“Rich people have small TVs and big libraries, and poor people have small libraries and big TVs” – Zig Ziglar
Ask any successful entrepreneur what they do as part of their daily routine to level up and grow their mind, and their answer will be: ‘READ ENTREPRENEURSHIP BOOKS’
I can not stretch how important it is to read books that will expand your knowledge and help grow your mind.
Trust me, I was NOT a reader at all. At least not before I started on this entrepreneurship journey.
But I looked at extremely successful people like Bill Gates, Warren Buffet, Oprah and Mark Zuckerberg.
What are their daily, weekly, monthly or yearly habits and how many books do they read?
You see, success leaves clues. If they are still reading even after being extremely successful, then that is a big clue that I should be reading every day too!
According to Business Insider Bill Gates reads about 1 book per week. That is 50 per year.
Warren Buffet spends the majority of his day (80% of it) reading.
Oprah Winfrey reads one book a month and Mark Zuckerberg reads 2 books a month.
My personal goal is to read 2 books a month.
If you are only starting your entrepreneur journey there is no need to read 1, 2 or 3 books a month.
I would suggest getting into a habit of reading 10 pages a day.
You got this!!
6 Reasons Why I LOVE to Read Books
1. Learn from the best
What better way to learn than from people who have been through it all, who made the mistakes and as a result reached their dreams and accomplished incredible things!
If you are new at entrepreneurship and do not have a mentor yet then use books as your guide and ‘mentor’ until you do find one.
2 Expand your knowledge
The more you learn the more you earn!
The best way to help other people as you grow as an entrepreneur is through the knowledge you have gained.
We learn new things not to keep it to ourselves, but to pass it on to others and help them become better too.
Think about it! The author pours his/heart out into the book.
They are passing their knowledge on to you for an extremely low price. The value you get and knowledge gain is worth WAY more than $10 – $15!
Read more books to gain more knowledge and pass it forward.
3.Learn new vocabulary
English is my second language, so yes, I do everything I can to expand my vocabulary.
Our business is all done in English, my blogs are written in English, I speak English every day of my life unless I talk to my family.
Now, English may be your first language but trust me, there are words you have never heard of and this will help you expand your vocabulary too!
4.Triggers new ideas
I can’t tell you how many times I have read a book where it triggers new thoughts and ideas.
A lot of my content for blogs, social media posts, ideas for courses and one of my BIGGEST projects I am working on at this very moment (April 2019) came from READING!
5.Mental stimulation
Chances are you work out or at least think about exercising. But have you ever thought about exercising your brain?
Most likely not.
Reading is basically a workout for your brain.
According to the Fisher Center for Alzheimer’s Research Foundation, reading can help to keep thinking skills and memory intact.
Remember that memory is one of the brain’s main functions.
It is your duty to keep your mind engaged.
PS – You are doing it right now by reading this post. If you came this far then CONGRATS!!
6.Relieves stress
Did you know that reading for 6 minutes a day can relieve stress by 68%?
Your all-natural stress reliever has been sitting on that shelf all along.
To me, there is nothing more relaxing than sitting in a quiet place, sipping on tea or coffee and reading a book.
I live myself into it and eliminate any other thoughts.
In that very moment, it is just me and the book.
I start my day this way every single day.
And some times before going to sleep too.
Instead of being on a phone or iPad in bed, I relax my body and mind by reading. Try it!
10 books every entrepreneur should read
Let’s get to the real reason why you opened this post!
Yes! It is time to level up!
These books are great for those who are about to embark on their entrepreneurship journey, those who just got started or even seasoned entrepreneurs.
1. Act Like A Success, Think Like A Success by Steve Harvey
I will be honest, I never really liked Steve Harvey. Not sure why… But I was given this book.
I read one page and got this very strong feeling that I NEED to read it.
Well, fast forward to today and this became my favorite book I have ever read. Hands down!
You will learn how to discover your gift and use it to go after your dreams and desires. To be successful by using your GIFT!
We are all born with a very unique gift to us. And when you discover what that is you will tap into your God-given purpose as an entrepreneur.
Steve’s story, his journey to how he made it, is also very inspiring. There is so much to learn from that alone.
I honestly had a hard time putting this book down and did not want it to end!
2. Jump by Steve Harvey
Every journey, every big decision, every dream starts with a leap of faith to get the ball rolling.
Jump is exactly that. To take that leap of faith toward your success journey.
Obstacles WILL come your way, but you have to keep jumping.
Steve talks about finding your gift and using it for what God has placed you on this earth for. This book will encourage you to take a jump to not only elevate your life but also toward all the amazing and rich blessings God has planned for you!
So take that jump and start reading ‘Act like a success, Think like a success’ followed but this incredible book!
3. Secrets Of The Millionaire Mind by T. Harv Eker
If you have ever wondered why some people always find a way to get rich and others seem to always struggle financially then this is the perfect book for you.
A lot of times people think that the difference from the rich and poor is because of talents, skills, luck, education, contacts, etc but that is far from the real reason why some people get rich.
T. Harv Eker teaches about the money and success blueprint we all have along with our subconscious mind and how all of that determines your financial life.
Your childhood influences play a big role in how it shaped your financial destiny.
If you are not where you want to be financially, even after doing everything you can, there is a deeper reason why!
Read this book if you are ready to reset your money blueprint and create natural and automatic success.
4. Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki
This was one of the first books I have ever read. Our minds are so programmed by different people and their perspectives about certain things like success and money.
Be careful who you listen to!
In this book, Robert talks about his Poor Dad, who was his biological father and his Rich Dad who was his best friend’s dad. Both of them taught Robert how to achieve success but with very different approaches, principles, and ideas.
The poor dad taught him how to work for his money vs the rich dad who taught him how to make his money work for him.
This book will change the way you think about money.
5. Think And Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill
If you did not know this yet, there is a moneymaking secret that resulted in making fortunes for over 500 exceedingly wealthy people. Napoleon Hill studied all these people and that is how ‘Think and Grow Rich’ was written.
This secret is not named but you will pick it up if you are ready and searching for it. You will find it in almost every chapter.
I must be honest though, this is not the easiest read and probably not the type of book you will read in just a week.
I personally feel that it should be read and also studied. Take notes, see what it is saying to you.
Don’t try and rush through it, take your time, soak it all up and trust me it will be worth the read!
6. Start With Why by Simon Sinek
Simon Sinek is incredible. If you have no idea who he is, then take a look at some of his TED Talks here.
A lot of people can explain what they do or how they do it but not WHY they do it.
Your WHY is not about money, that is a result. It is the thing that inspires us and those around us.
Throughout this book, it will show you that the leaders who inspire all of us think, act and communicate the same way.
It all starts with you WHY. This is a great read as it could not only help you but also help people who you are leading to discover their WHY.
7. The One Thing by Gary Keller
One of my biggest struggles was staying focused on one thing. I am very creative so my brain is always coming up with new ideas.
This book helped me tremendously to focus on what the most important thing is I need to get done each day.
The purpose of this book is to help you build a more rewarding life with fewer distractions and less on your plate.
It will help you be more productive which could result in more income, more satisfaction from life and of course more time with the ones that you love.
What I love most about it is the fact that it does not only focus on your business but also on your personal life and spiritual life.
8. The 4 Hour Workweek by Timothy Ferris
If you are ready to learn how to live more and work less then this was written for you.
Most of us were taught to go to school, get good grades, get a good job, work for 40 years and then… RETIRE!
That is a very old concept. Why wait for 40 years to pass? There is no reason to!
No matter what your dream is, The 4-Hour Workweek is your blueprint to make that dream a reality.
9. The Power Of Habit by Charles Duhigg
Take a look at any successful entrepreneur and you will find a major part of their success is because of habits.
You can’t just wake up each day and wing it and STILL expect to be extremely successful.
You need to develop habits that will level you up as well as your business.
This book will not only help you in your business but also in life!
You will learn how habits are formed, how to get rid of the bad habits already created in your life and business and how to hang on tight to the good ones.
10. How To Win Friends And Influence People by Dale Carnegie
In business especially, you will deal with people and that can often be the biggest problem.
You will have to get along with people. You will need skills, personality and have the ability to lead people.
Dale Carnegie will show you how to make people like you, how to win people to your way of thinking, how to understand people, get along with people and so much more.
The way to win in business is for people to know, like and trust you. This incredible book will help you with all the people skills you will ever need in business.
SUMMARY
There are many more books I read and loved but these 10 are a great start.
If you have been a reader, let me know what your favorite book is that helped you to level up?
If you have never read any books before, which book are you going to start with?
As you know now, reading has many incredible benefits!
List of the 10 books to read:
1. Act Like A Success, Think Like A Success by Steve Harvey
2. Jump by Steve Harvey
3. Secrets Of The Millionaire Mind by T. Harv Eker
4. Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki
5. Think And Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill
6. Start With Why by Simon Sinek
7. The One Thing by Gary Keller
8. The 4 Hour Workweek by Timothy Ferriss
9. The Power Of Habit by Charles Duhigg
10. How To Win Friends And Influence People by Dale Carnegie
Entrepreneurship is a marathon and not a sprint. There are always ways to improve and grow.
Make sure you read my previous post where I talk about 5 things every entrepreneur should do to be successful.
