Do you struggle with motivation and clarity when setting goals? Or are you frustrated because traditional goal-setting doesnât seem to work for you?
Youâre not alone.
While goal-setting sounds simple in theory, setting effective goals is quite challenging in practice.
Thatâs why Iâve handpicked the best goal-setting books, each offering unique perspectives and strategies. That way, you can find a book that fits your learning style and objectives.
Letâs dive in!
Overview of the best goals books
- Best for yearly planning: Your Best Year Ever
- Best for authentic living: The Desire Map
- Best scientific goals book: Succeed
- Best for personal satisfaction: Creating Your Best Life
- Best goal-setting strategies: Goals!
- Best for focus and prioritization: The One Thing
- Best for building supporting habits: Atomic Habits
- Best for collective goal success: Big Potential
- Best for highly ambitious people: Hard Goals
- Best book about SMART: The Art of Setting Smart Goals
- Best success strategies: 9 Things Successful People Do Differently
- Best for entrepreneurs: Measure What Matters
- Best for productivity: Smarter Faster Better
- Best for understanding motivation: Drive
- Best for mastering concentration: Deep Work
Do you prefer audiobooks? Get Audible Premium Plus and get one of the above titles for free in your 30-day trail. You can also read my in-depth review of Audible to learn why this app is my top choice to listen to audiobooks.
And if youâre serious about goal achievement, view the best goal planners or read my Goals on Track review for the best goal-setting software.
Now, letâs dive into each book review.
#1: Your Best Year Ever by Michael Hyatt
Book summary: Your Best Year Ever is a practical, research-driven guide to personal goal-setting strategies that work. Youâll get a five-step plan to achieve more with an emphasis on clarity, motivation, and tactics. Look no further if you want to create your best year yet.
Who the book is for: Youâll love this book if you seek a structured approach to setting and achieving personal and professional goals. It’s especially useful if youâve previously struggled to follow through on goals, habits, and routines.
About the author: Michael Hyatt is a bestselling author and leadership and goal-setting expert. He is the founder of a respected leadership development firm, and known for distilling complex strategies into simple, actionable steps.
Get your copy here#2: The Desire Map by Danielle LaPorte
Book summary: The Desire Map offers a holistic approach to setting personal goals that embody the same principles of this website. It challenges the status quo by shifting your focus from external achievements to internal success metrics. Youâll get introspective exercises and practical tips to create a more fulfilling and authentic way of living and achieving.
Who the book is for: Does traditional goal-setting not resonate with your needs? Then pick up this excellent book for a purposeful, heart-centered approach to setting meaningful goals and achieving them.
About the author: Danielle LaPorte is an entrepreneur and bestselling author known for her work on self-compassion, authenticity, and spirituality. She encourages you to find inner clarity and purpose to redefine success on your own terms.
Get your copy here#3: Succeed by Heidi Grant Halvorson
Book summary: Succeed: How We Can Reach Our Goals unpacks the science of goal achievement. It challenges common misconceptions about success and provides practical strategies to sustain motivation. It also delves into the psychological aspects of goal pursuit, offering insights on how to set the right goals and how to avoid common pitfalls that can derail success.
Who the book is for: This book is for anyone who set goals in the past and struggled to achieve them. Youâll especially love it if youâre interested in the science and psychological aspects of goals, motivation, and success.
About the author: Heidi Grant Halvorson is a social psychologist most known for her research on goal-setting and motivation. Her work often delves into the mindset and strategies that differentiate successful people from those who struggle to achieve their goals.
Get your copy here#4: Creating Your Best Life by Caroline Miller and Michael Frisch
Book summary: Creating Your Best Life is an in-depth guide that combines the science of happiness with the practice of goal-setting. Youâll learn research-based strategies to set and accomplish worthy goals that lead to a more fulfilling life. The book contains many interactive exercises and quizzes to help you understand yourself and craft your ideal future.
Who the book is for: Do you primarily set goals for increasing happiness and life satisfaction? Then youâll love this amazing book, especially if you enjoy a blend of academic research and practical application.
About the author: Caroline Miller is a coach and speaker, specializing in goal accomplishment and positive psychology. Michael Frisch is a professor at Baylor University and a pioneer in the field of positive psychology coaching.
Get your copy here#5: Goals! by Brian Tracy
Book summary: Goals! is a comprehensive step-by-step guide to identifying, setting, and achieving your life goals. Youâll gain practical strategies to set effective goals. And youâll learn about the psychological drivers of success, the obstacles that can hinder progress, and habits for goal achievement.
Who the book is for: This is a great book if youâre seeking a structured, practical, and no-nonsense approach to goal-setting and achievement.
About the author: Brian Tracy is a well-known motivational speaker and self-development author, with decades of experience. He consulted for more than 1,000 companies and addressed millions of people in seminars.
Get your copy here#6: The One Thing by Gary Keller
Book summary: The One Thing distills the complex world of productivity and success into one simple principle: focus on the one, most impactful thing that will make everything else easier or unnecessary. And youâll learn how to determine your “one thing” in various aspects of your life and work.
Who the book is for: Feeling overwhelmed by your to-do list, struggling to find work-life balance, or looking for ways to enhance productivity? This book helps you to prioritize and improve your focus on what truly matters.
About the author: Gary Keller is the co-founder of Keller Williams Realty, the world’s largest real estate company. His experience in building this successful business has given him profound insights into the power of focus.
Get your copy here#7: Atomic Habits by James Clear
Book summary: Atomic Habits is one of the leading best-selling books in the non-fiction category. Clear uncovers the compound effect of small changes that lead to remarkable results. Youâll learn about the science of habits, how they work, and simple ways to implement them to create positive change.
Who the book is for: Do you need tips to stay consistent in achieving your goals? While not directly a goal-setting book, it does provide breakthrough insights to build the habits that will lead to achieving your long-term goals.
About the author: James Clear is a writer and speaker focused on habits, decision-making, and continuous improvement. Heâs most known for this book and his ability to distill complex topics into simple and actionable ideas.
Get your copy here#8: Big Potential by Shawn Achor
Book summary: Big Potential flips the script on the idea of solo success. Achor presents the idea that not your own abilities, but the success of those around you, amplifies your potential for success. Youâll learn 5 key strategies to unlock your full potential by helping others achieve more.
Who the book is for: This book is for you if you want to tap into the power of collective success for greater personal achievement and happiness. With this book, youâll gain strategies to help everyone realize their goals.
About the author: Shawn Achor is a bestselling author and advocate of positive psychology. His Harvard University background and influential TED talk make Achor a leading figure on success and happiness.
Get your copy here#9: Hard Goals by Mark Murphy
Book summary: Hard Goals challenges the conventional wisdom of setting goals. Murphy argues that heartfelt and difficult goals are key to extraordinary achievement. Youâll get a step-by-step guide to formulate goals that engage your emotions, activate your brain, and stretch you outside your comfort zone.
Who the book is for: This book is ideal if you feel stuck in your personal or professional life and seek a method to ignite significant change and achieve ambitious outcomes.
About the author: Mark Murphy is a leadership expert and the founder of Leadership IQ, a research and training firm. His experience in organizational leadership makes Murphy a key figure in goal-setting and achievement.
Get your copy here#10: The Art Of Setting Smart Goals by Anisa Marku
Book summary: The Art Of Setting Smart Goals takes a deep dive into the well-established SMART framework. Youâll also learn about the importance of clarity and practicality to set better goals. The book will provide you with tools to create your lifeâs vision thatâs both aspirational and attainable.
Who the book is for: Struggling with goal-setting? This book helps you master the traditional and proven techniques for setting effective goals.
About the author: Anisa Marku is an author and life coach known for her practical approach to personal development. Her work is dedicated to helping you find success and fulfillment by mastering the art of goal-setting.
Get your copy here#11: Nine Things Successful People Do Differently by Heidi Grant Halvorson
Book summary: Nine Things Successful People Do Differently is a concise guide that distills the essence of success into 9 actionable habits. With a research-based approach, Halvorson uncovers the behaviors that lead to goal achievement. Youâll also gain practical tips for setting more effective goals.
Who the book is for: Looking for a research-backed, no-nonsense approach on how to achieve goals? This book is for you. The insights youâll learn can be applied across various aspects of your personal and professional life.
About the author: Itâs the second time Heidi Grant Halvorson is on this list of the best books on goal-setting (see #3) because sheâs an authority on the topic and provides actionable advice for goal achievement.
Get your copy here#12: Measure What Matters by John Doerr
Book summary: Measure What Matters offers a new approach to achieving business goals called OKR. OKR stands for the Objectives and Key Results framework, which has been adopted by some of the world’s most successful organizations like Google, Intel, and Microsoft. The book is filled with case studies and real-world examples that demonstrate the OKR methodology.
Who the book is for: This business goal-setting book is a must-read for any (aspiring) entrepreneur or leader seeking to learn more about the HOW of setting goals â how to align teams, how to focus on what matters, and how to measure progress.
About the author: John Doerr is a venture capitalist at Kleiner Perkins and worked with companies like Google, Amazon, and Intel. He is known for his understanding of innovation and growth, and his ability to translate insights into actionable strategies for business success.
Get your copy here#13: Smarter Faster Better by Charles Duhigg
Book summary: Smarter Faster Better delves into the science of working smarter. The core premise is that the key to productivity lies in how you think, rather than what you think about. Through 8 key concepts, youâll learn why some people and companies achieve much more than others.
Who the book is for: This book is perfect if you use goal-setting to maximize your productivity. It also helps you to identify and act on what you can do today in order to get closer to achieving your long-term aspirations.
About the author: Charles Duhigg is a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and the author of The Power of Habit. His ability to present real-world applications based on science is most appreciated by readers of his books.
Get your copy here#14: Drive by Daniel Pink
Book summary: Drive explores the transformation of motivation over time, focusing on the shift from external rewards to internal drive. He covers the 3 elements of true motivation: autonomy, mastery, and purpose. And youâll learn how they can lead to high performance and internal satisfaction.
Who the book is for: This book is for you if youâre looking for ways to tap into intrinsic motivation to achieve success. While not immediately a goals book, it offers valuable perspectives on how to choose and pursue goals in a way that leads to a more fulfilling process toward goal success.
About the author: Daniel Pink is a renowned author and speaker on work, management, and behavioral science. Through several bestsellers, Pink has significantly impacted how we think about work and motivation.
Get your copy here#15: Deep Work by Cal Newport
Book summary: Deep Work is a manifesto for the importance of focused work in an increasingly distracted world. Newport argues that the ability to perform deep work is both rare and valuable. Youâll learn actionable tips for deep work to experience more joy and success in your goal pursuits.
Who the book is for: This book is essential if you struggle to concentrate in our modern age of constant connectivity. It’s particularly relevant if your work demands deep thought and high levels of concentration.
About the author: Cal Newport is an associate professor of computer science, who writes about the intersection of technology and culture. Heâs a respected voice in the field of productivity and professional development.
Get your copy hereWhatâs next?
These are the best goal-setting books that offer various strategies for crafting and fulfilling your aspirations. Each book challenges the status quo, provides actionable ideas, and holds the power to make a real difference in your career and personal life.
Do you want more resources to set and achieve your goals?
- Goals on Track is the goal planning and management software I use to keep track of my goals and habits on a daily basis.
- Goal-Setting Mastery Course â 10X Your Results in 12 Months
- Get Audible for the audiobook versions of the books (use this link to get your first book for free with Premium Plus).
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