It's a whole new year--and decade! And while I do believe that you can set goals during any month, there's just something special about doing it in January. It's a great time to reset and put 2019 behind you, taking only the lessons learned into 2020.

One of the best ways to hit reset is to read a book that gives you a new perspective. I've put together a list of 20 recommendations, each of which will help you start off the year on a positive note. (And, for those of you who prefer to listen to content, I've made sure all of these books have an audio option.) 

Happy reading!

There are so many business scenarios you can't predict--cranky clients, malfunctioning technology, and more. This book leverages improv activities to help you listen better, navigate tricky situations, and elevate your communication skills (which are the backbone of healthy professional and personal relationships!).

This is one of my favorite recent reads. Aging is typically associated with a fairly rapid decline in health, and Asprey wants us to write a different story. In Super Human, he outlines his Seven Pillars of Aging along with practical methods for counteracting them. He truly made me believe I might be able to live until I'm 180--I'm not kidding! (Here's a great interview I did with Dave, by the way!)

You can't be great, or even good, at everything. And that's perfectly OK. In fact, Rinaldi encourages us to lean into the things we might be really, unbelievably bad at. It's one of the only true ways to rediscover our joy in the process rather than obsessing over the end result.

4. Stillness Is the Key by Ryan Holiday

The true secret to getting ahead? Slowing down. Holiday provides tips on achieving stillness and using it to your advantage. If you constantly feel overwhelmed, reading this book is a great way to break that cycle and bring some zen into the new decade. 

5. Everything Is Figureoutable by Marie Forleo

This is not your average self-help book. It's a deep dive into learning how to positively reframe almost every situation in your life. Because Forleo strongly believes that you can figure out how to do anything you want, no matter the barriers. According to Eat, Pray, Love author Elizabeth Gilbert, "this book will change lives." 

Declaration, preparation, acceleration, and domination. This is the four-step process to reaching your ultimate goals, according to Eason, a former NFL player, playwright, and leadership coach. Practice may not make perfect, but it does yield the best outcomes. 

In just 18 months, Centrella went from relying on food stamps to feed her three children to living the life she wanted. In Hustle, Believe, Receive, she shares the steps she took to get there as well as inspiring stories of others who turned their lives around as well. 

How can I have a meaningful career? It's a big question, and one of the many Galloway helps you answer. Full of tough love and relatable stories, he's passing on his wisdom to you about how to figure out the life you really want--and live it. 

Your health is everything. If you don't prioritize it, it'll negatively impact every other aspect of your life. In this book full of cutting-edge science and ancient Eastern wisdom, Kshirsagar and Seaton provide a 30-day plan to getting your wellness back on track, thus setting you up for even greater success

10. Late Bloomers: The Power of Patience in a World Obsessed with Early Achievement by Rich Karlgaard

If you're not a prodigy, then you may as well settle for being mediocre--or worse. Right? Wrong. For most of us, true career harmony takes years of trial and error. And what you might not know is that there's actually a science behind just exactly when we'll reach our full potential. 

This isn't Brown's most recent work, but it's a great one to start. Because it addresses one of the most crucial aspects to living the lives we're truly meant to live: vulnerability. If you're already read this one, try her newest book, Dare to Lead, which applies Daring Greatly lessons to the workplace.

One of the first ever engineers at Google, Chade-Meng Tan is a personal growth pioneer. He teaches Google employees how to leverage mindfulness to achieve both calmness and intense concentration, and this book lets you in on the secret.


Like it or not, the biggest barrier in front of you might be, well, you--from continuously falling victim to random distractions to letting imposter syndrome take over. In this book, Dr. Judy Ho teaches how to put a stop to this damaging behavior.

We spend way too much time wallowing in self-doubt, regret, and concern about the future. Rae explains how we can overcome our near-constant worrying and unlock our true potential. 

The original Aaron Burr in Hamilton, Odom shares his own story of hard work (because landing a role in Hamilton definitely didn't happen overnight) and provides actionable tips on how you can achieve your biggest dreams, too.

Figuring out what you truly want in life is hard. Then, once you have the answer, the next struggle is how exactly to get there. Kennedy lays out a step-by-step plan (and workbook) for finding the answers to both of these problems. 

Dweck, a world-renowned psychologist, helped coin the terms "fixed mindset" and "growth mindset" over 30 years ago. Here, she talks about why you should adopt a true growth mindset--and how. Her years of research confirm that the way you think about things really can radically change the results.

Whether you're founding a startup or leading an established company, Messenger's entrepreneurial journey is full of valuable business lessons on how to disrupt, innovate, and make decisions fearlessly. 

These days, employees are split among four different generations: Baby Boomers, Gen X, Millennials, and Gen Z. Since that's not likely to change any time soon, we must figure out how to lead each group successfully. 

Procrastination is a common enemy. But the blame for it solely falls on your shoulders, no matter what excuses you have. King will show you how to just get things done. So go on, get reading already!

Starting the new year is the perfect time to re-think your career habits. The book will walk you through a step-by-step process of understanding your unique Genius, identifying your Purpose at work, and becoming infinitely happier and more successful in your work life.  

If you read one of these books, let me know what you think! And, of course, I'd love to hear any other book recs you have, too.