Looking to gift self-help books but don’t know where to start? I’ve got you covered!
As a book lover myself and someone who owns almost 500 books both digital and physical, I’ve come to realize that more than anything else, books are the best gifts to give to loved ones and friends because they can open it again and again!
These 15 self-help books are the ones that I’ve personally read cover to cover this year and because I loved them so much, I decided to order separate copies for specific woman in my life who I know need the wisdom from this book.
Top 15 Self-Help Books For Every Woman In Your Life
Were you able to read these books? Tell me in the comments below!
1. Own Your Everyday by Jordan Lee Dooley
This book is easy to read and provide practical tips on how to:
• tackle obstacles such as disappointment, perfectionism, comparison, and distraction
• remove labels and break out of the box of expectations
• identify and eliminate excuses and unnecessary stress about an unknown future
• overcome the lie that you can’t live your God-given purpose until you reach a certain goal or milestone
If consider yourself a perfectionist and feel pressured to figure out your purpose or what to do with your life, this book will help you breath and trust that it’s okay if you don’t have to have it all mapped out.
What I personally love about this book is that in each chapter Jordan shares a personal story and give simple yet actionable tips on how you too can move forward with your life regardless of the pressure you face.
Here’s my most favorite part of the book, when Jordan writes:
” When we’re always under pressure to find something that isn’t actually lost – believing we must find it outside ourselves – or when we’re distracted with running around trying to prove we are enough, we cannot accomplish what we’re meant to do. Know why? Because the pressure to prove and true purpose cannot coexist. “
2. The Joy Of Missing Out by Tonya Dalton
Overwhelmed. Too many women are swamped and exhausted by all they strive to do, ending most days feeling unsatisfied and unsuccessful. Tonya Dalton, productivity expert and CEO of inkWELL Press Productivity Co., offers these women a liberating shift in perspective: feeling overwhelmed isn’t the result of having too much to do–it’s from not knowing where to start.
Here’s my most favorite part of the book, when Tonya writes:
” The idea of doing it all – and doing it well – is the problem I have with the concept of balance. Balance sounds nice, but it’s nothing more than a productivity buzzword, an empty promise that leads us to falsely believe we should be able to do everything equally. ”
3. The Year of Living Happy by Alli Worthington
You do your best to live life well—you work hard to be present in the moment, take care of the people in your life, knock it out of the park at work and home. And yet somehow, you still have days (perhaps more than you’d like to admit) where you’re simultaneously stressed and bored, and you wonder if you even know how to be happy. Is happiness a worthy goal?
This book contains 100 short readings followed by practical, real-life application, with space to reflect and write a response. It’s broken into small pieces, great as a daily devotional. Alli combines Scripture, advice, and the science of happiness, creating a thoroughly beautiful book, inside and out.
Here’s my most favorite part of the book, when Alli writes:
” Humility is the soil where happiness grows, plant some seeds and watch your year of happiness flourish! “
4. Do It Scared by Ruth Soukup
It is the go-to-guide for anyone who has ever felt stuck, or who feels like you are sitting on the sidelines of your own life, afraid to truly dive in and go after your goals and dreams wholeheartedly. It’s for anyone who has ever said no when they wished they dared say yes.
Here’s my favorite line when Ruth quoted Dan Miller:
” Perfectionism is not as much the desire for excellence as it is the fear of failure couched in procrastination. ”
The first time I encounter Ruth was because of her Living Well Planner which I’ve been using for the last 3 years and something that I add to my gift list to give to my friends and family on Thanksgiving. (You can get $5 discount right here for the planner)
The book is a practical tool and I recommend this for the people in your life that is goal-getters or those who find it difficult to break from procrastination. Ruth mentioned about the Fear Archetypes which is interesting and insightful, you’ll be able to learn how to break free from them and why and how they are holding you back.
5. Rest Assured by Vicki Courtney
Women are overcommitted, overconnected, overburdened, and overwhelmed. Their lives are full, but oddly, their souls are empty. They are aching for a bold challenge—one that will bring rest to their longing souls. Rest Assured is for the daring women who truly want to disrupt their current patterns and see lasting change.
Divided into two parts, Rest Assured offers not just an intervention:
- The Badge of Busyness
- The Exhausting Pursuit of Happiness
- Tethered Souls
- Worried Sick
Here’s where I relate most about the book, when Vicky writes:
” I struggled to adjust to a slower, more relaxed pace. Whether it is related to my career or home life, I could always squeeze one more thing. When I wasn’t busy, I felt restless and ill at ease. When I was busy, I felt weary and in need of rest. It was a never ending vicious cycle. “
6. Giant Slayers by Leif Hetland
The world is full of giants…
Some come knocking on our doors, threatening to tear our lives apart. Others are far away, guarding treasure and glory, waiting to see who will challenge them.
Maybe debt is your giant—a pile of second and third notices that you don’t know how to answer. Maybe it is an illness—a diagnosis that destroys hope or an injury that puts an end to your dreams. Maybe your giant is a cause—a suffering people that pulls at your sense of justice or an inequality in your community. Maybe it is fear—a paralyzing doubt that sends you into long days of anxiety and depression. Hunger, disease, poverty, corruption, abuse, deceit, war, addiction, hate—we live in a world of giants.
This book will help you learn the practical “ground rules” that will bring you into a life of facing your fears, overcoming obstacles, and slaying the giants that keep you from fulfilling your destiny
Here’s my favorite part when Leif writes:
” It is easy to forget how important everyday life is. When work is mundane, when we are given tasks below our skill level, when we feel stuck in the daily grind – we sometimes forget that everyday life is the training ground for greatness. It is where giant slayers are born.”
7. The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz
In The Four Agreements, bestselling author Don Miguel Ruiz reveals the source of self-limiting beliefs that rob us of joy and create needless suffering. Based on ancient Toltec wisdom, The Four Agreements offer a powerful code of conduct that can rapidly transform our lives to a new experience of freedom, true happiness, and love.
This author is my husband’s favorite and at first, I was hesitant to read it because I’m not the type of self-help junkie that will go through ancient toltecs wisdom. But when I read this through, I was shocked on how deep yet life changing the advice is. In fact, it is so practical that you can remember and implement that advice in your everyday life
This is a short book and is part of a series (The Fifth Agreement, The Mastery of Love, The Five Levels of Attachment, The Circle of Fire, The Three Questions and The Voice of Knowledge) which I recommend you go through once you’re done with the Four Agreements.
I’ve given copies of this book to some of our closest friends and relatives and it’s awesome to see that they are doing positive changes to their lives because of this book.
8. Uninvited by Lysa Terkeurst
Lysa will help you and your group to enter a place of healing and new perspective, as well as a time for you to go to new places with Jesus and experience him like never before. Uninvited reminds us we are destined for a love that can never be diminished, tarnished, shaken, or taken—a love that does not reject or uninvite.
This study guide is packed with deep Bible teaching and includes guided video notes, group discussion questions, and between-sessions personal studies.
9. She’s Still There by Chrystal Evans Hurst
What happens when a woman looks at herself in the mirror, lingering just a little longer than usual and realizes that she no longer recognizes the person staring back at her? What does she do when she sees that, somehow, her life has drifted away from all her original hopes, dreams, or plans?
Chrystal since discovered that this moment of awareness happens to lots of women at different seasons of their lives. Poor decisions, a lack of intentionality or planning, or a long-term denial of deep hopes and dreams can leave a woman, old or young, reeling from the realization that she is lost, disappointed, or simply numb.
This woman simply needs someone to hold her hand, cheer her on, and believe with her that she is still capable of being the person she intended to be.
Here’s my favorite part when Chrystal writes:
” The girl you wanted to be – or the girl you never were sure you could become – is already a divinely inspired masterpiece. Everyday that you live, you have the opportunity to do the work of honoring the plan God has for you. “
10. The Latte Factor by David Bach
In this compelling, heartwarming parable, Bach and his bestselling coauthor John David Mann (The Go-Giver) tell the story of Zoey, a twenty-something woman living and working in New York City. Like many young professionals, Zoey is struggling to make ends meet under a growing burden of credit card and student loan debt, working crazy hours at her dream job but still not earning enough to provide a comfortable financial cushion. At her boss’s suggestion, she makes friends with Henry, the elderly barista at her favorite Brooklyn coffee shop.
The Latte Factor demystifies the secrets to achieving financial freedom, inspiring readers to realize that it’s never too late to reach for your dreams. By following the simple, proven path that Henry shows Zoey, anyone can make small changes today that will have big impact for a lifetime.
My husband and I love David Bach so much, we have all of his books (The Automatic Millionaire, Smart Women Finish Rich, Smart Couples Finish Rich and Start Late Finish Rich)
For this new book, titled Latte Factor, I’ve shared this to my single millennial girlfriends who’s always stressed out and intimidated about money and don’t know where to start. Fortunately, they saw positive results when they implemented the practical tips in this book.
11. The 7 Principles for Making Marriage Work by John Gottman
John Gottman’s unprecedented study of couples over a period of years has allowed him to observe the habits that can make—and break—a marriage. Here is the culmination of that work: the seven principles that guide couples on a path toward a harmonious and long-lasting relationship. Straightforward yet profound, these principles teach partners new approaches for resolving conflicts, creating new common ground, and achieving greater levels of intimacy.
Gottman offers strategies and resources to help couples collaborate more effectively to resolve any problem, whether dealing with issues related to sex, money, religion, work, family, or anything else.
Packed with new exercises and the latest research out of the esteemed Gottman Institute, this revised edition of The Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work is the definitive guide for anyone who wants their relationship to attain its highest potential.
I can’t thank this book enough! My husband even said to me that this is his favorite book and made him excited to come home to read it with me. We both have “aha!” moments and are able to relate to the stories and learn from the strategies that was shared in the book.
The exercises are really good too because you will discover so much about your partner and that will help strengthen the bond between the two of you. Our copy is full of notes, markings and highlights, we even take this book on our flights together! So if you want a happy marriage, grab this one, it’s so worth every penny!
12. The Empowered Wife by Laura Doyle
Laura Doyle’s marriage was in trouble, and couples counseling wasn’t helping. On the brink of divorce, she decided to talk to women who’d been happily married for over a decade, and their advice stunned her. From it, she distilled Six Intimacy Skills–woman-centric practices that ended her overwhelm and resentment, restoring the playfulness and passion in her marriage.
Practical and counter-intuitive, the Six Intimacy Skills are about focusing on your own desires and transforming your own life–not bending over backwards to transform your husband.
If you’ve been trying to “fix” your relationship and it’s not working, maybe the problem was never you, or your husband, or even the two of you as a couple. Maybe the problem is that nobody ever taught you the skills you need to foster respect, tenderness, and consideration.
I bought this book right after I got married in 2018 and until now, even I’ve read this cover to cover I still look through the pages from time to time. Compared to #11, this book is “for wives only” and that’s why I gave all my married besties a copy! It’s fun when you can catch up and talk about how your marriages are improving because of the intimacy skills you’ll learn in the book.
It is written in a conversational manner and that’s why it’s so easy to read and digest. You’ll enjoy it!
13. Business Boutique by Christy Wright
There is a movement of women stepping into their God-given gifts to make money doing what they love. If you’re ready to join them, this is your handbook that will take the ideas in your head and the dream in your heart and turn them into action.
- Help you create a step-by-step, customized plan to start and grow your business
- Show you how to manage your time so you can have a business – and life – that you love
- Explain overwhelming business stuff like pricing, taxes, and budgeting in simple terms
- Teach you how to use marketing to reach the right people in the right way
I recommend the Audible version of this book (you can get a Audible Free 1 Month Trial here) because the advice on this book is something you would want to listen to OVER and OVER again until it sinks in.
I agree to most of the reviews, that yes, you don’t have to actually love what you’re doing (in your business) but you absolutely have to know the strategies to make you successful and how you can overcome the struggles that you will face along the way. This book has helped me tremendously when I’ve started to shift this blog to a full-time business.
14. Get Over Your Damn Self: The No-BS Blueprint to Building a Life-Changing Business by Romi Neustadt
In this book, Romi offers you the same direct, no-BS coaching she’s given to tens of thousands to help you acquire the skills to build this sucker and teach your team to do the same. And, equally important, she’ll work on your mindset so you stop over complicating it all and stop letting the negative voices in your head win.
You’re going to learn:
- The Posture to confidently connect with anyone about your business and your products.
- The Possibilities for a lucrative, efficient and enormously rewarding turn key business.
- The Power that’s already within you to build the life you really want…if you dare.
If you or know someone in the network marketing business, this is the perfect gift to them! Although the advice within the book also applies to other businesses, while reading the chapters I realized that Romi’s experience falls heavily on her networking background so if you’re in it too, you’ll be able to relate with her and in turn, use the tips in this book to your advantage.
15. Rising Strong by Brene’ Brown
Social scientist Brené Brown has ignited a global conversation on courage, vulnerability, shame, and worthiness. Her pioneering work uncovered a profound truth: Vulnerability – the willingness to show up and be seen with no guarantee of outcome – is the only path to more love, belonging, creativity, and joy. But living a brave life is not always easy: We are, inevitably, going to stumble and fall.
Walking into our stories of hurt can feel dangerous. But the process of regaining our footing in the midst of struggle is where our courage is tested and our values are forged. Our stories of struggle can be big ones, like the loss of a job or the end of a relationship, or smaller ones, like a conflict with a friend or colleague.
Regardless of magnitude or circumstance, the rising strong process is the same: We reckon with our emotions and get curious about what we’re feeling; we rumble with our stories until we get to a place of truth; and we live this process, every day, until it becomes a practice and creates nothing short of a revolution in our lives. Rising strong after a fall is how we cultivate wholeheartedness. It’s the process, Brown writes, that teaches us the most about who we are.
This list will not be complete without this book! First of all, I LOVE Dr. Brene’ Brown. Actually, I’m obsessed with all of her books: (Gifts of Imperfection, Dare to Lead, Daring Greatly, Braving the Wilderness, I Thought It Was Just Me) and have gained so much wisdom from them.
This book titled Rising Strong hit home for me and I would say that of all the books in this list, this one permanently stays in my bed side. Every chapter provides hope and courage when you go through adversity in your life.
Last July, my best friend of 14 years committed suicide and that really made me rethink about everything that I do on a daily basis. I love how this book is written in a way that teaches softly but not preaches you to do something.
It will give you the techniques that you need to navigate the hard, painful and inevitable struggles that you will in life. It’s very comforting and after you read you will find joy and a sense of hope.This is a must read!
So tell me, what book will you add to this list?
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