By: Jennifer Hefner
Do Motivational and Mindset Books Have ALL the Answers We Need
to Make Us Better Versions of Ourselves?
“I am a part of everything I have read.” ~Theodore Roosevelt
One of my favorite tools for growing in my healthy mindset journey is daily reading. I am a curious and studious individual who loves research and learning. In general, I just love reading, and I don’t require much push to pick up a book or jump on the computer to do research. I tease my kids sometimes about how easy they have it today when it comes to finding information compared to when I was their age. The hours many of us spent in the library searching for relevant reading material to gather information for research projects or papers is infinite compared to today’s methods. We are always one click away from finding any topic of book imaginable, finding answers to questions, or ordering material.
Today I want to hit on the topic of Motivational and Mindset books. Do these types of books have the answers we are looking for to help us create a healthy mindset, get more organized, create the most efficient schedules, or help us lose weight? Will these books change our lives instantly? Is there a magical answer to solve all our issues? So, let’s take a quick look at how the practice of reading motivational and mindset books can be a valuable tool in our journeys if approached correctly.
There are every kind of motivational and mindset books you could imagine! I usually look at what the topic is as well as read the reviews of the books I find. My favorite finds come from recommendations from friends. They will usually give you their honest opinion. And if you have goals that are similar to a friend’s or training buddy’s, most likely what they are reading will benefit you in some way as well.
My personal thought on mindset books- HAVE AN OPEN-MINDED APPROACH. Don’t approach a book with the thought that the ideas you are going to read about will solve your issues, bad habits or problems instantly. One of the first mindset books I read was THE MIRACLE MORNING by Hal Elrod. I was so excited, and just from the title I thought this guy was going to solve my issue with getting up in the morning! I thought, FINALLY! Someone is going to make a morning person out of me yet!
And, as you can conclude, he didn’t have a “miracle answer” for me. What he did have was some great habits to put into place to help you work towards a better morning routine, to become a better, more efficient version of yourself. He encourages you to stop being ok with mediocrity, become more focused and clearer about your goals, and change the way you wake up each day. Was this book worth the read for me? Yes, I think there were some great ideas and plans offered that I did try and have stuck to when it comes to my morning routine. Did this book solve my “not a morning person” issue, absolutely not! Obviously, there are other factors that come into play for each of us concerning our work schedules, family dynamics, etc.
Another book I saw a lot of people talking about was ATOMIC HABITS by James Clear. For me, this book was a little harder to read. I like to compare it to a science book. There are rules, laws, charts and graphs. I feel this book had a more scientific approach to it. Looking back at the book, I did make A LOT of notes EVERYWHERE and highlighted a lot of areas. Going back and reading the notes I made, I can see the major points I took away from the author.
So again, I had a few take-aways from this book as well.
My list can go on and on for you! PRESENT OVER PERFECT by Shauna Niequist (which is one of my favorites!), STANDING STRONG by Alli Worthington, THE HIGH 5 HABIT by Mel Roberts, GET OUT OF YOUR HEAD by Jennie Allen, CHASING SLOW by Erin Loechner, and 75 HARD by Andy Frisella- by far my ABSOLUTE FAVORITE OF ALL TIME! These are just a fraction of my list, and there are tons more out there for you to explore.
To conclude on my thought of how or if motivational and mindset books can help us change, for me it comes down to 2 main things: first, you must WANT to make a change, and second you have to quit making excuses and DO IT! You can read all the books you want, but unless you are disciplined and determined to change, those books will just collect dust and take up space on your shelf. And if you approach these books with an open mind and are willing to change your habits, you will find some valuable ideas from different authors that can help you create some new routines or incorporate some new habits into your life that can help you become more productive and have a healthier mindset.
It is all up to you! You have the power to take information and use it for the good, to help yourself create healthy habits to be the best version of YOU!
Jennifer Hefner
Assistant Volleyball Coach
West Virginia Wesleyan College
Change Your State Mindset Coach