Best books for building better habits
I read a lot of self help books in 2025 but only a few really helped me change my habits and my daily routine. Most of them just repeat the same ideas over and over again.
To save you time, I’ve rounded up the best habit books that actually made a difference for me, and explained briefly why I like each one. These books changed the way I start my day, helped me introduce exercise into my routine after 20 years, and improved the way I work.
Best habit books
Here are the habit books that actually earned their place on my shelf — what each one does well, and what didn’t quite work for me.
Atomic Habits by James Clear
This one is on everyone’s list and for a reason. I read it in 2024 and it forever changed how I approach my morning routine and how I introduce new habits.
I was not impressed with the style of the book, but I was impressed with very practical tips that helped me create a good daily routine and stick to some core habits long term.
My biggest takeaway from the book is that small changes compound over time — you need to start small and build from there. Read this book if you want to introduce a new habit and make it stick.
I wrote about it in more detail in this post.
What I didn’t love: the writing style is a bit dry and repetitive — if you’ve read other habit books, some of it will feel familiar.
7 Habits of Highly Effective People
This is one of my favorite books of all time. It describes 7 habits of highly effective people, but it’s also a book about setting your life goals, creating work-life balance, and your relationship with other people.
The most important idea I took away from the book is to always begin with the end in mind. Think about your death and what you truly find important when that day comes. What values you treasure, what you want people you love to think of you.
Then base your goals and aspirations on that vision. Don’t get lost in other people’s desires and dreams.
Read it if you can handle more complex books (this one is not an easy read like Atomic Habits). It requires patience and time. I also believe it should be read several times and slowly.
What I didn’t love: no real downsides here — just a more complex style that rewards slow reading.
Tiny Habits by BJ Fogg
I am currently reading this book, and I already like it a lot. His method revolves around one simple truth: great results often come from very small, repeated actions.
Many people who did not like Atomic Habits prefer this one. They liked the style more and were able to implement tips from it immediately.
What I didn’t love: the core method is simple, so parts of the book can feel stretched out.
Deep Work by Cal Newport
This book opened my eyes to the fact that we lost the ability to deeply focus on one task. We spend our time in a distracted state, and we are only capable of doing shallow work.
But how different your life would be if you were able to focus, to produce quality work and to concentrate deeply in whatever you are doing.
Cal Newport addresses what type of changes we need to make in our daily habits to make deep work possible.
Read this book if you want to improve your focus and the ability to concentrate. This book contains a lot of scientific data, so it is not an easy read but it is definitely worth your time.
What I didn’t love: a bit too much scientific data at times.
The Power of Habit — Charles Duhigg
“Champions don’t do extraordinary things. They do ordinary things, but they do them without thinking, too fast for the other team to react. They follow the habits they’ve learned.”
This book goes deep into the science of habits and explains how habits are formed. It is full of stories about the habits of individuals, organizations, and societies and how each of them behaved and transformed their habits. Part 1 is very exciting and fun to read. It introduces the concept and shows how large scale B2C companies such as Procter & Gamble and Target use consumer habits to drive revenue.
What I didn’t love: it’s heavy on stories and research and lighter on practical, do-this-now steps. It could also be shorter — the second part of the book felt repetitive.
What I talk about when I talk about running by Murakami
This book is one of the biggest surprises for me this year. It is not a usual self-help book about habits. Yet, I believe it deserves a spot in this list.
This is a short and simple book about how Murakami started running and how he created and maintained his routine throughout the years. While telling his story, the writer gives a great insight into what you should focus on when working on your habits.
When he talks about his life, you understand why he is as successful as he is and how his unrelenting daily routine gave him the discipline to keep writing.
This book is for anyone who wants to understand human behavior and building habits. And who is looking for some inspiration for building their own habit.
What I didn’t love: nothing, it is a great book.
The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron
You may be surprised to find this book here. But ultimately this book is about habits, habits that will bring back your creativity.
The Artist’s Way is a 12-week program designed to help people reconnect with their creativity. Each week you should do different exercises, but its two most famous tools are:
- Morning Pages: Three pages of stream-of-consciousness journaling every morning.
- Artist Dates: Weekly solo adventures to spark playfulness and inspiration.
I tested The Artist’s Way last summer, but I plan to do it again this year. I really like the idea of journaling every morning and taking yourself on a date every week.
This book is for you if you are interested in the creative side of your life, and if you want to regain your inspiration through practical steps.
What I didn’t love: some tasks are a bit too much, and I feel you don’t really need to read the whole book — treat it more like a workbook.
Final thoughts
Reading about habits will not help you change them. But after reading these books, I made significant changes in my daily routine.
New habits I introduced are here to stay, and I already feel so many benefits.
Two other books about habits I would recommend are The Miracle Morning and The 5am Club. Although I still don’t get up at 5, these books changed my morning routine for good. If you want to read only one, check out my comparison.