1. Think & Grow Rich – Napoleon Hill
This is one of the most famous business books of all time, written by Napoleon Hill and published in 1937 it combines 25 years of his research of some of the richest and most successful people of the 20th Century such as Henry Ford and Andrew Carnegie. Whatever your goals in life, you need a copy of Think & Grow Rich because the wisdom is timeless. Napoleon Hill’s research is so thorough and in depth that the lessons and methods he outlines are universal to any situation or goal. Here are a few quotes:
“Before success comes in any man’s life, he is sure to meet with much temporary defeat, and perhaps, some failure. When defeat overtakes a man, the easiest and most logical thing to do is to quit. That is exactly what the majority of men do. More than five hundred of the most successful men this country has ever known told the author their greatest success came just one step beyond the point at which defeat had overtaken them.”
“Remember too that all who succeed in life get off to a bad start, and pass through many heartbreaking struggles before they “arrive”. The turning point in the lives of those who succeed usually comes at some point of crisis, through which they are introduced to their “other selves”.
“The starting point of all achievement is DESIRE. Keep this constantly in mind. Weak desire brings weak results, just as a small fire makes a small amount of heat.”
“Remember that your real wealth can be measured not by what you have, but by what you are.”
2. Shoe Dog ~ Phil Knight
Shoe Dog is the story of how Phil Knight founded and built Nike, one of the most famous and iconic brands of our time and certainly in sport! The book isn’t purely about business so whether you’re entrepreneurial or you love sport, or you love to read inspirational stories to help push you towards a goal then Shoe Dog is a must read! Phil Knight tells an amazing story of perseverance and gives an honest insight into his motivation behind wanting to start a business, his struggles and how he overcame the odds! Here are a few quotes from Shoe Dog:
“The cowards never started and the weak died along the way, that leaves us!”
“Life is growth. You grow or you die.”
“I told myself, let everyone else call your idea crazy….just keep going. Don’t stop. Don’t even think about stopping until you get there, and don’t give much thought to where “there” is. Whatever comes, just don’t stop.”
“I’d tell men and women in their mid twenties not to settle for a job or a profession or even a career. Seek a calling. Even if you don’t know what that means, seek it. If you’re following your calling, the fatigue will be easier to bear, the disappointments will be the fuel, the highs will be like nothing you’ve ever felt!”
“I wanted to build something that was my own, something I could point to and say: I made that. It was the only way I saw to make life meaningful.”
3. The 10x Rule – The Only Difference Between Success and Failure~ Grant Cardone
Grant Cardone is a hugely successful property investor, sales expert and motivational speaker and I fully recommend you check him out on YouTube. He turned his life around in his 20’s and has spent the last 30 years committed to success. The 10X Rule tells you that in order to achieve your goals and massive success in life then you need to increase your actions. Grant Cardone is the master of getting straight to the point with no BS, giving a brutally honest assessment of what it takes to succeed in life and not settle for the mediocre. Here are a few good quotes from The 10X Rule:
“I suggest that you become obsessed about the things you want; otherwise, you are going to spend a lifetime being obsessed with making up excuses as to why you didn’t get the life you wanted.”
“As long as you are alive, you will either live to accomplish your own goals and dreams or be used as a resource to accomplish someone else’s.”
“Until you become completely obsessed with your mission, no one will take you seriously. Until the world understands that you’re not going away – that you are 100 per cent committed and have complete and utter conviction and will persist in pursuing your project – you will not get the attention you need and the support you want.”
“Extremely successful people know that their efforts must continue in order for them to realize new achievements. Once the hunt for a desired object or goal is abandoned, the cycle of success comes to an end.”
“Think about it. What is the worst thing that could happen if you just completely go for it?”
4. The 4 Hour Work Week – Escape The 9-5, Live Anywhere and Join The New Rich ~ Timothy Ferriss
Tim Ferriss’ ‘4 Hour Work Week’ is one of the most famous books of the last 10 years and is the first personal development book I read which changed my outlook on life and made me really question my decisions. Although the book is mainly aimed at entrepreneurship and careers, the lessons and advice from Tim can be applied to many situations. He draws on quotes and lessons from famous philosophers to help show you that you don’t have to settle for a mediocre life and that you shouldn’t let fear hold you back. Here are our favourite quotes from The 4 Hour Work Week:
“The opposite of love is indifference, and the opposite of happiness is boredom.”
“If you are insecure, guess what? The rest of the world is too. Do not overestimate the competition and underestimate yourself. You are better than you think.”
“Someday” is a disease that will take your dreams to the grave with you.”
“For all of the most important things, the timing always sucks. Waiting for a good time to quit your job? The starts will never align and the traffic lights of life will never all be green at the same time. The universe doesn’t conspire against you, but it doesn’t go out of its way to line up all the pins either. Conditions are never perfect!”
“If you let pride stop you, you will hate life.”
“I believe that success can be measured by the number of uncomfortable conversations you’re willing to have.”
5. Tackling Life ~ Jonny Wilkinson
One of the most important books to read if you’re someone who suffers from self-doubt, fear of failure and can be overly critical of yourself. The book may be unknown to you if you don’t follow rugby or not from the UK, but former England rugby captain and World Cup winner Jonny Wilkinson is one of the most successful and famous rugby players of all time and co-writes Tackling Life with Steve Black, a sports performance coach and Jonny’s former mentor.
This book talks about rugby and Jonny’s battle with self doubt, his crippling fear of failure and how he got himself in the correct mind set to achieve success. Jonny and Steve have written the book to make it applicable to any goal in life, career or sport and their deep insight will benefit anyone, whether you’re struggling with self doubt, depression, or aiming for an ambitious goal. Here are some of the best quotes from Tackling Life:
“It is my job to become who I need to be. I have to acquire the right skills sets, execute them to the best standards I can to demonstrate the dedication I believe is required to get what I want. If I equip myself in the best fashion possible then, with all this, I can draw my prize, bit by bit, closer towards me. What my immediate efforts provide, be they successful or not, are opportunities to learn on the way to achieving my ultimate goal.”
“It reinforced my growing understanding that our true strength and power must lie inside, rather than in the muscles we build.”
“There will always be bigger houses than yours, faster cars, sunnier climates, greater tacklers, faster runners, more accurate kickers and greener grass somewhere in the world or sometime in the future, and they can steal the perfect parts of your life away.”
“Perfection is not held by the man who has everything he wants but thrives in him who gives everything he has.”