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Are you searching for a quick boost in motivation and inspiration but can’t seem to find it? Don’t worry, I’ve been there many times.

As the great Zig Ziglar once said, “People often say that motivation doesn’t last. Well, neither does bathing – that’s why we recommend it daily.”

In our busy lives, it can often be hard to stay motivated and inspired to keep grinding everyday and stay on track with our goals and aspirations. It’s far too easy to just “give up” and forget about our goals completely.

However, we can’t expect to just capture “motivation” in a bottle like a bug, and then carry it around with us wherever we go. Instead, motivation is something that we need to consistently cultivate and practice on a daily basis.

This is where “self help” books can be very valuable, because they can often be a quick and easy source of motivation and inspiration when we need that quick boost. Here are 7 classic “self help” books that you can read in just one sitting.

All of these books provide a great punch of motivation and inspiration in their own way. And because they are so short and easy to read they don’t take up too much time out of our busy lives, which is a great bonus.



Tao Te Ching

Lao Tzu (600 BC)

[86 pages]

Tao Te Ching is a classic work by Lao Tzu and a fundamental text in the philosophy of Taoism. It reads like very simple and elegant poetry, but the main idea behind this work is the idea of duality. Light defines darkness, highs define lows, masculine defines feminine, and good defines evil. With every force that exists in the world, there is another force that is equal but opposite. This book is great to read if you want to change your perspective on reality by recognizing the duality in all things and learning how to exercise balance in our lives. It’s also a common inspiration for artists, writers, musicians, and other forms of creativity.



The Art of War

Sun Tzu (500 BC)

[68 pages]

The Art of War is a military treatise written by Sun Tzu, a high ranking military general, strategist and tactician in Ancient China. While the book focuses on war, its lessons can be applied to any realm of competition including business, politics, sports, and games. One of the major themes throughout the book is to pay attention to the strengths and weaknesses of both yourself and your opponents. If you want to give yourself a more competitive mindset, this is a must-read book to add to your collection.



Meditations

Marcus Aurelius (180 AD)

[112 pages]

Meditations is a book of personal thoughts and reflections by the Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius. It’s considered a classic work in the philosophy of Stoicism, which centers around how to focus on the things in this world that are in your control and how to “let go” of the things that aren’t in your control. A very sobering and humbling read, this book is chockfull of practical wisdom and insight that applies to us today just as it did thousands of years ago. If you’re interested in getting a small taste, you can find a collection of some of my favorite quotes here.



Anthem

Ayn Rand (1938)

[50 pages]

Anthem is a great fictional story written by philosopher Ayn Rand. It takes place in a future “dark ages” where all science, knowledge, and freedom has been lost in society. Instead, it has been replaced with a primitive cult where everyone is brainwashed to serve the collective and forget about their personal identity and ambitions. The story centers around the protagonist “Equality 7-2521,” an intelligent and motivated young man who craves something more from his life and rebels against the collective to find true happiness and wisdom.



The Underachiever’s Manifesto

Ray Bennett (2006)

[96 pages]

The Underachiever’s Manifesto is a fascinating “self help” book that often contradicts the typical “self help” advice you might find on your average blog or Tumblr. Instead of pushing for more success and more happiness all of the time, this book shows you the value of “lowering your expectations” and being more satisfied with what you have in life without always trying to change it. It does a great job warning about the dangers of perfectionism and wanting too much success in life – and it shows you how to make the most out of your life without killing yourself because you’re trying too hard.



The Art of Money Getting

P.T. Barnum (1880)

[68 pages]

The Art of Money Getting is an excellent guide on money and wealth-building by the legendary P.T. Barnum, a showman and businessman most known for founding Barnum & Bailey Circus. While this guide was published over a hundred years ago, the advice here remains very pertinent to our times, especially in an age where people still mismanage their money and accumulate massive debt. While P.T. Barnum is widely regarded as a hoaxer and trickster (you’ve probably heard his famous quote, “There’s a sucker born every minute”), the book is a very “matter of fact” analysis on how to earn money, save money, and live rationally below your means. There’s a lot of very sound and practical advice here that everyone needs to know.



Life Is Short and So Is This Book

Peter Atkins (2011)

[62 pages]

Life Is Short and So Is This Book is a super easy and inspirational read by entrepreneur Peter Atkins. It only seemed appropriate to add this book to the list because of its cute and fitting title. While the advice here jumps to many different topics, and isn’t necessarily the most “expert” analysis, there are plenty of pearls of wisdom and healthy reminders here as you turn the pages. The book does a great job giving you a “small boost” of motivation and inspiration – and it’s definitely worth checking out.





All of these classic “self help” books do an excellent job in motivating and inspiring in a very short amount of time. You could easily breeze through any of these books in just one sitting without even needing a bathroom break. Choose the one that sounds most interesting to you and add it to your list!



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