14 best self-improvement books for 2023 to change your life

ByLucy Fuggle Last updated on
Photo by Noémi Macavei-Katócz
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I know what it looks like when my life gets out of balance: I’m distracted, unmotivated, and unsure of what I’m even working towards.

The sooner I realise this, the better. Then I can start to treat my body, mind, energy, and focus with more respect and get back on track.

I also like to pick up a few self-improvement and personal development books to remind me:

a) Why it’s better to be working towards my goals than watching Netflix.

b) That I’m capable of doing so much when I get to work and focus on the right things.

Here are some of the best self-improvement books for 2023 I’ve found to give me a kick in the pants when I’m feeling lost, lazy, distracted, or unmotivated.

Browse through the list, see what jumps out, and let the books help you improve your life, reach your goals, and be the best version of you. Let’s get started…

The best self-improvement books to change your life in 2023

Outlive: The Science and Art of Longevity by Peter Attia MD with Bill Gifford

Read Outlive if you want to… discover the latest science-backed ways to get your body and mind in the best shape for health and longevity.

Outlive is leading longevity expert Peter Attia’s groundbreaking manifesto on living better – and longer – which was released in March 2023.

Like Peter’s popular podcast, this book will challenge conventional medical thinking and reveal a new approach to health. Learn how to prevent chronic disease and extend healthspan, not just lifespan.

At Your Best: How to Get Time, Energy, and Priorities Working in Your Favor by Carey Nieuwhof

Read At Your Best if you want to… recalibrate your life and get in the best position for success.

What does it look and feel like when you’re at your best in your work, relationships, and health? At Your Best is a fantastic self-improvement book for getting your time, energy, and priorities working in your favour in 2023.

Think Big: Take Small Steps and Build the Future You Want by Dr Grace Lordan

Think Big

Read Think Big if you want to… inspire yourself to think bigger and take bolder leaps in 2023.

How would your life change if you started thinking bigger? If you dreamed bigger dreams, set bigger goals, and made bigger changes? This personal development book is the answer.

I love Dr Grace Lordan’s guide to thinking bigger and taking actionable steps to build the future you want.

Never Finished: Unshackle Your Mind and Win the War Within by David Goggins

Read Never Finished if you want to… stop making excuses and get in the right state of mind to achieve big things.

David Goggins’s first book, Can’t Hurt Me, is one of the most popular self-improvement books of the last few years, offering unbeatable motivation to push harder and find more resilience.

For more tough love and harsh truths about why you’re not where you want to be (and how to change that in record speed), read Goggins’s new book for 2022, Never Finished.

The Build-a-Habit Guide: A Research-Backed Program to Make Habits Stick by Therapy Notebooks

Read The Build-a-Habit Guide if you want to… follow a research-backed program to make new habits stick, compiled in a high-quality clothbound notebook to chart your progress.

One of the core parts of any self-improvement journey is building positive habits. With this beautiful book from Therapy Notebooks, one of my favourite creators of self-help notebooks, it’s more appealing than ever to make progress on your goals.

Keep your copy of the expert-backed guide on your desk and take it with you as you go about your day for accountability and motivation.

The Comfort Crisis: Embrace Discomfort To Reclaim Your Wild, Happy, Healthy Self by Michael Easter

Read The Comfort Crisis if you want to… discover the evolutionary mind and body benefits of living at the edges of your comfort zone and reconnecting with the wild.

The Comfort Crisis is one of the most inspiring and readable non-fiction books I’ve read in the last couple of years. Pick up a copy and learn how embracing discomfort is actually a path to reclaiming your happiest and healthiest self.

Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals by Oliver Burkeman

Four Thousand Weeks

Read Four Thousand Weeks if you want to… rediscover the real meaning of time management, productivity, and living well.

How do you actually want to spend your time here on earth? Four Thousand Weeks is one of the most inspiring books to help you answer that question.

I flew through it earlier in 2022 and covered it with notes and annotations. It’ll make you rethink productivity and time management and dive into what it’s all ultimately for.

Stolen Focus: Why You Can’t Pay Attention- and How to Think Deeply Again by Johann Hari

Read Stolen Focus if you want to… win back your focus and learn how to pay attention in a world that wants to distract you.

Have you also lost your ability to pay attention? Stolen Focus is Johann Hari’s groundbreaking examination from 2022 of why this is happening to so many of us – and how to regain the art of thinking deeply.

Do Hard Things: Why We Get Resilience Wrong and the Surprising Science of Real Toughness by Steve Magness

Read Do Hard Things if you want to… achieve your biggest goals in the face of challenges, adversity, and discomfort.

What does resilience actually mean? According to Steve Magness, performance expert and author of Do Hard Things and Peak Performance, we usually get it wrong.

Do Hard Things is his exploration of the science of real toughness and how you can work with your body to transcend discomfort and find strength you never knew you had.

Speak: How to Find Your Voice, Trust Your Gut, and Get from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be by Tunde Oyeneyin

Read Speak if you want to… change your life with loving, gentle inspiration that shows it’s possible to wake up to an entirely different life this time next year.

Offering an accessible blueprint for anyone looking to make a positive change in their lives, Speak is an empowering memoir-manifesto from Tunde Oyeneyin, the massively popular Peloton instructor.

This is her story of how she transformed grief and setbacks into growth and self-confidence, showing fans and readers everywhere how to step closer to living a life of purpose, on purpose.

Live Life in Crescendo: Your Most Important Work Is Always Ahead of You by Stephen R. Covey and Cynthia Covey Haller

Read Live Life in Crescendo if you want to… dream bigger and make your next chapter in life exceed everything you’ve achieved so far.

Your most important work is always ahead of you. That’s the message of Live Life in Crescendo, the new book by Steven Covey, author of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.

Go For Stupid: The Art of Achieving Ridiculous Goals by Steve D. Sims

Read Go for Stupid if you want to… stop playing small and create an incredible life by setting much more ambitious goals.

If you’ve found yourself gravitating towards the safe and easy option lately, read Go for Stupid to shake things up. This is Steve D. Sims’ guide to the art of setting and achieving ridiculous goals. The sky’s the limit.

Discipline Is Destiny: The Power of Self-Control by Ryan Holiday

Read Discipline is Destiny if you want to… take your next step on the path to self-mastery, upon which all the other virtues depend. 

Discipline is Destiny is Ryan Holiday’s 2022 addition to his bestselling Stoic Virtues Series, inspired by the stories of historical figures we can emulate to live our best lives.

With this new book from one of the best personal growth authors, make 2023 the year you become laser-focused on your goals and the deep work you need to reach them, inspired by those who mastered the power of self-control to live incredible lives.

Stop Living on Autopilot: Take Responsibility for Your Life and Rediscover a Bolder, Happier You by Antonio Neves

Read Stop Living on Autopilot if you want to… stop coasting and make a bold and courageous shift in your life.

This how-to guide from success coach Antonio Neves will help you recommit to your life, find your drive, and take action in the next 30 days. Create a foundation to stay bold, honest, and accountable for lasting happiness, rather than chasing quick fixes.

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