“It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop.”
Motivation is the driving force behind professional and personal success. Whether you’re striving to achieve a long-held dream, looking for the push to kickstart a new goal, or hoping to overcome challenges, staying motivated is often the difference. Books on motivation are some of the best resources around, offering practical advice, psychological insights and personal stories that resonate with readers long after the final page has been closed. So, whether you’re looking to build more resilience, understand the importance of a growth mindset, or simply find more inspiration for facing your fears and pursuing your goals, check out the best motivation books with us here at What We Reading!
Mindset: The New Psychology Of Success – Carol S. Dweck
First up on our list of books on motivation comes from Carol S. Dweck in Mindset: The New Psychology of Success. The book is a result of decades’ worth of research by the Stanford University psychologist, who explains her concept of the power of mindset. Dweck explores how success in everything from school to work to sports and the arts can be dramatically influenced by how we think about talents and abilities. Those with a fixed mindset are less likely to flourish compared to those with a growth mindset.
One of the best tools for parents, teachers, managers, athletes or anyone else looking to better themselves, Dweck also widens the mindset beyond the individual and applies it to groups, organisations and cultures, demonstrating further just how crucial a shared positive mindset is for achieving success.
Grit: The Power Of Passion And Perseverance – Angela Duckworth
Why do some people succeed where others fail? Featuring groundbreaking insights from her research on grit, Angela Duckworth explains how factors other than talent such as sticking to goals and identifying our passions can be far more crucial to success. Duckworth blends her own personal journey with her scientific findings to present the case that what really cultivates achievement is a mix of passion and perseverance, rather than genius.
Readers are taken on a tour of teachers working in some of the toughest schools, cadets struggling to adjust at West Point, and young finalists at the National Spelling Bee. They are given fascinating insights from history, and shown what can be learned from modern experiments into peak performance. Personal, insightful and empowering, Grit is one of the best books on motivation about what happens in your head when you fall down, and how it isn’t a lack of talent or luck that ultimately makes the difference.
Get It Done: Surprising Lessons From The Science Of Motivation – Ayelet Fishbach
From the workplace, at home or in relationships, establishing and achieving goals for yourself is harder than it seems. Not knowing where to begin, finding the strength to carry on when confronted with distractions or obstacles and identifying the right tasks and ambitions to prioritise are all some of the biggest challenges that can drain your motivation.
In Get It Done, psychologist and behavioural scientist Ayelet Fishbach presents a new framework for self-motivated action. One of the best books about motivation, she utilises personal case studies and fascinating research from motivational science to present a series of invaluable strategies for achieving your goals whilst staying healthy, clear-headed and happy.
Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us – Daniel H. Pink
When it comes to the best ways of finding motivation, most people are still of the opinion that the ‘carrot-and-stick’ approach is still the best course of action. Yet, in his provocative and persuasive book on motivation, Drive, Daniel H. Pink argues that the secret to high performance is the deeply human need to find our own direction, learn and create new things and to do better by ourselves and the world around us.
Leaning on forty years of research on human motivation, Pink demonstrates the mismatch between what science knows and what business does – and the ways in which that affects our daily lives. He explores the three elements of true motivation – autonomy, mastery and purpose – and offers readers effective techniques for putting these into practice for a motivational book that promises to change how we live our lives.
Can’t Hurt Me: Master Your Mind And Defy The Odds – David Goggins
For David Goggins, childhood was a nightmarish series of poverty, prejudice and physical abuse. Yet, through self-discipline, mental toughness and hard work, he transformed himself from a depressed and overweight young man into a distinguished U.S. Armed Forces icon and one of the most lauded endurance athletes in the world.
As the only man in history to complete elite training as a Navy SEAL, Army Ranger and Air Force Tactical Air Controller, Goggins then went on to set numerous records in endurance events and being dubbed: ‘The Fittest Man in America’. In Can’t Hurt Me, he reveals how most of us only tap into 40% of our capabilities. He demonstrates how anyone can push through the pain, demolish their fears and reach their full potential in a self-help biography that is as inspiring as it is illuminating.
Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way To Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones – James Clear
Another one of the best books on motivation comes from James Clear in his bestselling personal development book, Atomic Habits. Undoubtedly the most acclaimed work on habits, Clear breaks through the jargon of complex topics and presents an easy-to-follow guide that teaches readers how to break bad habits, form good ones and master the small behaviours that lead to great results.
Pulling together ideas from biology, psychology and neuroscience as well as stories from Olympic gold medalists, award-winning artists and business leaders, Atomic Habits is an invaluable guide on how to overcome a lack of motivation and willpower, get back on track when you fall off course and design an environment that allows you to achieve your goals more effectively.
Check Out The Best Books Like Atomic Habits
Dream First, Details Later: How To Quit Overthinking & Make It Happen – Ellen Marie Bennett
As a twenty-four-year-old line cook, Ellen Marie Bennett couldn’t stand her kitchen’s tacky array of aprons. When her head chef announced he was ordering more, she inadvertently blurted out that she owned an apron company. In reality, all she had was a glimmer of a design idea and a business license. Yet, through a leap into the unknown and her willingness to grind through the hard graft, she eventually found a multi-million dollar company equipping the best chefs and home cooks around the world with aprons and kitchen gear.
Dreams First, Details Later shares Bennett’s journey and one of the best books on motivation for those looking to take their first plunge. Bennett teaches readers how to shelve doubts about venturing outside their comfort zone, how to overcome the fear of stepping beyond their comfort zone and learn to embrace the art of using creative problem-solving to make their dreams become reality.
Part-time reader, part-time rambler, and full-time Horror enthusiast, James has been writing for What We Reading since 2022. His earliest reading memories involved Historical Fiction, Fantasy and Horror tales, which he has continued to take with him to this day. James’ favourite books include The Last (Hanna Jameson), The Troop (Nick Cutter) and Chasing The Boogeyman (Richard Chizmar).
