The secrets to success can often be found in a well-stocked bookshelf. Many of the world’s most famous business leaders from Bill Gates to Warren Buffett are proud bibliophiles, citing reading as an important habit for sparking creativity and broadening your understanding of the world.
Books can also inspire and guide you through difficult times. Emily Liou, a career happiness coach at CultiVitae in Gilbert, Arizona often suggests three titles to clients who are craving a career change or want to find happiness at work.
If you’re looking for inspiration or a good weekend read, consider adding Liou’s top recommendations to your list:
‘A Happy Pocket Full of Money: Infinite Wealth and Abundance in the Here and Now’
By David Cameron Gikandi
Before you change your life, you have to change your mindset. In “A Happy Pocket Full of Money,” Gikandi teaches readers how to develop “wealth consciousness” that prioritizes gratitude, a belief in abundance and experiencing joy in life.
Liou recommends this read to all of her clients because she believes adopting an abundance mindset can help you carve out a more fulfilling career path aligned with your values. “Stepping out of our comfort zone, like during a job search, can be scary, and we immediately put a lot of pressure on ourselves – which is harmful, not helpful,” she says.
“A Happy Pocket Full of Money” explains how to “rewire the invisible scripts that we’ve been taught about competition and hard work,” she adds. “Instead, you’ll learn to tap into your intuition, feel energetic and ready for the opportunities in front of you.”
‘The Start-up of You: Adapt to the Future, Invest in Yourself, and Transform Your Career’
By Reid Hoffman and Ben Casnocha
LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman and venture capitalist Ben Casnocha offer a radical approach for re-inventing yourself: Run your life like a start-up.
The pair walk through strategies for taking proactive career risks, developing a competitive advantage at work and improving your networking skills to build a career that works for you. Liou says “The Start-up of You” has great job searching tips and breaks down the skills you need to thrive in today’s ever-changing workplace.
“Any time I pick up this book, I feel very inspired by all the possibilities and opportunities we can create for ourselves once we have the right tools,” she says.
‘Designing Your Life: How to Build a Well-Lived, Joyful Life’
By Bill Burnett and Dave Evans
If you’re overwhelmed with all of the different directions your life and career could take, or don’t know where to start, this book is for you, Liou says.
Burnett and Evans show readers how to use design thinking to map out a career that excites you by being curious, re-evaluating your relationship to work and practicing empathy, among other strategies.
Liou says “Designing Your Life” provides a clear roadmap for getting out of a rut and viewing your career through a “new, hopeful” lens. It’s also the one book her clients have consistently raved about.
“No matter where you’re at in life, it’s important to reflect on where you are and what you want out of life,” she says.
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