5 of the Best Mindset Books That Everyone Should Read

Only 40% of people have a growth mindset, a mindset required to achieve success.

And the other 60%, well, they have a fixed mindset, a mindset that’s keeping them stuck in one place. 

Despite what many think, however, you can train your mindset. It’s not a magic trait that only some people possess; it’s a trainable skill available to anyone. 

And one way you can do this is by becoming educated and reading the best mindset books available. 

Why a Positive Mindset in Business is Essential 

A negative mindset in business is like driving a car with the handbrake on. It goes, but it doesn’t go smoothly. There’s a resistance. Yes, you can press the accelerator harder, but no matter how hard you press it, you won’t feel the full horsepower of the car. 

The same goes for your mind. Having a negative mindset holds you back. It stops you from seizing all the opportunities you can, it drains your energy, and, sometimes, it can keep you stuck in place, even when everything else is ready to go. 

A positive mindset, on the other hand, is similar to taking off that handbrake, getting a fresh MOT, and putting nitrous in your car. There’s less restriction and more force, so you go faster. 

It doesn’t mean every day will be easy, however. You’re going faster, so you need to swerve more obstacles. You don’t want to crash your car. 

Don’t get a positive mindset mixed with an “easy life”, however. It won’t be easy. But if you have a positive mindset in business, you’ll have far fewer restrictions than having a negative mindset. Without question, it’s beneficial, especially in the markets we have today. 

How Mindset Shifts Influence Business Success 

There’s a strong link between mindset and business success. Arguably, you need the mindset of the person you want to be before you are that person. 

It’s very similar to what’s discussed in Think and Grow Rich. Napoleon Hill goes into how some of the most successful businesspeople in the US used visualisation and affirmation techniques to be the person they wanted to be before becoming them. 

And it works. It creates a mindset of belief and faith. It changes your mind from “I want to be the best in my industry” to “I’m going to be the best in my industry”. It’s a slight difference, but a difference that’ll influence how much business success you’ll receive. 

5 Steps to Begin Your Mindset Shift 

More often than not, mindsets are thought about as traits or characteristics that cannot be changed. However, this isn’t true. You can undergo a mindset shift yourself. 

Step 1: Start with Self Awareness 

The first step of changing your mindset starts with knowing your mind. You can do this by journaling. 

Each day, write a journal. It’s undeniably the best way to understand your thought patterns. Not only this, but it documents your thought patterns so you can study them. 

You can even ask yourself some questions to prompt some emotions: 

• What good and bad things happened today? 
• What were my best and worst moments today? 
• What could I have done better today? 
• What did I do today that worked towards my goals? 
• What should I start doing more of? 

These questions, though simple, can tell you a lot about your self-awareness. Even after a week of documentation, you’ll become more self-aware than ever. 

Step 2: Set Clear, Actionable Goals 

In almost all of the best mindset books, they state the importance of setting clear and actionable goals. Most of them talk about SMART goals. 

You should have a few sets of goals—short-term, mid-term, and long-term. The long-term should be your end goal. The mid- and short-term should be actionable steps to achieve your long-term goals. 

Spend some time on this. Once you have clear, actionable goals, you have a path—a path to the mindset or life that you’ve always wanted. 

Step 3: Create Positive Habits 

The book Atomic Habits is a very good read for this section. Pretty much, you want to turn poor habits into good habits. For example, Instead of scrolling through social media in the morning, you could read a chapter of a mindset book. 

Step 4: Practice Gratitude and Visualisation 

Every day, list something you’re proud of. It could be personal, relationship, or business-related. Just think about what you’re grateful for and write it down. This will help you perform gratitude. 

Visualisation, on the other hand, is a little harder. It’s almost a talent—many people create vision boards for this. It’s just a board of how you envision your life. It could include the car you want, the friends you want, the business success you want, etc. 

Step 5: Surround Yourself with Growth-Oriented People 

You can only do so much alone. You need a group of individuals who are also driven and looking for this growth or positive mindset.

Many of the best mindset books, for instance, Think and Grow Rich, contribute a large part of mindset success to having a group of like-minded individuals around you. 

5 of the Best Mindset Books You Need To Read

Mindset: The New Psychology of Success 

Mindset, a book created by Carol S. Dweck, is a foundational book that introduces a powerful concept about how we should approach challenges, growth, and success. 

Dweck, a Stanford University psychologist and processional researcher in motivation, explores the idea of “mindset” through two lenses. These include a fixed mindset and a growth mindset. 

Throughout the book, Dweck explains both of these mindsets. She “paints the picture” of both of them, suggesting that those with a growth mindset are usually the ones that flourish the most. 

Due to the benefits a growth mindset offers, Dweck teaches her readers what it is, how to obtain it, and how to use it in the hope of changing people from a fixed to a growth mindset. 

From a personal perspective, the book can create a mindset shift, forcing you to believe that abilities can be developed and learned. Not only this, but Dweck goes into detail about how we can push this growth mindset to employees, groups, and organisations. 

The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck 

The book, The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck by Mark Manson, is a massively bold take on self-help, challenging the narrative of “Being positive all the time”. 

As you know, we’re always told to be positive in life. Be positive in the way we think and do. However, Mark doesn’t believe this. He believes life is life. It’s not always positive. 

He goes into detail about accepting life’s flaws, limitations, and hardships rather than trying to avoid them with forced optimism. The message he wants to get across is simple: prioritise what matters and let go of any superficial worries that come along with it. 

For business owners, it teaches you to focus on what adds real value to your lives and not give a f*ck about anything else. Something that a lot of people need to hear. 

Atomic Habits 

Atomic Habits by James Clear guides how small, consistent change can lead to massive improvement over time. 

In this book, Clear presents a framework that breaks down the science of habits. He showcases it in simple, actionable steps, making it accessible for everyone to incorporate into daily life. 

Throughout the book, Clear applies insights into how biology, psychology, and neuroscience play a role in habit building. He also deeply explores the fact that reaching goals isn’t just about being ambitious but creating a system that supports progress. 

As a business owner, Atomic Habits can teach you how to build good habits and break bad habits. It’ll help change your mindset, breaking you free from habits that slow down your progress, and it’ll help introduce new habits in your life that support your growth. 

Think and Grow Rich 

Think and Grow Rich was first published in 1937 by Napoleon Hill. Hill's research into rich and powerful people was performed over his entire lifetime, making this book one of the best mindset books for those who want to think like those who are successful. 

The main takeaway is how clear goal setting and strategic planning have been key to driving success for several important figures. He also introduces how concepts like visualisation and affirmation can help build a roadmap for wealth and personal growth. 

Throughout the book, you’ll find various how-to guides. These guides are there to help you perform the strategies performed by the rich and powerful that Hill studied. 

For business owners, this book is superb for cultivating a resilient mindset and purposeful strategy. By understanding Hill’s research and following his how-to guides, you’ll be able to create a goal-oriented mindset built for winning. 

Can’t Hurt Me 

In Can’t Hurt Me, David Goggins shares his journey from a challenging childhood to becoming a legendary endurance athlete and U.S. Armed Forces icon. 

In this book, he goes over how he overcame poverty, abuse, and self-doubt by building a mind of unstoppable self-discipline and mental toughness. He details that anybody, regardless of upbringing, age, or gender, can push past their limitations by fixing their mindset. 

Goggins goes over his “40% Rule”, which he believes to be true. It’s a rule stating that people only tap into 40% of their potential. He then goes on to explain ways how to unlock the other 60% to achieve greatness. 

If you’re a business owner, this book will help you overcome setbacks that’ll evidently come. By developing the “Goggins” mindset, you can then learn to push through challenges, inspire a team, and create a resilient company culture. 

Changing your mindset is key to building a successful business, but what comes after that? Discover six powerful steps you can take to supercharge your business and start living your dream life in our FREE e-book.

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