Life Changing Books You Must Read

I know, I know, everyone throwing books at you these days, yelling you have to read them if you want to learn and achieve something.

Well, if you like to read, then by all means, go ahead and get them. I’ve listed my top 15 books below, books that changed my life and on which my whole vision, life and this account is built.

Specially for you (and because I like it), I created short and easy summaries for every one of these books. Enjoy.

1. The 4-Hour workweek, by Tim Ferriss

• Teaches how to be productive and efficient, in a shorter amount of time
• Outsource repetitive tasks, like creating thumbnails, creating videos, running ads… Anything that can be done by someone else.
• Delegate responsibilities so you can free up more time for yourself.
• Eliminate unnecessary meetings and distractions
• Use time-blocking to prioritize tasks and focus on what matters most
• Great read for anyone interested in productivity, time management, and work-life balance

2. Rich Dad, Poor Dad, by Robert Kiyosaki

• Teaches financial education and how to build wealth through smart investing
• Provides practical advice on how to invest wisely and build passive income streams
• Encourages readers to think about money in a new way
• Develop a passive income stream through real estate, stocks, or by running a small business
• Learn to distinguish between assets (like income-producing real estate that you rent out) and liabilities (a way to expensive house for which you have to pay a high mortgage).
• Avoid overspending and live below your means. Invest most of your income.

3. How to Win Friends and Influence People, by Dale Carnegie

• One of my personal favourites of all time: Teaches how to improve communication skills and build better relationships
• Provides practical advice on how to listen actively, speak persuasively, and win people over. Some tips are:
• Listen actively, ask questions and show genuine interest in others
• Give honest and sincere appreciation
• Find common ground and build rapport
• Smile, look them in the eye, remember their names

4. Think and Grow Rich, by Napoleon Hill

• Teaches how to achieve success by developing a positive mindset and taking action
• Provides practical advice on how to set goals, visualize success, and take action to achieve your dreams
• Focuses on mindset and how our thoughts and beliefs can impact our success
• Set clear, specific goals and create a plan to achieve them
• Develop a burning desire to succeed (how badly do you want it?)
• Surround yourself with positive, supportive people

5. 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, by Stephen R. Covey

• Outlines seven habits that successful people have in common:
• Be proactive: Take responsibility for your actions and focus on what you can control.
• Begin with the end in mind: Define your goals and work towards them with purpose.
• Put first things first: Prioritize your time and focus on the most important tasks.
• Think win-win: Seek mutually beneficial solutions in all interactions.
• Seek first to understand, then to be understood: Listen actively and show empathy to others.
• Synergize: Collaborate and work effectively with others to achieve shared goals.
• Sharpen the saw: Invest in self-improvement and take care of your physical, mental, and emotional well-being.

6. Mastery, by Robert Greene

• Explores the lives of historical figures who achieved mastery in their respective fields
• Provides practical advice on how to develop your skills and achieve mastery in your own life
• Identify your strengths and interests and focus on developing them
• Practice deliberate, focused learning and experimentation
• Learn from mentors and seek feedback

7. 80/20 Principle, by Richard Koch

• Explores the concept of the Pareto principle (80% of results come from 20% of efforts)
• Provides practical advice on how to identify the most important 20% of your efforts and focus on those to achieve maximum results
• Continuously review and optimize your efforts

8. The One Thing, by Gary Keller

• Encourages readers to focus on the one thing that matters most in their lives
• Identify the most important goal or task and focus on it exclusively
• Eliminate distractions and prioritize your time accordingly
• Make progress every day, even if it’s just a small step

9. Secrets of the Millionaire Mind, by T. Harv Eker

• Personal finance book that explores the mindset and habits of successful people
• Provides practical advice on how to develop a millionaire mindset and achieve financial success
• Develop a positive relationship with money and embrace abundance
• Focus on creating value and serving others
• Take action: Develop a plan for achieving your financial goals, and take consistent, focused action towards them. Small, consistent steps over time can lead to big results. Be persistent and stay committed to your goals, even when faced with obstacles or setbacks.

10. The Millionaire Fastlane, by MJ Demarco

• Encourages readers to take control of their financial future
• Provides practical advice on how to build wealth through entrepreneurship and investing
• Create multiple income streams (stocks, real estate, your own business, intellectual property, online business, licensing) and diversify your investments
• Focus on creating value and solving problems for others

11. The Intelligent Investor, by Benjamin Graham

• Provides practical advice on how to invest wisely
• Encourages readers to think long-term and focus on value investing, rather than short-term speculation
• Diversify your investments and minimize risk
• Do your own research and invest in what you know

12. The Compound Effect, by Darren Hardy

• Explores how small actions and habits can have a big impact on our lives
• Provides practical advice on how to develop good habits and achieve success in all areas of life
• Identify the habits and behaviours that are holding you back and replace them with positive ones
• Develop a plan and take consistent action towards your goals
• Measure your progress and make adjustments as necessary

13. The Miracle Morning, by Hal Elrod

• Encourages readers to start their day with a positive mindset and productive habits
• Provides practical advice on how to develop a morning routine that sets you up for success
• Develop a morning routine that includes meditation, exercise, and positive affirmations
• Prioritize your most important tasks for the day
• Focus on personal growth and self-improvement

14. Atomic Habits, by James Clear

• Provides practical advice on how to build good habits and break bad ones
• Encourages readers to focus on small, incremental changes that can lead to big improvements over time
• Identify the cues, cravings, and rewards that drive your habits
• Use the 2-minute rule to make new habits easy to start. The rule states that you should break down any habit you want to build into a simple, two-minute task that can be done quickly and easily.
• For example, if you want to start a habit of reading every day, you might start with a goal of reading for just two minutes each day. Once you’ve established that habit, you can gradually increase the time you spend reading until you reach your ultimate goal.

15. The Paleo Manifesto: Ancient Wisdom for Lifelong Health, by John Durant

• Explores the benefits of a paleo lifestyle for lifelong health
• Provides practical advice on how to eat, move, and live like our ancestors
• Encourages readers to adopt a more natural and holistic approach to health and wellness
• Eat a diet based on whole, unprocessed foods
• Move more and incorporate natural movement into your daily routine

Did you notice it too?

Did you notice that most of these books have a lot in common? They all contain the same knowledge, but worded differently. In my opinion, it always comes down to the following, no matter what you do:

1. Identify what you want. What you REALLTY want. Write it down clearly, in as much details and colours as possible.
2. Set a clear goal, vision. Whatever you need to do to achieve your dreams. Focus on your strengths and developing them.
3. Break down the goal into small, tiny steps and tasks.
4. Prioritize the tasks, make a plan or timetable.
5. Create a morning routine so you can live a good, energetic and healthy lifestyle. Use the 2-minute rule to build these habits.
6. Surround yourself with supportive people and be in an encouraging environment. Smile. Connect. Think win-win. Together you can achieve more than alone.
7. Work hard on your most important tasks.
8. Be consistent. Rome wasn’t built in 1 day. By improving just 1% each day, you will have improved 365% by the end of the year!
9. Outsource what you can. Spend your free time on improving yourself and your business.
10. Invest your money, but diversify. Think long term.
11. Real estate is always a good investment, but don’t buy your dream house (yet)! Make a smart purchase, buy income-producing real estate.
12. Let your various income streams pay for your dreams.
13. Keep repeating these steps, but never forget to take care of yourself, your health, your family and everyone you care about.
14. Never give up! Review your goals, vision, dreams often. Track your progress and see how you’re doing. Adjust if necessary. You can do it!

Best of luck,

Michiel

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