It is the new year! This means that everyone is in the zone for some lifestyle changes through the help of self-help books.
The genre gained popularity in the past years after businessmen started sharing glimpses of their bookshelves online.
The pandemic highlighted the importance of reevaluating choices and using them to our advantage.
On the other hand, not all books are equal—some are light years better than the others. With the limited time in our hands, readers ought to read only those that are worth their time.
Gentlemen, it is a whole lot of competitive world out there. The secret of the trade lies on books read and recommended by some of the world’s finest business executives.
Atomic Habits by James Clear
Clear’s Atomic Habits: An Easy and Proven Way to Build Good Habits and Break Bad Ones made a reputation.
This is not without a desirable reason. Previous studies on personal improvement are linear: they only target good habit accumulation.
In contrast, Clear’s work is considered one of the first to present a counterargument on the singularity of habit formation.
For the New York Times Bestselling author, the narrative also lies in our ability to break bad habits. Mastering the art of saying no to unproductive, self-sabotaging behavioral patterns is the art of lifetime transformations.
After the holidays, many are struggling to go back to their workout routines due to the unnecessary slack.
Atomic Habits presents a simple equation to cut off the loose ends: make the task simple.
At this point, simply thinking about the gym makes you sweat profusely. You imagine lifting heavy dumbbells that would make your body sore after.
Right now, you are thinking that you are better off in bed binge-watching The Witcher or sharing funny memes.
This is easy. Our bodies are genetically designed to love the state of rest: inertia is our bodies’ preprogrammed state.
However, this is not that “easy” Clear points. He advocates that in order to start a habit and make it sustainable, deal with it one step at a time.
For example, go to the gym and run the treadmill for one minute and leave. Another is to lift some light weights for five times and leave.
It does not necessarily mean that habit starts with doing the bare maximum. Often, it is all about doing the most basic act and wiring your brain to do the same thing every day.
This is the secret to habit formation.
Aside from self-help books, read: Top 20 Workout Apps Every Man Needs on Their Phone
Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman
The business world is an unforgiving sector. It is friendly only to people who could make the fastest and most efficient decisions to survive the cutthroat competition.
If you are like most of the gentlemen spying for book recommendations from top execs, you have heard of this.
Yes, this book made it into Bill Gates’ Great Summer Reading list back in 2012. Despite a decade that passed, its points remain valuable up to this day.
Daniel Kahneman presented two modes of thought in decision making he termed “System 1” and “System 2.”
System 1 is the fast, almost immediate response to a situation merely reliant on emotions and gut feel.
The second system requires more deliberate and logical thinking to approach the circumstances at hand. This is slow thinking.
Successful CEOs are differentiated from the rest of the population due to their decision-making skills. In short, top executives among the world’s biggest corporations are good thinkers.
The ability to incorporate a fast and slow approach into the table is not only talent. It is a gem—a lethal weapon that will disarm possible competitors.
Ideal business leaders’ thought process is well-organized, never tainted, the minute they are presented with an argument. This is maintained up until the execution of decisions and sometimes learning from mistakes.
According to reviews, Kahneman’s work is worth more penny than hiring a mentor or consultant among executives.
It shows a glimpse of how the brain works and uses this knowledge to guide you in making decisions next time.
As The Art of War by Sun Tzu advocates, to know the enemy is to win half of the battle. Mastering the art of understanding our own thoughts and urges is the key to this.
Ego is the Enemy by Ryan Holiday
In the first two books, it has been highlighted that those who are most adaptable to change are to survive. Simple Science borrowed from Charles Darwin’s Theory of Natural Selection.
Ryan Holiday’s Ego is the Enemy that takes us away from the usual riff-raff. It encourages its readers to take things slowly and enjoy moments of stillness.
Holiday, a firm advocate of Stoic philosophy, is a highly-recommended author among businessmen for a reason.
Ego is the Enemy cultivates a guiding principle that can be very relevant to the field of entrepreneurship. This is the mastering of the art of non-attachment.
Every day, businesses fail, many advises from self-help books do not work, deliveries encounter bottlenecks and get delayed, and systems are hacked for ransom money.
The business world is a stressful place to be in. Being able to maintain a clear headspace amid all the shortcomings is the secret to survival.
Pretty sure you have Googled Jeff Bezos’ morning routine and found out he meditates every day! Maybe you are thinking why in the world would the founder of the world’s most successful e-commerce enterprise do such.
The answer is straightforward: decluttering the mind is the billion-dollar answer to making the wisest decisions ever.
The book carries very valuable input which will help readers focus only on the present and reflect on our mortality.
This helps loads in cutting unnecessary stress and worries which defects productivity and our overall happiness.
Bonus: Holiday revealed that his goat’s name is “Watermelon.” You may want to name your new pet after such a cute name. It would not hurt to hear more pups called “watermelon” in the lot.
The Art of Seduction by Robert Greene
Now if you say that finally, we are out of the business talks, I say likely but not quite.
Robert Greene is the author of best-selling works The 48 Laws of Power and The Laws of Human Nature to name a few.
In The Art of Seduction, Greene lets readers have a glimpse of a form of erotism through seduction.
Now, who would have thought that self-help books could also become a manual for Cassanova wanna-be’s wanting to increase their chance of seducing a potential partner?
It comes as simple as appealing to the victim’s desire by winging that winter fashion. According to the book, our fashion sense could make or break the connection.
So go and get that exclusive Faux Leather Coat and pair it with some marble-print trousers from Urban Outfitters. That is it. Off you go.
Additionally, there is sending mixed signals, creating a love triangle, and insinuating temptation to increase attachment.
Greene’s work can also be valuable for victims. It helps them recognize their partner’s manipulative behaviors and ditch.
In a different approach, seduction is also relevant in business settings. Every day, enterprises foster partnerships among corporations that will add value to their operations.
Being able to seduce potential partners using Greene’s ways will surely lead to a signed deal next time.
GOLDEN LIFE HABITS: The Key to Wealth, Freedom, and Happiness by Marvin Valladares
Last on the list of our self-help books list is Marvin Valladares’ GOLDEN LIFE HABITS.
For those looking for life’s instruction manual but constantly failed in finding the perfect one, this is for you.
The book is a consolidation of the values stemmed from Holiday’s Stoic advertency and James Clear’s habit formation.
Valladares was born to immigrant parents and built his way to the top by following habits that added value to his life.
Now a successful businessman himself, the author reminds readers not to sweat the small stuff. Instead, time should be spent wisely in applying simple yet remarkable steps to bring wealth, freedom, and happiness to readers’ lives.
After all, life’s success is all about finding golden habits and applying them to day-to-day tasks.
Buy it on Amazon
Pinstripe Magazine Staff
Online Men’s Lifestyle Magazine on Gear, Grooming, Girls, Gadgets
