Hi beautiful,
We are living on autopilot. We wake up, go to work, come home, and repeat. What about our goals? They’re just vague ideas floating around in our heads and keep changing with each motivational video we watch.
We tell ourselves “someday” I’ll write that book, start that business, or get in shape. But someday never comes.
And it gets worse. Without clear direction, we end up feeling lost and stressed.
But we can change this by learning and adapting to the strategies by some of the most successful people.
I spent months exploring goal setting, and I’ve found seven best goal-setting books that have completely changed how I think about achieving what I want in life.
7 Best Goal Setting Books
Let’s break down each one and see exactly how they can help you.
1. Goals!: How to Get Everything You Want – Faster Than You Ever Thought Possible
By Brian Tracy
This book hit me differently because it tackles a problem many of us face: we think we’re not capable enough.
Tracy breaks down this mental barrier by showing how anyone can achieve remarkable success with the right approach.
What makes this book powerful:
- A clear, 12-step system that takes you from “I wish” to “I did”
- Practical exercises to identify your true strengths
- Specific strategies to deal with setbacks (because they will happen)
- Real examples of people who used these methods to transform their lives
The most valuable lesson from this book is learning to differentiate between wishes and goals. Tracy teaches that every goal needs a deadline and a clear action plan.
2. The Desire Map: A Guide to Creating Goals with Soul
By Danielle LaPorte
This isn’t a typical goal-setting book, and that’s why it’s so effective.
While most books focus on external achievements, LaPorte asks a different question: “How do you want to feel?”
The book includes hands-on activities like:
- Emotional vocabulary building
- Desire mapping worksheets
- Weekly check-in prompts
- Goal alignment exercises
Key insights:
- How you want to feel in your life. Happy? Free? Powerful? These become your Core Desired Feelings (CFDs).
- Connect your daily actions to your deeper emotional needs
- Practical exercises for emotional clarity
- A fresh approach to make decisions based on your desired feelings
3. How to Begin: Start Doing Something That Matters
By Michael Bungay Stanier
You know that thing you’ve been putting off because “the timing isn’t right”?
“How to Begin” is the book that encourages you to take action and make a positive impact on your life and the world.
The book introduces the “What’s Worth Doing” framework:
- Impact: Will it make a difference that matters to you?
- Sustainability: Can you keep going when it gets tough?
- Joy: Will you find moments of delight in doing it?
What sets this book apart:
- A BS-free approach to take action
- Practical exercises to overcome analysis paralysis
- Clear framework to identify what truly matters
- Strategies to maintain momentum when motivation fades away
4. Hard Goals : The Secret to Getting from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be
By Mark Murphy
Think about your current goals. Do they make your heart race? Do they keep you up at night? No? Then they’re probably not pushing you hard enough.
Murphy introduces HARD Goals:
- Heartfelt: They light you up inside
- Animated: You can see them playing out in your mind
- Required: They feel urgent, not “maybe someday”
- Difficult: They push you past your comfort zone
Key takeaways:
- Why traditional SMART goals often fail
- The neuroscience behind goal achievement
- Specific techniques for increasing goal commitment
- Methods for turning abstract wishes into concrete actions
Fast Fact: People who chase HARD Goals report 75% more satisfaction than those who play it safe. This book helps you use your brain’s full power and beat procrastination.
5. Creating Your Best Life: The Ultimate Life List Guide
By Caroline Adams Miller
Miller digs into the science of why some people crush their goals while others crash and burn.
She introduces the concept of a Life List. But instead of random wishes, she helps you create a roadmap based on what actually matters to you.
The book’s strength lies in its blend of scientific backing and real-world application.
Core concepts:
- The connection between happiness and goal achievement
- How to create meaningful life lists that actually work
- The role of positive relationships in goal achievement
- Strategies for building mental toughness
Practical tools included:
- Goal-setting worksheets based on research
- Happiness-boosting exercises
- Social support planning templates
- Resilience-building practices
6. All It Takes Is a Goal: The 3-Step Plan to Ditch Regret and Tap Into Your Massive Potential
By Jon Acuff
Acuff has a gift for making complex concepts simple and actionable.
This book cuts through the noise and delivers a clear path to achievement without the usual fluff.
The three-step plan is refreshingly simple:
- Get Clear
- Get Free
- Get Going
What makes this book different:
- Research-based strategies tested with real people
- Humor that makes tough concepts digestible
- Practical exercises you’ll actually want to do
- Clear action steps for every stage of goal achievement
Acuff includes real stories from regular people who’ve used his method. No celebrities, no trust fund kids – just normal people who decided to stop settling for less.
7. Your Best Year Ever: A 5-Step Plan for Achieving Your Most Important Goals
By Michael Hyatt
Between work, family, and that endless to-do list, your big dreams often get pushed to “someday.”
Hyatt says this year can be different.
The 5-step plan:
- Believe the Possibility
- Overcome limiting beliefs
- Build confidence through small wins
- Create a positive mindset
- Complete the Past
- Learn from previous failures
- Celebrate past successes
- Clear mental baggage
- Design Your Future
- Create compelling goals
- Set a timeline
- Build accountability systems
- Find Your Why
- Connect goals to deeper purpose
- Build intrinsic motivation
- Create emotional investment
- Make It Happen
- Develop action plans
- Create tracking systems
- Keep going
If you’re sick of watching another year slip by without progress, this book is your wake-up call.
The Bottom Line
These seven books perfectly complement each other. The authors have provided the roadmap; now it’s up to you to take the journey.
Start with the book that addresses your biggest current challenge:
- Feeling unmotivated? → The Desire Map
- Need structure? → Your Best Year Ever
- Can’t get started? → How to Begin
- Want proven strategies? → Goals!
- Need scientific backing? → Creating Your Best Life
- Struggling with follow-through? → Hard Goals
- Ready for action? → All It Takes Is a Goal
The famous author and philosopher Ralph Waldo Emerson said,
“The only person you are destined to become is the person you decide to be.”
So, decide to be successful, and take guidance from these inspiring books. Happy reading!
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