12 Books to Read in 2020

January has come very quickly and many of us have set New Years Resolutions for the coming year. One of my personal goals was to create a book list of 12 books to read in 2020.  I love to read but I don’t always make time for it.

My goal was to read books that would help me with my mental health and challenge me in the area of personal growth. As a way to help me with accountability, I will be sharing my impressions of each book with you. My hope is that these books can help you in your journey towards self-care this year.

Choosing Books for Personal Growth

Choosing books for personal growth is not an easy thing. I have so many good books that it is hard to decide, so I had to consider what outcome I wanted with each book I read.

I often think about emotional intelligence and how improving my emotional intelligence will help me become the person I really want to be. I don’t want to go through the world reacting to everything around me but instead be able to take things in stride. This was the main thing that I was thinking about when I chose these books. Every book had to answer the question, “How does this help me become a whole person, be more emotionally intelligent and allow 2020 to be the best year yet?”

My 2020 Book List

If you would like to see a synopsis of this book list in video form, please click on the video below.

Failing Forward by John C. Maxwell

In the last year I have realized that I have an unhealthy relationship with failure. I would rather not try then to fail. This leads to avoiding tasks and activities that I believe that I might fail to complete.  

The idea of learning how to fail well is very intriguing to me. One of the artist webinars that I participated in this year had an artist who said her best skill was being really great at failing. The way she went through life was very inspiring to me. Instead of fearing failure, she embraced it, learned from it and became successful because she learned to fail. 

The back of the book has this quote: “The difference between average people and achieving people is their perception of and response to failure.” I want to be a person who achieves, who isn’t set off balance by failure, and learns to navigate life in a way that failure does not define me.  

Unoffendable by Brant Hansen

My husband had found an article by Brant Hansen about the book Unoffendable and it’s been on my reading list for a while. Offense surrounds all of us. Especially on social media, I see so many comments that are made from a place of offense. It’s an epidemic.

I’ve noticed that even in my life, being around people who are easily offended does affect me. Offense and anger are really ugly things and I like the idea of being a person who is unoffendable. I’m really interested in reading this book, to understand what it will take to live in a way where I will not be offended and can show remarkable grace to others. It is something that I want to work on this year and I think it’s pivotal not just for emotional intelligence but just for the sake of my soul. 

Almost Anxious by Luana Marques and Eric Metcalf

Almost Anxious was recommended to me by a friend. I strive to find ways to move past my moments of anxiety in a healthy way. Almost Anxious is about answering the question “Is My (or My Loved One’s) Worry or Distress a Problem?

In our society that wants to completely ignore mental health problems, how do we deal with anxiety in our lives? This book focuses on the topic of being “almost anxious.” You don’t need to have the full diagnostic criteria for an anxiety order to have symptoms that reflect a state of “almost anxious.” I’m looking forward to gaining some new perspective on anxiety and how to deal with it in a health way.

Start with Why by Simon Sinek

Start with Why was suggested to me when I was deciding to make a change in my career and my personal situation. I saw Simon Sinek’s “Start with Why” TED talk video which I found refreshing and engaging. 

I purchased his book because I wanted to really delve into the ideas that he spoke about in his video. Perhaps coming from years of dealing with weak leaders, the idea that there is another way to lead interested me. We all lead in many areas of our lives and that books about leadership are not just for the business world. I believe learning about leadership so that we can show up in our everyday situations in a positive way is so important to living a great life.  

The Gifts of Imperfection by Brene Brown

The Gifts of Imperfection is one of my favorite books and was my introduction to Brene Brown. The first time I read this book, I must have highlighted 80% of the book.

The Gifts of Imperfection is about living the wholehearted life. It’s about letting go of who you think you’re supposed to be and embracing who you are. It’s choosing to accept ourselves, and living an authentic life that we can truly love and be proud of.

Reading The Gifts of Imperfection was incredibly freeing. This book really challenged me to consider what I wanted for my life and how I was going to choose authenticity. I am very excited to re-read this book this year- it always gives me food for thought. 

Do It Scared by Ruth Soukup

I began following Ruth Soukup a few years ago when I was learning about blogging. She has created a very successful business and one of her current projects is the “Do it Scared” initiative. I decided to add her most current publication to my reading list as it addresses the topic of overcoming fear.

It is hard not to fear at times, and I don’t want fear driving my decisions. The more that I want to be adventurous in my life, I find the more I feel fear. I am hoping that this book will be really inspiring to help me work through some of my personal fears.

I like the quote on the front of this book “Finding the courage to face your fears, overcome adversity, and create a life you love.” Honestly, what else could you want for 2020?

Leaders Eat Last by Simon Sinek

This book was recommended reading for my husband at his workplace and I decided to add it to my reading list. I like the title of this book Leaders Eat Last. My interest in this book comes from years of being around leaders that made sure that they were first in everything. I’m curious to read what servant leadership can look like.

I really liked the byline of this book, ”Why some teams pull together and others don’t.” I saw what poor leadership looked like and I know how it made me feel. I didn’t like how I was treated. I want better understanding of how to lead well and to be great leader.

When the Body Says No by Gabor Mate

This book was lent to me by a family member when I was having health problems related to stress. When the Body Says No is about the cost of hidden stress in our lives. I want to read this book as it talks about the mind-body link between illness and health and how we can be causing diseases by hidden stress.

I’m hoping to find more awareness about stress and the body through reading this book. I believe that it will lead to some positive changes in my habits so I can continue to stay healthy.

The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*** by Mark Manson

This is a really excellent book that I originally read a few years ago. It was at a point in my life where I was at a crossroads and I found it to be honest and very empowering.

This book talks about embracing our fears, faults and uncertainties. Instead of avoiding the painful things in our lives by confronting them we can move on with courage and confidence. I’m excited to re-read this book this year. It will be a good reminder to me and a chance to reflect on how I have come so far in the last few years.  

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey

I have always heard that The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People is a must read, but for years thought of it as just another leadership book. After having some space and time away from the corporate world I see the importance of this book.

My goals for this year are oriented around living life in a purposeful way and I believe that The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People will help me get there. We all have multiple roles in our lives. Developing effective habits that can make us mentally stronger and more resilient is always a positive thing. 

Daring Greatly by Brene Brown

Daring Greatly is another one of Brene Brown’s fabulous books. This is another book that has been on my reading list for a while. I am in a season of transition so the idea of daring greatly resonates with me.

This book is about vulnerability and being willing to be seen as we are and who we are. In an era of perfectly curated Instagram feeds and social media, being able to show authenticity is something that I want to work on.

Codependent No More by Melody Beattie

This year I started looking into what codependence is and how it affects our lives. Codependence is something that isn’t often talked about and usually only in relation to addiction or abuse situations. In so many subtle ways codependency can infiltrate our lives. I am curious to read more about how we can find ways to care for ourselves and not feel trapped in others destructive behaviour.

How about you?

I hope that you find this list useful and inspiring. I would love to hear your thoughts on my book list and if you find these books relevant to you. I’d like to know if you are interested in joining me as I read and write about my learnings from these books this year. If you have any books you could recommend for my 2021 reading list, I would love to hear from you!