30+ Best Self-Help Books to Read in 2024

Get ready to level up by diving into some of my favorite self-help book recommendations that will help you lead a meaningful and fulfilling life.

Why Read Self-Help Books?

The New Year is upon us, but that doesn’t mean you should make self-improvement your New Year’s Resolution. Instead, try to make small incremental changes throughout the year when there is less pressure to do so.

This is where self-help books shine. Self-help books can help guide you as you seek to make changes to your day-to-day life while giving you the freedom to make those changes and self growth at your own pace.

If you are ready to start making changes, here are 30 of the best self-help books that you need to read in 2023!

What Are Self-Help Books?

Self-help books generally try to provide steps that the reader can take to help them reach a specific outcome or expectation.

Whereas, personal development books help you develop personal skills or habits that can be beneficial when trying to advance personally or professionally.

If you have personal problems or weaknesses that you are interested in improving, then self-help books may be something to consider. Self help nonfiction books have the power to give you insights, information, and instructions on personal development and how to improve your life, thinking, or circumstances.

Many self-help books offer strategies that the author has personally used to improve their lives, while others are based on research and scientific inquiry.

Do Self-Help Books Actually Work?

Well, yes, and no. No self-help book is ever going to be able to give you the self-improvement you crave if you’re not willing to do the work.

The best self care books can give you the tools to improve your life, but you are not going to see results unless you take the time and make an effort to apply the principles and lessons that these books teach you.

The 30 Best Self-Help Books to Read in 2023

This list of 30 self-help books features a variety of books that will help you reflect on your life and make big changes.

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Big Magic By Elizabeth Gilbert

One of my favorite self-help books of all time is Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear by Elizabeth Gilbert. This is the incredible story of how ideas float around in the world, trying to find just the right person. She shares some of her most intimate experiences with magic, creativity, and living a fulfilling life. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves to read, including; entrepreneurs, parents, educators, and just about everyone else.

The Life-Changing Magic Of Tidying Up By Marie Kondo

The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing is one of the most life-changing self-help books I have ever read. This book really altered my mindset around stuff! Decluttering can truly be an exciting experience if you have Marie Kondo’s wise words to live by. This book is the foundation of the incredibly popular Konmari Method!

The Little Book of Big Lies: A Journey into Inner Fitness By Tina Lifford

If you like story-driven life lessons, then this raw and incredibly illuminating book by Tina Lifford is perfect for you. This book has 14 personal stories from Lifford that will help you change the way you see not only the world but yourself. This book will help you change your perception and build the life you want.

The Power of Self-Discipline By Brian Tracy

Are you struggling to get past the same lame excuses day after day that are keeping you from achieving your dreams and goals? Your problem might be a lack of self-discipline or your willingness to do what you have to do even when you don’t feel like it. Brian Tracy has packed this book full of activities and exercises to prompt you to make the changes to get out of your comfort zone and reach your personal growth goals, business and money goals, and overall happiness.

You Are A Badass By Jen Sincero

Jen Sincero is blunt and to the point in her motivating self-help book, You Are A Badass: How to Stop Doubting Your Greatness and Live an Awesome Life. This book has many practical strategies that you can start using today. Follow the steps in this book to manifest a more exciting and meaningful life. Do you want to make more money, find a life partner, or go on more adventures? If yes, Jen Sincero will remind you that it is all possible!

How To Win Friends And Influence People By Dale Carnegie

Dale Carnegie’s How to Win Friends and Influence People is a bit older but still relevant. Are you struggling to maintain friendships or hoping to develop more meaningful connections? If yes, this book is for you.

The Four Hour Workweek By Tim Ferriss

The Four Hour Workweek is for the aspiring entrepreneur who is ready to dive in and make some serious changes to his or her life. Are you ready to make money and change your lifestyle? Tim Ferriss will help you “escape the 9-5, live anywhere, and join the new rich.” This book holds a lot of information. Plan to take it slow and implement as you go.

Radically Happy By Phakchok Rinpoche

Happiness means something different to everyone. Many want to feel excitement and enthusiasm regularly, while others want to find a sense of contentment with what they already have. Radically Happy will support you in becoming more mindful through meditation. This book presents personal narratives and scientific studies that will teach you to begin to experience how living in the present moment and shifting your perspective slightly can create radical happiness in your life.

The Friendship Formula: Add Great Friends, Subtract Toxic People and Multiply Your Happiness By Caroline Millington 

Everyone has toxic people in their lives, but what would your world be like if they were no longer around? The Friendship Formula will help you identify your true friendships, and navigate the people in your life. Take back control of your relationships and multiply your happiness with this book!

Eat that Frog! By Brian Tracy

“There’s an old saying that if the first thing you do each morning is to eat a live frog, you’ll have the satisfaction of knowing you’re done with the worst thing you’ll have to do all day. For Tracy, eating a frog is a metaphor for tackling your most challenging task—but also the one that can have the greatest positive impact on your life. Eat That Frog!”  If you struggle to complete dreaded tasks on your to-do list each day, then this classic self-help book is for you!

100 Days To Brave By Annie Downs

If you are looking for light daily reading, then 100 Days to Brave may be a good place to kickstart a more courageous new year. Annie Downs shares personal stories and short devotions that will help you work through your fears and become a braver you. Who doesn’t need a little more courage in their life?

Daring Greatly By Brené Brown 

Brené Brown has spent years researching vulnerability and shame. She shares her findings for the good of humanity in her best-selling book Daring Greatly: How the Courage to Be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead. Get practical strategies to help you work through shame when it comes up in life so that you can live a more joy-filled existence.

The Universe Has Your Back By Gabrielle Bernstein

Faith and optimism are two of the key components that will lead to real change in your life. You truly have to believe that change is possible, and Gabrielle Bernstein will make you believe. The Universe Has Your Back: Transform Fear to Faith will help you to get rid of emotional blocks and improve your mindset so that you can start living a happier and more purposeful life.

Finding Your Own North Star By Martha Beck

Want help figuring out what to do with this one wild and free life? Consider reading one of Martha Beck’s self-help books. She is a believer in magic, life coaching, science, and the importance of having fun. Martha Beck writes stories that are funny yet extremely helpful. Finding Your Own North Star: Claiming the Life You Were Meant to Live will help you find your path through the maze so that you can make your dreams come true.

Declutter Your Mind: How to Stop Worrying, Relieve Anxiety, and Eliminate Negative Thinking By S.J. Scott

Minimalism is all the rage, and everyone is focused on how to declutter their homes and their lives. But have you taken the time to think of how to Declutter Your Mind? This fantastic book from S.J. Scott will help you identify what is causing your mental clutter and help you develop a strategy to declutter your mind.

The Top 5 Regrets Of The Dying By Bonnie Ware

If you are searching for a deeply sentimental and touching story that will give you the desire to change your life while you still have time, consider Bonnie Ware’s book, The Top 5 Regrets of the Dying: A Life Transformed by the Dearly Departed. In this book, the author shares her experience working with those nearing death to help you understand that anything is possible if you make choices that align with your values.

The Happiness Advantage By Shawn Anchor

The Happiness Advantage: How a Positive Brain Fuels Success in Work and Life is bursting with interesting research about how you can live a happier life starting today. Shawn Achor shares the psychology behind happiness. Are you interested in learning how to be happier with your current situation?

Switch By Chip Heath

I read Switch: How to Change Things When Change is Hard a few years back, and then I recently re-read this interesting book. Switch is a fascinating book. Chip Heath shares research-based information that will help you make big changes in your life.

Radical Acceptance By Tara Brach

If you struggle with anxiety, depression, or mental illness and are hoping to work toward a more peaceful state of mind, then Tara Brach’s book Radical Acceptance may be for you. This book will help you heal with the help of a little self-compassion. Find purposeful living, less suffering, and peace through mindfulness.

Atomic Habits: An Easy and Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones by James Clear

“Habits are the compound interest of self-improvement.” James Clear breaks down how we form habits and why they eventually lead to extraordinary results later in life, for better or worse. He believes that sizeable changes in life do not come from large decisions made overnight, but rather from small choices we make every day. If you need motivation to change your habits and begin moving in a positive direction, this book is for you.

Practice You: A Journal By Elena Brower

If you have an eye for art and enjoy journaling, then you should consider picking up a copy of Practice You. This journal guides you step-by-step on your path to enlightenment. The author guides you to reflect on your life by gently prompting you to jot down your thoughts, wisdom, and goals. Helping you to gain clarity and live your best life. The Practice You self-help journal is used in treatment centers globally to help people who are working through challenging times.

Everything Is Figureoutable By Marie Forleo

Everything Is Figureoutable by New York Time’s bestselling author Marie Forleo is the perfect read for anyone looking to expand their business or chase that passion project in their life. The book will give you the tools you need to tackle just about any problem in your personal or professional life. Marie Forleo has built a massive digital media empire, and she will help you retrain your brain to focus on the positive, and accomplish your goals.

Don’t Keep Your Day Job By Cathy Heller

Don’t Keep Your Day Job: How to Turn Your Passion Into A Career will help you create a vision for monetizing your favorite activities, whether that be baking, writing, or jewelry making so that you can live a life filled with purpose.

Change Your Schedule, Change Your Life By Dr. Suhas Kshirsagar

If you are interested in learning about Ayurvedic wisdom, this book will help you effortlessly lose weight, sleep better, exercise stronger, reduce stress, and boost your self development and overall wellbeing. This self-help book is based on harnessing the power of chronobiology to help you create a daily schedule that compliments your mind-body type.

When: The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing By Daniel Pink

Have you ever wondered why you struggle with completing certain tasks at certain times of the day; When will help you understand why. The author, Daniel Pink, will guide you to understand your chronotype or your pattern of circadian rhythms. Knowing this information about yourself will give you insights about when to complete certain types of tasks, like exercise, email, or work that requires focus. Learn to carefully consider how to plan your day with this fascinating book.

The Third Door By Alex Banayan

The Third Door by Alex Banayan is what he calls “the wild quest to uncover how the world’s most successful people launched their careers.” This book is packed with exciting tales of some of the most highly effective people in the world. Alex’s ability to tell stories masterfully combined with his willingness to share his personal journey will inspire you to find your third door and take action to make changes in your life.

The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck by Mark Manson

Where most self-improvement books focus on positive thinking or pushing you towards success at the speed of light, Mark Manson encourages us to let go of the things that don’t serve us and focus on solving the problems that matter the most on an individual level. We are responsible for our happiness; therefore, we are responsible for focusing on which battles are worth fighting for. This book is a very laid-back self-help read.

Raise Your Hand By Alice Tapper

Seeking an inspiring children’s story for your daughter or young woman in your life? Then Raise Your Hand is for you! Many women, young and old, can relate to the feeling of sitting in a group of people knowing what to say but lacking the self-confidence to share your brilliant ideas with the world. This picture book illustrates determination, bravery, and an unwillingness to accept the status quo to remind your female loved ones that the world needs her words!

Joy Diet By Martha Beck

Learning to be happy with your current circumstances can be challenging. However, acceptance and gratitude are often what lead us to make breakthroughs and big changes in our lives. If you are curious about how to start living a joyful life starting today, then you should consider curling up with a copy of Martha Becks’ menu of ten behaviors you can add to your own life. That will help you discover ways to enhance your everyday journey by getting on the Joy Diet.

The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, & Body in the Healing of Trauma By Dr. Bessel Van Der Kolk

Nearly every person has been through a traumatic event in their life. This could be anything from a divorce, death of a loved one, or a car accident. While it may seem like you grieved this event and then moved on, this is generally not the case. Research shows that when trauma happens, we often carry the aftermath of it with us for years to come. In The Body Keep’s Score, you will learn how to forge a path to recovery by activating your brain’s natural neuroplasticity so that you can work toward a stronger sense of well-being.

The Alter Ego Effect By Todd Herman

My personal favorite! If you are ready to make a massive shift in your life, but you have no clue where to begin, then The Alter Ego Effect is a must-read for you! Todd Herman will teach you step-by-step how to move out of your way and perform at your peak. With your new activation token in hand, you will learn how to ignite the best version of yourself using the same secret activation techniques used by many top athletes and executives.

Year of Yes: How to Dance It Out, Stand in the Sun and Be Your Own Person By Shonda Rhimes

The Year of Yes by the creator of Grey’s Anatomy and Scandal, Shonda Rhimes, shows you exactly how, a self-proclaimed introvert, went on to be the creator of some of the most groundbreaking TV shows. This beautifully written New York Times bestseller will show you that despite the fear, it’s always worth it to try something new.

Which Self-Help Book Will You Read?

Do you plan to spend the year working on self esteem, self-love, getting motivated, or decluttering your home? Either way, anything you do with good intentions will likely have a dramatic impact on your life!

Which of these self-improvement books will help you set the tone for your best year yet?