9 Life Changing Books That I Wish I’d Known at 20-Something

Smart people learn from everything and everyone, average people from their experiences, stupid people already have all the answers.

Socrates

Have you ever heard the saying, “Youth is wasted on the young?”

I was an avid reader in high school. I would read during the boring classes and every free moment in between. However, I wasn’t reading classics and I didn’t even thing about reading something that would improve my life. Sadly, my friends and I were consumed with the latest Stephen King novel and it was a race to see who would get to the store first to get the latest copy. The following list is by no means a complete list of what you need to read. Instead, it is a list of 8 books that I know have changed my life and the lives of others that I know who have read them. I am not going to give an in-depth review of each; you can do that on Amazon. But I will let you know how each affected me in their own way.

Let the life-changing reading begin…

#1: Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki

I have a very good friend who recommended this book, along with the next 3, to read in order to change the trajectory of my financial and personal life. And, yes, it did just that. Once I grasped what Kiyosaki was teaching, I never looked at ‘stuff’ the same way ever since.

#2: The Richest Man In Babylon by George Clason

If you want to change how you look at money, this is the one to read. It is not a big book, but if you get the concepts being taught, you will look at your job and money a different way.

#3: On The Shortness of Life by Seneca

Anything written by dead guys who have been dead a LONG time and people are still reading their stuff, tells me this one is worth reading. It’s a little dense to read, but you realize that life is short for those who squander it, but that life is long for those who live every day to its fullest, as if it was their last day.

#4: The Millionaire Next Door by Thomas J. Stanley and William D. Danko

My friend who recommended this book to me was also a millionaire. After I finished this book, I realized that everything that was in it, described my friend perfectly. This book does a great job at debunking the “Fake it until you make it” mentality.

#5: Miracle Morning Millionaires by Hal Elrod and David Osborn

If you need structure in your life, this is the book for you. Once I started implementing the morning SAVERS, I started to see my life get 1% better each day. This blog and website is a result of what setting goals and looking to improve the lives of others can do.

#6: The Art of Exceptional Living by Jim Rohn

This is such a practical book to help you set goals, develop your personal philosophy, design your future, and live uniquely. This is an easy to read book but life-changing at the same time.

#7: Atomic Habits by James Clear

This is the only book that I have not read yet but it is on my “next to read” list. I know many who have read it and highly recommend it to help you develop habits and routines that will be life changing for you.

#8: How To Win Friends & Influence People by Dale Carnegie

In today’s texting and short communication culture, the art of talking to people and handling difficult situations is a dying art. I read this book, highlighted it, went back to it, used the principles taught in it, and I can see my interactions with people improving everyday. Two gems that I took away from the book and use everyday is to speak with a smile and to remember a person’s name because it is the sweetest, most important sound in any language to that person.

#9: The Gap and the Gain by Dan Sullivan with Dr. Benjamin Hardy

Do you live in the gap or in the gain? Most people live in the gap. You will have to read the book to find out how to live life to the fullest in the gain. If you feel your life is stuck and not moving in the direction that you want it to go, most likely you are living in the gap.

So, are you ready to improve your life? I wish someone had told me to read these in my 20’s

Now that you have my picks, listen to the 50-something voice of regret and go out and start changing your life trajectory TODAY!!

To help you get started, here are some suggestions:

• If you don’t like to read, get the audio version of the book.
• Go to the library if you don’t have the money to buy all the books or looked for them used.
• Join a book club that is reading the same book or better yet, find a friend and both of you read the book at the same time.
• Have a reading competition with a friend to see who can read the most books in the least amount of time.
• Commit to reading 10 pages a day. Do the math. If you have a 100 page book, it will be done in 10 days. Some of the books on this list are shorter than that.

Whatever you choose to do, remember the most important part is that you DO something. If you want to be in a different place than where you are today, then you have to do something different tomorrow.

Good luck! If you read this to the end, you can read one of these books!