These are the books that changed something I do, the newsletters in my inbox every week, and the one programme that has stayed on my shelf.
Each with the idea I took from it. I usually listen to them first, on long runs, and keep the print or Kindle edition for reading too. Buy the books anywhere, or borrow them.
Tim Ferriss · 2007
Ferriss’s case against deferring life until retirement. His four steps, Definition, Elimination, Automation and Liberation, mean deciding what you actually want, cutting the work that does not matter, building income that runs without you, and then using the freedom.
What I took from itFor a long time I’ve been drawn to the idea of a lifestyle business, something aligned with how you actually want to live. That thinking was shaped by this book.
Donna McGeorge · 2019
McGeorge’s argument is that the first two hours of the working day are your most valuable time. She splits the day into energy quadrants and matches each kind of work to the part of the day it suits.
What I took from itWhy I plan my days around my energy, with the important work between 9 and 12.
David Allen · 2001
Allen’s method for getting everything out of your head and into a system you trust: capture it, clarify what each thing means, organise it into lists, review them every week, then do. His point is that a clear mind comes from knowing every open loop is written down somewhere.
What I took from itMy Todoist runs on it: an inbox, next actions, projects and a weekly review.
Mark Williams and Danny Penman · 2011
An eight-week course of short daily meditations, ten to twenty minutes a day, from an Oxford professor of clinical psychology and a journalist. It is built on mindfulness-based cognitive therapy, and the book links to guided audio meditations for each week. If you are struggling, speak to your GP.
What I took from itA doctor recommended it to me when I was struggling with depression and anxiety. Eight weeks that, like the IBS audio programme, were life changing for me.
Anthony de Mello · 1990
The talks of a Jesuit priest and psychotherapist, transcribed. His argument is that most unhappiness comes from attachments and the stories we tell ourselves, and that the way out is not more effort but watching yourself honestly until the illusions drop.
What I took from itThe book I go back to when I am taking something too seriously. Awareness first, fixing second.
Michael E. Gerber · 1995
Why most small businesses fail: they are started by technicians who know the craft and assume that is the same as running a business. Gerber’s answer is to work on the business, not only in it, and to build systems as if you were going to franchise it.
What I took from itAnything only I can do is a weakness, not a strength. If something is repeatable, I always create a template.
Jim Rohn · 1994
Rohn’s philosophy in one place: work harder on yourself than on your job, keep a journal, read, set goals, and choose the disciplines that compound. It began as an audio programme and reads like one, plain, warm and quotable.
What I took from itThe daily disciplines on this site started with Rohn. Journal, read, review, repeat.
Alexis Kingsbury · 2026
Kingsbury’s account of building an accountancy practice run almost entirely by AI, and what it showed about where people still matter. Honest about the parts that worked and the parts that did not.
What I took from itA real experiment rather than a prediction. It changed how I think about what to hand to AI and what to keep.
Daniel Priestley · 2014
Priestley’s five-step method for becoming the recognised person in your field: Pitch, Publish, Product, Profile and Partnerships. Short and practical, built on the idea that the most valued people in any industry are visible for what they know.
What I took from itPublishing is the step most people skip. The Sunday list, starting soon, is me not skipping it.
Brian Tracy · 1993
Tracy’s complete system, built on the idea that your self-concept sets the ceiling on your results. Goals, time, relationships and money, and seven ingredients of a good life, the first of which is peace of mind.
What I took from itThe line I keep: “Set peace of mind as your highest goal, and organize your life around it.”
John Lee · 2025
Three stages, making money, keeping it and multiplying it, with the mindset and the mechanics of each. Lee’s point is that most people only ever learn the first, and that income which does not depend on your time is what makes the other two possible.
What I took from itLots of helpful ideas, in particular building income streams that do not need me. I spent two days at his London mastermind in early October 2026.
Rob Moore · 2016
How to get more done in less time by outsourcing, delegating and automating what does not need you, and by using other people’s time, money and skills. Moore’s premise is that leverage, not effort, separates the busy from the free.
What I took from itI did his Life Leverage Masterclass too. The question I kept: is this the best use of my time, or just something I can do?
Bob Proctor · 2021
Proctor’s last book, on the idea that results are governed by paradigms: the habits and beliefs running underneath conscious thought. His method for changing them is repetition, because repetition is how they were installed in the first place.
What I took from itThe ceiling is usually a habit, not a fact.
Napoleon Hill · 1937
The original personal development book, written after twenty years studying the wealthy of Hill’s day. Decide exactly what you want, set a deadline, write it down, read it morning and night, act daily, and persist. The mastermind, a group of people who help each other succeed, comes from here.
What I took from itChoose one clear goal, write it down, act on it every day and persist. Everything else in the book serves that.
The newsletters in my inbox every week, and where a lot of my Sunday list ideas start. None of these pay me anything.
A diet programme from nutritionist Jonny Bowden: a quick-start guide, meal plans and a book of ten-minute meals.
How I use it. Excellent principles for health and wellness, with quick start guides and trackers.
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This is not medical advice. It is what I use and why. Consult your doctor before starting a supplement, device or new routine, especially if you have a health condition or take medication.
This is not financial advice. It is what I do with my own money, not a recommendation for yours. Investments can fall as well as rise and you may get back less than you put in. Tax treatment depends on your circumstances. If you need advice, speak to a regulated financial adviser.
