference, but ultimately I’d like to store them on an Excel spreadsheet.

B-Use “B” for buy when an author references another book that interests you.

S-Use “S” for share if you want to share the content with another person whom you think would benefit.

Before You Go

Reading personal development books or listening to their audio counterparts is a cornerstone of personal development and personal growth.

Applying the principles and teachings into your own life will invoke positive change and lead you on the path to that life you’ve been dreaming about, but aren’t quite sure how to get to.

What are your favorite personal development books?

Is there one I missed that should be on my list?

Let me know in the comments below.

Read Next:

• The Best Personal Development Podcasts
• How to Increase Your Value
• The Truth About Self-Care
• How to Live an Offense-Free Life
• Sunday Routines for a Productive Week
• 3 Morning Routines You Need to Stop Doing