Changing Your Life By Changing Your Habits: 5 Must Read Books To Get You Started

5 minute read

At the start of the new year, I knew I had to do something different.

After a number of false starts in 2025, 2026 just felt different. I was tired of setting goals and never quite reaching them. I wanted growth, not just good intentions. So, I made a simple commitment: read more.

More specifically, I challenged myself to read at least five books in 2026. I’m proud to say I’ve already accomplished that goal in just six months.

In the interest of full transparency, a few of those books were audiobooks. But whether I read the pages or listened during a workout, commute, or walk, the messages resonated deeply and ignited a fire that continues to fuel my ambition.

One thing became crystal clear: changing your life starts with changing your habits.

Here are five books that helped shift my mindset and inspired me to become a better leader, entrepreneur, athlete, and person.

1. Switch: How to Change Things When Change Is Hard By Chip Heath and Dan Heath

https://heathbrothers.com/books/switch/

This was the first book I tackled this year, and it set the tone for everything that followed.

The biggest lesson I took away was this: if you want lasting change, you have to plan for small wins.

Many of us fail because we focus on the massive end goal instead of the small daily actions that get us there. Whether your goal is losing weight, building a business, or improving your finances, celebrating small victories creates momentum and confidence.

Small wins become big transformations.

2. Atomic Habits

By James Clear https://jamesclear.com/atomic-habits

If there is one book that everyone should read, it might be this one.

The concept that stuck with me most was that your habits reinforce your identity.

Most people focus on outcomes. They say, “I want to lose 20 pounds” or “I want to write a book.”

Instead, James Clear challenges us to become the type of person who naturally achieves those outcomes.

Rather than saying, “I want to work out,” say, “I am someone who prioritizes my health.”

Rather than saying, “I want to write a book,” say, “I am an author.”

Your daily actions become votes for the person you want to become.

3. You Deserve to Be Rich

By Rashad Bilal and Troy Millings https://a.co/d/0c4MAH2W

This book challenged me to think differently about wealth.

One of the biggest takeaways was that becoming rich requires investing in yourself first.

Whether it’s education, mentorship, health, or business development, growth requires investment.

The book also emphasizes the importance of diversifying your investments and creating multiple streams of income rather than relying on a single source.

As someone who owns a business, this message hit home. The best investment I’ve ever made has been in my own growth.

4. Strength Training Over 40

By Michael Smith https://a.co/d/01HWE5cI

As a newly minted 40-year-old bodybuilder, this book felt especially relevant.

One of the biggest myths I hear from women is that aging means getting weaker. In reality, strength training becomes even more important as we age.

The book highlights how resistance training supports muscle preservation, bone density, metabolism, mobility, and overall quality of life.

The message was empowering: getting older doesn’t mean lowering your expectations. It means training smarter and continuing to invest in your body.

The strongest version of you may still be ahead.

5. You Deserve This Sh!t

By Jordan Tarver https://www.jordantarver.com/

This book was the perfect reminder that many of us spend too much time doubting ourselves.

We question whether we’re qualified, ready, smart enough, or deserving enough to pursue our dreams.

Jordan Tarver challenges readers to stop seeking permission and start believing they are worthy of the life they want.

The message is simple but powerful:

You deserve success. You deserve happiness. You deserve the opportunities you’re working so hard to create.

The only person who truly needs to believe it is you. This book is the reason I started my gratitude journal. Journaling was never my thing, but taking five-minutes to reflect on what I’m grateful for has proven to be a game changer.

What Happened When I Applied What I Learned

The most important thing about these books wasn’t simply reading them—it was applying the lessons.

Over the past six months, I took the principles from these books and put them into action. I focused on small wins, aligned my habits with the person I wanted to become, invested in myself, strengthened my mindset, and stopped waiting for the “perfect” moment.

The results have been incredible.

In just six months, I became a professional bodybuilder, published my first children’s book, Strong Like Mom, launched a T-shirt line, started a YouTube channel, grew my Instagram presence, launched a new website, created a new strength training program focused on helping women build

strength and confidence, and onboarded two new training clients.

This may sound like a humble brag, but it’s really proof of what can happen when your mindset shifts.

None of these accomplishments happened overnight. They were the result of consistent action, intentional habits, and a willingness to believe that bigger things were possible.

The goals that once felt overwhelming became achievable when I stopped focusing on perfection and started focusing on progress.

That’s the power of changing your habits. That’s the power of changing your mindset.

And if it can happen for me, it can happen for you too.

Final Thoughts

Reading these books didn’t magically change my life.

What changed my life was applying what I learned.

I started creating better habits. I became more intentional with my time. I invested in myself. I focused on small wins. I strengthened my mindset just as much as I strengthened my body.

The truth is that the life you want is often on the other side of the habits you’re avoiding.

If you’re looking to create meaningful change, start small. Pick up one book. Read one chapter. Listen to one audiobook during your next walk.

A year from now, those small actions could completely change your trajectory.

Because changing your life isn’t about making one giant decision.

It’s about making small, consistent decisions every single day.

Strong Mind. Strong Body. Strong Heart.