5 Books that Shifted My Mindset
I don’t know about you, but the moment I realized my success is one hundred percent determined by mindset is when I started booking more consistent work as a voice over talent, having my writing published, and becoming efficient in my daily work.
I used to think my success was dependent on how much I knew, how good I was, or how hard I worked. Yeah. I had a lot of wasted energy, time, and resources.
Once your mindset changes, everything on the outside will change along with it.
I would work in a way that felt like I was working really, really, hard but my bookings wouldn’t increase. I would log the hours but be uncertain about every single action I took. It was inefficient, unproductive, and led to living in a circle of feeding my insecurities.
Once I realized that being powerful required a particular mindset, my days became efficient. It was easier for me to see which work was productive and which work was busy work. Work that previously took me hours to do would be finished before my morning coffee.
Taking action -any action- to really move my business forward built my confidence. This required a mindset shift. I did not know how to do that on my own. I needed help.
As I most often do I sought out resources to help. I found podcasts, talks, platforms, books, coaches… lots of ways that helped me shift my mindset. Today I want to share 5 books that helped me shift my mindset to build my business:
Written by Dr. Susan Nolen-Hoeksema, Women Who Think Too Much gives us a perspective shift on analyzing negative thoughts and experiences. Backed by groundbreaking research and strategies, this book helped me break free of the unproductive spiral I was in. So many times as I read this book I found myself saying -out loud- “oh my gosh! That makes total sense!”
2. Rising Strong by Brene Brown
Anything by Brene Brown is a win in my book and I am always surprised by how few people have actually read her work. I think folks believe her work is all about hippy-dippy flowery goodness.
Brene Brown’s work is backed by solid science and research and is used in schools, Fortune 500 companies, and with the leadership of some of the most respected companies and organizations in existence.
I selected “Rising Strong” as the book to recommend because it specifically delves into the characteristics of those who have risen from falling. And which of us has not fallen? I fall daily! We all know it’s the getting up that matters. Rising Strong gives us valuable information to help us rise stronger.
3. The Big Leap by Gay Hendricks
A few years ago I posted on Facebook about how happy and grateful I was because life was going so well. I shared that I had to override my worry that something was going to ruin it. A friend reached out to me with this book.
In “The Big Leap”, Gay Hendricks helps us understand that not only is it okay to live life as though only good things will come but that it determines whether or not they will.
This is not in a woo-woo sort of way where we just sit back, let good stuff manifest, and wait for it to fall into our lap. This book is about the way we move through our days and lives and what that begets. Gay Hendricks was the first person in my life who ever told me it was reasonable to expect only good things. Once I believed him, life got better.
4. 5 Second Rule by Mel Robbins
If you haven’t heard of this book yet I am glad I am including it. It has become so popular I almost did not include it in this list- I figured everyone knows about it. But it helped me learn to do the action. To stop turning over every possibility and weighing every potential outcome before taking action. It helped me to do.
I know I am not alone in having issues with perfectionism and procrastination so I am recommending this tool. If you have not read it, I recommend that you do!
5. The Confidence Code by Kathy Kay and Claire Shipman
Admittedly I was not even sure I was going to read this one. I thought it was going to be goofy, 101, obvious statements- not strategies and practical ways of building confidence.
Turned out this book was another game changer for me. It got me to start taking action. Once I saw the nueroscience about how taking action rewires our brain for confidence it all made sense. My perfectionism started to fade as I realized even failure was more productive and better for my brain than inaction.
And it’s pretty amazing what action -any action- does to move a business forward.
Go Forth! Read! Shift your Mindset!
Our time is super valuable. It’s frustrating when we invest our time in a book only to find out it is rhetoric or does not help. I have read quite a few of those books.
These books come with my recommendation. After sifting through all that I have read I chose these five books to share. Each of them helped me develop the mindset I need to move forward in my business.
Shifting a mindset is not a quick and easy process. It takes work and it takes time. But a little bit everyday really does add up.
What better resources to start with than those which have already been vetted? What better time to start than today?
I am always adding to my resources and tools collection. Do you have resources that have helped with mindset? Would you be open to sharing them in the comments?
