8 Books That Will Help You Re-Take Control of Your Life By drawing on the expertise of others, you can go a long way towards ensuring that your path forward will be a successful one.
By Peter Daisyme •
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The past yeard has made it easy to feel like everything is completely out of your control, but it doesn't have to be that way. The opportunities for taking back control are there; you just need to know how to grab at them.
Sometimes the best way to get in the "take control" mindset is to read a book by someone who's been where you are right now. If they made it out, surely you can too. Here are eight books for reframing your perspective on how to take control of your life:
Related: To Ignite Explosive Business Growth, Take Control of These 4 Areas of Your Life
1. Adam J. Weber — Meditation Not Medicine: Survive and Thrive in Our Stress-Filled World
Taking control of your life starts with taking control of yourself. Meditation helped Adam J. Weber get a grip on his life after a devastating multiple sclerosis diagnosis, and he bets that it can help you get through your own rough patches too. Meditation Not Medicine shows how even the simplest of habits can have profound impacts on overall wellbeing and sense of self.
2. Christian Espinosa — The Smartest Person in The Room: The Root Cause and New Solution for Cybersecurity
Christian Espinosa worked his way from being a normal cybersecurity engineer to CEO, and he's got a lot to tell you about what he learned. The Smartest Person in The Room is, above all, a guide for helping brilliant people become brilliant leaders and team members. Christian shatters through corporate stereotypes and provides practical advice leaders and cybersecurity experts can use to create a more collaborative, less divisive workspace.
3. Benny Ausmus — The Transformational Leadership Compass: A Dynamic Coaching System for Creating Big Change
What if it's more than just your life you need to take control of? Sometimes the changes don't need to happen within; it needs to permeate throughout your entire organization. Benny Ausmus knows this well, having used the system outlined in The Transformational Leadership Compass to help effect change in dozens of different companies. If the control you need to exercise is bigger than yourself, this is the book for you.
Related: 12 Actions You Can Take to Become A Better Person and A Better Leader
4. Brent Sprenkle — Billion Dollar Portfolio: How to Create A Real Estate Empire
Brent Sprenkle wrote Billion Dollar Portfolio for all of the budding real estate professionals looking to rise to the top of their field, but the book's lessons go far beyond its specific industry. Truly taking control means blazing a path forward for yourself professionally through any and all obstacles; Sprenkle's gung-ho mindset is perfect for staking your claim in your field in a big way.
5. Nancy Giordano — Leadering: The Ways Visionary Leaders Play Bigger
The same moves and attitudes that let you take control before may not do so again. The world is constantly changing, and being an effective leader means changing along with it. Leadering is Nancy Giordano's paean to the virtues of daring greatly in the face of radical change. Take forward-thinking risks and you'll be rewarded with the spoils of a new era.
6. Alan Payne — Built to Fail: The Inside Story of Blockbuster's Inevitable Bust
If you want to be successful, you shouldn't just be reading success stories. Tales of failure can teach you just as much, if not more. Alan Payne has written a fascinating account of Blockbuster's rise and fall and fall again with Built to Fail, and anyone looking to build a resilient career and business for themselves can consider this a Class A exhibit of what not to do.
7. Tim Kintz — Fearless: Leading and Managing Unbreakable Teams
If you're going on a journey to take back control, you can't do it alone. Your team needs to be with you every step of the way if you want to ensure that the effects of your journey touch every aspect of your company. Fearless may not offer easy solutions, but it's a crucial wake up call for those losing a grip on their teams. The sooner you and your team are on the same page, the sooner you can all embark together on the next chapter of your story.
Related: 6 Signs Your Fear of Failure Is Holding You Back (Without You Even Knowing It)
8. Chris Belchamber — Invest Like the Best: The Low-Risk Road to High Returns
Taking control can mean more than just personal or professional strengthening — it can mean financial empowerment as well. Chris Belchamber has turned his years of experience into Invest Like The Best, a guide that shows how high returns can still be accrued all while maximizing your fiscal security. Those looking to put a stamp on their personal finances can start two steps ahead with this book.
Taking back control will always be something far easier said than done. By drawing on the expertise of others, though, you can go a long way towards ensuring that your path forward will be a successful one.
