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The 21 best books to help you form a new habit this year

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Bestselling self-help books like “Atomic Habits,” “The High 5 Habit,” and “The Power of Habit” can help you reach your 2022 resolutions.

Amazon; Alyssa Powell/Insider

  • A new year can be a great inspiration to make new changes in your life.
  • Keeping your resolutions often means adopting lasting and impactful habits.
  • These non-fiction self-help books and memoirs offer helpful perspectives on habit-forming.

A new year is a great opportunity to create resolutions and goals for ourselves, but we all know resolutions can be hard to keep as the motivation and inspiration fades. To keep your resolutions and reach your goals, the best tactic is to form habits that will last throughout the year. 

There are plenty of great self-help books that can help you focus on breaking bad habits, building great ones, and keeping new habits long after the New Year’s confetti has been cleaned up. 

21 books that can help you form new habits and reach your 2022 goals:

A helpful book to build good habits — and break bad ones"Atomic Habits" by James Clear book cover

Amazon

“Atomic Habits” by James Clear, available at Amazon and Bookshop, from $11.98

This bestselling self-help book outlines how habits are formed and the psychology of creating good habits and ditching bad ones to help readers reach their goals. With plenty of examples, helpful advice, and tips to keep your habits on track, this guide is informative and inspirational for readers to transform their habits and find lasting success.

A deeper examination of how we form habits"The Power of Habit" by Charles Duhigg book cover

Amazon

“The Power of Habit” by Charles Duhigg, available at Amazon and Bookshop, from $10.95

In “The Power of Habit,” author Charles Duhigg draws upon a variety of anecdotes to demonstrate how the mastery of habits can transform our lives and help us reach great success in a short amount of time. Filled with research, academic studies, and interviews, this self-help book encourages readers to examine the roots of their current habits on a biological level in order to transform them in a lasting and impactful way.

A book about adopting confidence as a habit"The High 5 Habit- Take Control of Your Life with One Simple Habit" by Mel Robbins book cover

Amazon

“The High 5 Habit: Take Control of Your Life with One Simple Habit” by Mel Robbins, available at Amazon and Bookshop, from $16.66

This personal development book encourages readers to adopt just one habit into their lives: Giving yourself a high-five. “The High 5 Habit” is about transforming your mindset to become your own greatest cheerleader and adopting habits that help you believe in yourself.

An iconic book to help change your organizing habits"The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up" by Marie Kondo book cover

Bookshop

“The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up” by Marie Kondo, available at Amazon and Bookshop, from $8.58

From famed Japanese cleaning consultant Marie Kondo, this book helps readers reset their organization and create new habits for keeping spaces clean and organized. With a little-by-little approach, Marie Kondo’s decluttering techniques have inspired countless readers to pursue tidy homes through a change in perspective and organizational habits.

A psychology book focused on our technology habits"Digital Minimalism- Choosing a Focused Life in a Noisy World" by Cal Newport book cover

Amazon

“Digital Minimalism: Choosing a Focused Life in a Noisy World” by Cal Newport, available at Amazon and Bookshop, from $12.99

This habit-transforming book focuses on readers’ relationship with technology and social media to help reduce our negative habits associated with both. Aiming to help readers who wish to disconnect from the digital world, “Digital Minimalism” offers strategies to transform our technology-focused habits and reconnect with the natural world and relationships around us.

A personal story to inspire new habits and changes"Can't Hurt Me" by David Goggins book cover

Bookshop

“Can’t Hurt Me” by David Goggins, available at Amazon and Bookshop, from $17.99

“Can’t Hurt Me” is an inspirational story that uses David Goggins’ personal anecdotes to demonstrate how most people only utilize a fraction of their potential and how pushing beyond those mental barriers can unlock new levels of success. This passionate, bestselling book offers personal lessons to inspire readers to change their daily habits and conquer the self-imposed obstacles keeping them from achieving their goals.

A book to help you change your habits in 30 days"Do It for a Day- How to Make or Break Any Habit in 30 Days" by Mark Batterson book cover

Amazon

“Do It for a Day: How to Make or Break Any Habit in 30 Days” by Mark Batterson, available at Amazon and Bookshop, from $14.99

This productivity book challenges readers to make or break a new habit in 30 days, starting right now. By helping readers identify a meaningful, measurable, and maintainable change, this book can help you adopt daily habits step-by-step with helpful techniques to change your life in a long-lasting way.

A self-help read about changing the habits of your mindset"Mindset- The New Psychology of Success" by Carol S. Dweck book cover

Bookshop

“Mindset: The New Psychology of Success” by Carol S. Dweck, available at Amazon and Bookshop, from $8.55

With decades of research behind her philosophy, Carol S. Dweck aims to teach readers that the key to success in any aspect of life is to adopt a growth mindset. With an introduction to the concept and helpful advice on how to apply a new mindset habit to your own life, this book offers simple insights to improve not only your personal mindset but that of your community or organization.

A famous bestselling book about habits"The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People" by Stephen R. Covey book cover

Amazon

“The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People” by Stephen R. Covey, available at Amazon and Bookshop, from $12.53

This 1988 self-help book is still loved by readers today for its principle-centered approach for anyone seeking to change their habits to improve their career, relationships, or personal development. By examining the seven habits of “highly effective people,” this book inspires readers to apply these habits to their own lives in practical ways to improve our character first, which will, in turn, affect our habits.

A book of habits and lessons drawn from interviews"Tools of Titans" by Tim Ferriss book cover

Bookshop

“Tools of Titans” by Tim Ferriss, available at Amazon and Bookshop, from $15.37

Tim Ferriss is used to interviewing successful celebrities, business leaders, and athletes on his podcast. In this book, he draws the greatest and most universal tools and tactics these successful figures have used to reach great heights. Fascinating and explorative, “Tools of Titans” distills the best habits and life lessons for readers and teaches you how to apply them in order to improve your life.

A book to refocus your energy into sustainable habits"At Your Best- How to Get Time, Energy, and Priorities Working in Your Favor" by Carey Nieuwhof book cover

Amazon

“At Your Best: How to Get Time, Energy, and Priorities Working in Your Favor” by Carey Nieuwhof, available at Amazon and Bookshop, from $21.49

“At Your Best” is loved for its practical approach to helping readers apply principles to managing stress, reducing distractions, and adopting sustainable habits into your work and personal life. This book recognizes the high rate of burnout that many people are experiencing and offers solutions to restructure your schedule, find healthy habits, and refocus your energy in a more productive and sustainable way.

A book that begins with one simple habit"Make Your Bed- Little Things That Can Change Your Life...And Maybe the World" by William H. McRaven book cover

Bookshop

“Make Your Bed: Little Things That Can Change Your Life…And Maybe the World” by William H. McRaven, available at Amazon and Bookshop, from $11.94

Written by a Navy Admiral, this quick read explains the greatest lessons and habits William H. McRaven learned from his military career and how the simple habit of making your bed can change your life and even the world. Loved for its optimistic and conversational tone, this self-help book has practical advice and lessons that can be applied to any reader’s life.

A book that teaches the habits of monks"Think Like a Monk- Train Your Mind for Peace and Purpose Every Day" by Jay Shetty book cover

Amazon

“Think Like a Monk: Train Your Mind for Peace and Purpose Every Day” by Jay Shetty, available at Amazon and Bookshop, from $13

After college, Jay Shetty traveled to India to become a monk. After three years of training, he returned home to London with countless lessons he used to coach his friends to achieve greater happiness and mindfulness. In this book, Shetty teaches readers how to overcome damaging habits and adopt ones that offer stress relief, improved communication, and greater overall happiness in their lives.

A short but inspirational habit-changing read"Unfu*k Yourself- Get Out of Your Head and Into Your Life" by Gary John Bishop book cover

Bookshop

“Unfu*k Yourself: Get Out of Your Head and Into Your Life” by Gary John Bishop, available at Amazon and Bookshop, from $12.73

Perfect for readers who find their greatest obstacles are themselves, this motivational and funny book aims to help readers confront the excuses they make and adopt habits to change their lives for good. A quick read full of actionable lessons, this read is a straightforward message about changing your habits, your mentality, and your life.

A read to create meaningful habits"Four Thousand Weeks- Time Management for Mortals" by Oliver Burkeman book cover

Bookshop

“Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals” by Oliver Burkeman, available at Amazon and Bookshop, from $24.84

This productivity book begins by analyzing our obsession with time, time management, “life hacking,” and efficiency. With philosophical principles, this productivity book encourages readers to shift habits from a productivity focus to a meaningful focus in order to adopt healthier habits that help us make the most of our lives.

A book about a simple habit"The Checklist Manifesto- How to Get Things Right" by Atul Gawande book cover

Amazon

“The Checklist Manifesto: How to Get Things Right” by Atul Gawande, available at Amazon and Bookshop, from $8.97

While many other books offer complex productivity “hacks,” this self-help book focuses on the simple habit of making a checklist. With interesting anecdotes and helpful tips, this book hopes to inspire readers to adopt a simple checklist habit to improve their lives.

A productivity book to build focused habits"Deep Work- Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World" by Cal Newport book cover

Bookshop

“Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World” by Cal Newport, available at Amazon and Bookshop, from $14.99

In this two-part self-help read, Cal Newport first presents an argument for the benefits of a deep work ethic and then offers four habits you can adopt to help focus on cognitively demanding tasks. Relevant in our email- and social media-saturated world, this habit-forming book is perfect for readers who struggle to avoid distractions at work.

A unique and engaging read about a proven habit framework"Make Time- How to Focus on What Matters Every Day" by Jake Knapp and John Zeratsky book cover

Bookshop

“Make Time: How to Focus on What Matters Every Day” by Jake Knapp and John Zeratsky, available at Amazon and Bookshop, from $21.49

“Make Time” was written by two former Silicon Valley tech designers who tested countless habits and routines to find what was most effective in helping them achieve success. In this engaging read, they offer a four-step habit framework readers can apply to each day not to manage our time better, but to ensure we are making time for the most important things.

The cumulative research of a year of habit-changing experiments"The Productivity Project- Accomplishing More by Managing Your Time, Attention, and Energy" by Chris Bailey book cover

Amazon

“The Productivity Project: Accomplishing More by Managing Your Time, Attention, and Energy” by Chris Bailey, available at Amazon and Bookshop, from $14.49

“The Productivity Project” is the result of the author’s year-long experiment to find the best productivity habits that actually improved the quality and quantity of his work. From changing his sleep habits to the amount of time he spent on his phone, this productivity book is the culmination of a year’s research and the 25 best habits the author found to increase his productivity.

A reference to help form a bullet journaling habit"The Bullet Journal Method- Track the Past, Order the Present, Design the Future" by Ryder Carroll book cover

Amazon

“The Bullet Journal Method: Track the Past, Order the Present, Design the Future” by Ryder Carroll, available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble, $21.99

In this personal development read, the author encourages readers to adopt a habit of bullet journaling to organize tasks, track the past, and create actionable steps to reach future goals. While bullet journals can absolutely be a creative outlet as well, this book offers a go-to structure to help create a useful bullet journal that can help you focus on what needs to be done. 

A self-help read for stress-free habit changes"Getting Things Done- The Art of Stress-Free Productivity" by David Allen book cover

Bookshop

“Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity” by David Allen, available at Amazon and Bookshop, from $10.25

“Getting Things Done” recognizes the stress that is often associated with the pressures of productivity and aims to help readers relax in order to organize their thoughts and achieve greater potential. With new habits to help readers plan, delegate, and overcome the feeling of being overwhelmed, this book can help them transform their habits instead of adding on new ones.


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