My Top 5 Favorite Books in 2018

12/22/2018

If you've been following me for a while now, you know that I'm an avid reader. I wasn't always this way, though. Back in 2016 I decided that I would read a total of 2 books per month. I have actually kept up with my commitment, plus a bit more. Ever since I started keeping record (back in January, 2016) I have read a total of 86 books; most having to do with personal development and business.

In this blog post I will tell you about the books I read (or re-read) in 2018 that made it to my top 5 favs of 2018. I want to point out that, as I mentioned above, these books focus on personal development and business. Check them out, if you haven't done so, read their reviews, and decide whether or not you want to read them. I strongly recommend them, (that's why they made it to my top 5!). Start off 2019 with these excellent books! (They are numbered in no particular order - they are all great!)

1) Unlimited Power by Tony Robbins - Yes. I re-read it this year...twice, actually...again. In fact, many of you know that this book was pretty much my beginning of wanting to become more.
- Why I recommend it: It makes you realize that if you consciously use your mind effectively (it shows you how), then there is really no limit to anything in your personal and business life. It is packed with strategies that range from how to eliminate fear (using neuro-linguistic programing) to how to model successful people in order to get into a specific mindset - one that will help you reach your goals quicker.

2) The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg - Another one I re-read this year. And, yes, it's on my top favorites of 2018. I first read The Power of Habit in April of 2016 in the paperback edition. And, I decided to give it another go-around this year in audio form just to freshen up on the concepts the books has to offer.
- Why I recommend it: This books talks in-depth of habits (duh!); it explains how a habit is created, how it affects our lives, and how we can change them. What's the very first thing you do when you a new/potential customer inquires about your service? Do you reply right away with a list of tasks that your service includes? Do you give a list of references? Do you start off with your prices? Whatever your answer is, it's most likely a habit that you have developed over the years. I strongly recommend this book if you want to delve more into this topic.

3) Atomic Habits by James Clear - Okay, this was a new one that I had never heard of before. (Maybe because it was published this year, LOL) I found out about this book when the author, James Clear, was interviewed on Lewis Howe's podcast. (A podcast that I highly recommend!) You can actually see the interview by clicking ... here.
- Why I recommend it: Like I said, the moment I heard James Clear talk about habits, I knew that I had to read his book. In fact, take my suggestion and read The Power of Habit first, then read this one, Atomic Habits; it'll be a combination that will get you started off on being more aware of your habits and also consciously working on implementing better habits for your personal and business life.

4) The Slight Edge by Jeff Olson - The Slight Edge is another one of those books that I re-read this year. I first read it in May of 2017 in hardcover, and decided to re-read it this year with my kids - oh yeah, aside from me reading two books a month by myself, I read a book with my kids once a month (well, at least we try LOL).
- Why I recommend it: The Slight Edge talks about the importance of consistency. It's extremely valuable to getting into the mindset that success does not happen "overnight". Rather, it's a process - a rather simple process - that only requires you to show up and do the things that are required to achieve your goals. You see, we all want to win and sometimes, many times actually, talent does not guarantee success. Consistency does. Read it and start working on your dreams a step at a time.

5) Work the System by Sam Carpenter - Okay, so here's a book that I haven't finished reading. I am in the process of reading - I'm actually 29% through (I'm reading it on Kindle, that's how I know).
- Why I recommend it: If I'm recommending a book that I'm less than half way through, then you better believe it's good. This book is somewhat compared to Atomic Habits in that I recommend that you read The E-Myth by Michael Gerber first. This book, I believe, will help you with your cleaning business - or small business - in that it demonstrates the systems mindset (which is something that I always recommend you do; which is something I learned after having read The E-Myth). Look, life is a system. You business is a system. Your car is a system. Everything is a system in that you can break down the components of anything and work from the bottom up. Work on your subsystems if you want your general system (say, your business) to work efficiently. Bottom line: invest $21 in this book and it'll be the best investment you'll make for 2019.

Well, there you have it. My Top 5 Favorite Books in 2018! Let me know what you think. Have you read any on this list? If so, what new insight did you get out of it? What other books did you read in 2018 that made a great impact in your personal and/or business life? Leave your comment below so I can create a post in a few days and share it on my social media accounts!

Thank you so much for taking the time to read my blog post.

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