After a couple of months, most new year’s resolutions have either failed or been forgotten. Sound familiar? If you need a reboot on your self-improvement journey, perhaps some expert advice would be useful. But what to read that will actually make a difference in making progress toward our 2023 goals? We’ve curated a list of 10 of the best new advice, motivation and self-help books of 2023 to help achieve goals and resolutions, including in personal finance, career, relationships, fitness and healthy eating. Because its never too late for fresh start.
Can self-help books actually help in achieving our 2023 goals?
Though they can sometimes get a bad reputation, we love self-help books. When you find a good one, it can actually help change your life. And about how many things can you say that?
Best new advice, motivation and self-help books on 2023 goals, including personal finance, career, better relationships, fitness and eating.
10 of the best new self-help and advice books of 2023
Here are ten of the best new advice and self-help books of 2023. Check them out, because who knows? You might look back, years from now, and find that one of them has made all the difference.
1. “You Just Need to Lose Weight”: And 19 Other Myths About Fat People (Myths Made in America) by Aubrey Gordon.
Ever since its January 2023 release, we’ve been seeing this book everywhere. And we’re so glad – because it’s fantastic. Co-host of popular podcast “Maintenance Phase,” Gordon is a sharp writer, and she uses her latest book to debunk the many harmful myths that are perpetuated about fatness, and fat people. When we’re talking about self-help books, we want to talk about actual self-help books – and that means we must fight against the false notions of self-worth and self-care that can sometimes permeate the genre. This year, we’re finally going to learn to love ourselves – and to stop believing lies about weight and weight loss. For real.
2. You Owe You: Ignite Your Power, Your Purpose, and Your Why by Eric Thomas with a foreword by Chris Paul.
Released this past fall, You Owe You remains one of our favorite recently released titles in the self-help genre. If you’ve been looking for a sign from the universe that it’s time to change your life… this book is that sign. And Thomas is here to show you how to do it. Here he shares the secrets of his success, telling the story of how he completely transformed his life; and offers a guide for readers to follow in his footsteps.
3. The Creative Act: A Way of Being by Rick Rubin.
If you’re going to take life advice from someone you don’t know, you may as well take it from legendary record producer Rick Rubin. And he has a lot to offer. In The Creative Act, he proves adept at transforming his experiences in the music industry into a how-to on creating a more fulfilling, more enriching life. If you’re looking to heal your relationship with the world around you – in the hopes that it leads you somewhere happier – Rubin’s new book may help you on your journey.
4. The Joy of Saying No: A Simple Plan to Stop People Pleasing, Reclaim Boundaries, and Say Yes to the Life You Want by Natalie Lue.
We do believe in the power of “yes.” In pushing past our comfort zones; in agreeing to plans even when we worry we’ll be a little too tired. But what about when you can’t seem to stop saying yes? What about the people-pleasers – the ones who agree to absolutely everything, even when it’s causing them active harm? If those things resonate, then The Joy of Saying No is for you. think. “Yes,” is a great word, and when used in moderation, it has a lot to offer; “no” is for the rest of the time. Lue is here to show you how and when to say it.
5. The Sugar Jar: Create Boundaries, Embrace Self-Healing, and Enjoy the Sweet Things in Life by Yasmine Cheyenne.
And while we’re on the topic of boundaries, another transformative read. Cheyenne is a wellness coach, and here she generously shares with the world the same wisdom she offers her clients. And if you’re wondering where the titular “sugar jar” comes into play, well – it’s all about your energy. You are the jar, and if you aren’t careful, the people around you will come and deplete all of the sugar you have in store. Maybe it’s time you learn to control it. Including both anecdotes and exercises, The Sugar Jar will teach you how to finally set those life-changing boundaries.
6. Real Self-Care: A Transformative Program for Redefining Wellness (Crystals, Cleanses, and Bubble Baths Not Included) by Pooja Lakshmin MD.
Like many of the other titles on this list, Real Self-Care fights against some of the more dangerous tropes of the self-help genre. A New York Times contributor and psychiatrist, Lakshmin helps readers to identify what self-care actually is – and what it’s not. (Hint: you can’t order it on Amazon). She provides both case studies and concrete, actionable steps – so that this year, you really can learn to take care of yourself. Finally.
7. The Good Life: Lessons from the World’s Longest Scientific Study of Happiness by Robert Waldinger M.D. and Marc Schulz Ph.D.
Have you ever wondered if there’s a secret to living a happy life? Well, there might be. After following the lives of hundreds of study participants, the Harvard Study of Adult Development offers one possible conclusion. Happiness? It’s all about our relationships. In The Good Life, Waldinger and Schulz show readers how to build and strengthen those relationships, and best of all, they remind us that it’s never too late to create the kind of happiness we dream about.
8. 12 Weeks to a Sharper You: A Guided Program by Sanjay Gupta.
For those who like lists, plans, and agendas, this is the book for you. Gupta is a medical correspondent for CNN, and in 12 Weeks to a Sharper You, he provides readers with an actionable, twelve-week program that they can apply to their own lives. Sometimes, self-help books offer great ideas, but no suggestions of how to actually go about implementing them. If you’re looking to take some action this month, then here’s where to start. And by the end, you’ll find that you’re sleeping better, stressing less, and experiences less anxiety.
9. We Over Me: The Counterintuitive Approach to Getting Everything You Want from Your Relationship by Khadeen and Devale Ellis.
This may be as good a time as any to spend a moment pondering some of life’s most important questions. Specifically: how do we find love, and how do we make it last? Regarding the second question, the authors have some answers. And practical advice. The Ellises have been together for twenty years, and married for twelve of them. In We Over Me, they share some of the lessons they’ve learned.
10. 8 Rules of Love: How to Find It, Keep It, and Let It Go by Jay Shetty.
Another exciting new 2023 book release is also all about everyone’s favorite and most vexing topic: love. In the new release, 8 Rules of Love, from the author of Think Like a Monk, Shetty transforms this elusive topic into something concrete. Something actionable. Something you can actually take steps to achieve. Especially if you’ve struggled in love before, this sounds like a must-read for the season.
best new self-help and advice books of 2023
That’s our take on the best new advice, motivation and self-help books of 2023, including personal finance, career, better relationships, fitness and nutrition.
