Best personal growth books to read next year
In 2024 and 2025, I read a lot of books. But only a few truly stayed with me and changed how I think, live, or see the world.
As this year comes to an end, I wanted to share the best personal growth books with you, in case you’re making your own reading list for the new year.
I’m not overly critical when it comes to books. If I don’t like a book, I stop reading and move on.
The ones I finish, and especially the ones I write about, are the ones that matter.
How I choose personal growth books
When I read books to learn more about myself and understand my behavior, I always start with my current needs.
When I wanted to work on my habits, I picked up Atomic Habits.
When I wanted to wake up earlier and create more structure in my mornings, I read The 5 AM Club.
When I felt disconnected from the world and like time was slipping away from me, I turned to The Power of Now.
And a few weeks ago, when I became concerned about my financial decisions, I reached for The Psychology of Money by Morgan Housel.
I choose books that meet me where I am and that offer insights I can immediately apply to the part of life I’m trying to improve.
Because if the topic of a book truly interests you, you’re more likely to finish it, and, more importantly, to apply what you learned.
So that’s my biggest advice: choose books based on your needs, not trends or recommendations. Then start applying the ideas right away, even in small ways.
Best personal growth books I read this year
I read a lot of books this year, but a few stand out. They are not listed in any particular order, just as they came into my mind.
Atomic Habits by James Clear
For years, I struggled to build simple habits like exercising regularly or journaling. I would start strong, stay consistent for a few weeks, and then slowly stop.
Reading Atomic Habits completely changed that. It made me realize that habit formation doesn’t have to be hard or overwhelming.
For the first time, I managed to create a few small but meaningful routines: eating a healthy breakfast, exercising every morning, and journaling. And all that by applying the simple strategies from this book.
James Clear explains why most new habits fail and how to make them stick. He breaks the process down into small, clear steps that anyone can follow.
If you’ve tried (and failed) to build good habits for years, this book is for you.
Related post: Building Habits: Atomic Habits key tips
7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey
I’m always a bit hesitant to recommend The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Covey because it’s not an easy read. If you’re used to simple and straightforward books like Atomic Habits or The Mountain Is You, you might find yourself struggling to finish it.
But here’s the thing — if you push through, this book can completely change how you think about goal setting, productivity, communication, and personal growth. The lessons are deep and timeless, the kind that stay with you long after you’ve finished reading.
It had such a powerful impact on me that I wrote several blog posts inspired by it, and I plan to reread it again next year.
Related posts: How To Live a Balanced Life and The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Begin with the end in mind
The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle
In my 40s, I often felt like my days were slipping away from me. One chore after another, always rushing somewhere, forgetting things, and living in a constant state of stress and anxiety.
My mind was always busy — replaying the past, worrying about the future, and rarely being fully present in the moment I was actually living.
The Power of Now helped me realize how much peace we lose when we live in our heads instead of the present moment.
Tolle’s message is simple but powerful: the only real moment we have is now.
After reading this book, I started noticing small moments again. It helped me slow down and enjoy the life I have now.
For most of this year, I kept this book at my desk, and I read a few paragraphs every morning. I plan to start doing that from January next year. And reread New Earth by Tolle as well.
Related post: The Power of Now book review
Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor E. Frankl
Some books don’t just change how you think, they change how you see life. Man’s Search for Meaning is one of those books.
Viktor Frankl wrote it after surviving the Nazi concentration camps, and his reflections on suffering, purpose, and resilience are both heartbreaking and deeply inspiring.
What stayed with me most is his belief that we can’t always control our circumstances, but we can always choose our attitude toward them. Meaning, he says, is what allows us to endure even the hardest moments.
Reading this book brought me back to reality. I could clearly see my privileged life and that my “huge” problems are nothing compared to what people go through.
This story is one of the most powerful reminders that peace doesn’t come from a perfect and comfortable life. It comes from finding meaning in whatever situation you find yourself in.
The Four Agreements by Ruiz
This is such a short yet powerful book, one you can easily read in a single day. But the wisdom Don Miguel Ruiz shares about how to approach life is truly priceless.
The Four Agreements teaches you how much of your stress and unhappiness comes from the stories you tell yourself and the expectations you place on others.
With just four simple principles (be impeccable with your word, don’t take things personally…) Ruiz offers a way to live with more peace, clarity, and emotional freedom.
This book stayed with me long after I finished it.
Even now, I often catch myself remembering his words whenever I break one of those agreements. It’s one of those books that quietly changes how you think, speak, and interact with others.
Related post: The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz, book review
The Psychology of Money by Morgan Housel
I read this book a few weeks ago, so it is still fresh in my mind.
The Psychology of Money is not a book about investing. It will not tell you exactly what to do with your money, such as what stocks to buy.
But it will explain to you why you failed to save money in the past, why you live paycheck to paycheck, and provide you with a lot of examples of how your mindset affects your financial decisions and results.
So if you are struggling to save money, if you wonder why you buy so much and why you always need and want more, then this book is for you.
You can clearly see how your spending habits affect your life, and why you should focus on your values and goals when it comes to money.
I highly recommend this book if you are a beginner in finances and want to start working on your mindset.
Related post: The Psychology of Money by Morgan Housel
How to retain more from the books you read
I read a lot of books, but I remember only a few of them. Life gets busy. You read something, think it’s important, and a few days later, the idea is gone.
Months pass, and you can’t even remember what the book was about or why it moved you in the first place.
Here are some ways I use to retain more from the books I read:
Use a reading journal
This year, I decided to start a Reading Journal, just a simple notebook where I write down the most important ideas, quotes, and reflections from each book I read.
It’s a small habit, but it helps me slow down and actually apply the lessons to my own life.
So if you decide to read the books I recommended above, I highly recommend using a small notebook to write down the main ideas from these books.
Reread the same book several times
I do this often with the books I really like. Even when I read it, I still keep it on my desk, and I reread the most important parts several times.
For months, I used to read a paragraph or two from the book The Power of Now. Currently, I am rereading certain parts of the book “The Psychology of Money.”
Highlight and underscore
Treat your book as you would if you were in school.
Highlight ideas that you want to remember. Then, when you browse through your book months later, you can see the ideas that caught your attention and revisit them.
Connect ideas from different books
I do this as well in my reading journal. If several authors deal with the same subject, I write down how their ideas correlate and differ.
Then I use this for my new blog posts and write further on the topic
Share what you learn with others
I share what I learn on my blog, but I also talk about it with my friends and family.
If I think that something can help them, I always share what I learned and what helped me overcome a certain problem.
Sharing the knowledge makes you retain much more than if you were just to read something and never mention it again.
If you have no one to share with, then writing or even talking aloud about an idea is also a good exercise.
Final thoughts
As the year comes to an end, I’m creating my own reading list for next year.
I’ve learned that when I plan ahead, I’m far less likely to buy books on impulse and let them sit on a shelf untouched.
Some of the titles on my list are rereads. I’ve realized that going through a book multiple times is the only way its ideas truly stick and shape the way I live.
What about you—what books are you planning to read next year? Share your best personal growth books in the comments below. I love discovering new titles from this community.
