Looking for daily routine books? I can already hear your wondering:
“What is the difference between a ‘daily habit and routine’ book and a normal ‘habit’ book“?
The short answer is both nothing and everything.
With a shorter list, I likely would have lumped these books in with the main habit books. There are many great books on this list about changing your habits. But these books typically tend to focus on the ritualization aspects, such as morning routines.
Alas, as our entire self-improvement book list grew in length, I had to make some categorization decisions.
The difference between these books and the first 25 is that, rather than discussing overarching ideas on habit change, they focus on more specific plans for how to improve your routines and habits on a day-to-day basis.
In my mind, that makes these books a little bit more actionable (something that I love). The books on this list deal with morning routines, action logs, killing procrastination, and creating daily rituals. Let’s get to it.
1. The Miracle Morning (Updated and Expanded Edition) by Hal Elrod
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Takeaways:
- The book advocates for the implementation of a morning routine called the “Miracle Morning” that includes activities such as meditation, visualization, exercise, reading, and journaling to enhance personal development and productivity.
- It emphasizes the concept of “Life S.A.V.E.R.S.” which stands for Silence, Affirmations, Visualization, Exercise, Reading, and Scribing, as integral components of the morning routine.
- The author highlights the transformative power of starting the day with purpose and intention, and how this can positively impact all areas of life.
- It provides actionable steps and practical tips for creating and maintaining a successful morning routine, tailored to individual preferences and schedules. The book underscores the potential of the Miracle Morning routine to bring about positive mindset shifts, increased energy, and improved overall well-being.
The Miracle Morning (Updated and Expanded Edition): The Not-So-Obvious Secret Guaranteed to Transform Your Life (Before 8AM) teaches us that, to become successful, we must harness the potential power of a solid morning routine. It guarantees that your life will change for the better when you follow six principles, called Life S.A.V.E.R.S., to start your day. These stand for:
S – Silence. This is accomplished by doing inward-directed activities such as meditation, breathing exercises, and prayer. Silence, as part of your daily routine, imbues the rest of your day with calm and peacefulness.
A – Affirmations. These are the sayings or quotes that you choose to repeat to yourself on a regular basis. They are a way for us to reprogram our negative tendencies and develop a new mindset.
V – Visualization. Develop the habit of seeing in your mind the outcomes of the things you are working on in life. One powerful visualization tool that can help you with this is a vision board.
E – Exercise. Elrod believes that having a regular exercise regimen is crucial to success.
R – Reading. Learning from the experts is a sure way to improve your chances at success. (Want to read some highly recommended titles, but don’t have the time? The app Blinkist provides executive summaries of non-fiction books in an easy-to-understand format.)
S – Scribing. This means writing down your thoughts in a journal. Journaling has been proven to have a grounding and calming effect on your emotional state.
In addition, journaling is one way to have a tangible record of the things that happen in your life, which you can look back on in the future. (If you're into bullet journaling, here are some ideas and examples for your morning routine bullet journal page.)
Elrod’s core message is that everyone deserves to achieve their fullest potential.
RELATED: 12 Good Morning Routine Habits
Want to build a success-focused morning routine? Well, watch this video to learn about the 12 morning routine habits of the world's most successful people.
2. The Compound Effect by Darren Hardy
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Takeaways:
- The book emphasizes the power of small, consistent actions and their cumulative impact over time, known as the “compound effect,” in achieving success in various aspects of life.
- It highlights the significance of making small, positive choices and habits consistently, as they can lead to significant results and long-term success.
- The author stresses the importance of taking ownership of one's choices and the impact they have on personal and professional outcomes.
- It provides practical strategies for implementing and sustaining positive habits, while also addressing the detrimental effects of negative habits and choices.
- The book encourages readers to focus on continuous improvement and to recognize the compounding effect of their daily decisions on their overall success and happiness.
This highly rated book serves as a guide for goal creation and doing what’s necessary to reach success.
In this case, it focuses on the choices we make, our habits, obtaining momentum for success, exploring what influences our mindsets, and applying all of these in practical scenarios.
The premise of The Compound Effect: Jumpstart Your Income, Your Life, Your Success is something that should already be obvious: There is no magic formula that gives you the life you want overnight.
We reach success by doing consistent and repeated actions that guarantee good results over time. This is what Hardy refers to as the “compound effect.”
Hardy writes in a casual style, pretty much like chatting with a friend who’s sharing some tried-and-tested strategies for navigating through life. He gives counsel that truly works—if you’re willing to commit to working hard toward the life that you’ve always wanted.
3. Eat That Frog! by Brian Tracy
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Takeaways:
- The book emphasizes the importance of prioritizing and tackling the most challenging or important tasks first, which is metaphorically referred to as “eating the frog.”
- It provides practical techniques for overcoming procrastination and increasing productivity, such as setting clear goals, breaking tasks into smaller steps, and focusing on high-value activities.
- The author stresses the significance of time management and the impact of utilizing time effectively on personal and professional success.
- It offers actionable advice on how to organize and plan daily activities to maximize efficiency and minimize distractions.
- The book underscores the value of developing a proactive mindset and taking decisive action to accomplish meaningful goals and tasks.
Is time management a constant challenge in your professional or personal life?
Is procrastination ruining your chances for success and happiness?
Eat That Frog!: 21 Great Ways to Stop Procrastinating and Get More Done in Less Time provides a collection of time-management strategies to help readers overcome their tendency to procrastinate.
Brian Tracy writes from experience, sharing techniques and strategies that get the most productive use of the same 24 hours allocated to each one of us. At every point, there are actionable exercises you can immediately try in your own situation.
The book’s title is taken from an expression often attributed to Mark Twain about eating a frog first thing in the morning, so that it might be the worst thing you’ll experience all day.
In the this book, Tracy likens our most important tasks to the “frog.” We must give our attention to the pressing matters of the day first thing in the morning to ensure that they get done. This way, we can go on with the rest of the day unburdened, and most likely not procrastinate on less challenging tasks.
4. Habit Stacking by S.J. Scott
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Is your daily routine overwhelming you? Habit Stacking: 127 Small Changes to Improve Your Health, Wealth, and Happiness explains how small changes can make a lasting difference.
It teaches you how to break down big goals into manageable tasks that take just a few minutes to complete. This way, you don’t get overwhelmed trying to accomplish a seemingly huge task that requires a lot of effort on your part.
Working on your life goals? This book can be a helpful guide. The simple, actionable, and effective suggestions for changing your daily habits are designed to give you positive results.
It will introduce you to 127 actions that, when applied into your daily routine, can greatly improve a number of areas of your life, such as relationships, finances, and health.
It provides vital information about:
5. Act Now! by Peter D. Winiarski
Takeaways:
- Act Now! emphasizes the importance of taking immediate action to achieve goals and overcome challenges, rather than procrastinating or hesitating.
- The book provides practical strategies for developing a proactive mindset and seizing opportunities as they arise, rather than waiting for the “perfect” moment.
- Winiarski underscores the significance of decisiveness and boldness in decision-making, encouraging readers to embrace risk and uncertainty in pursuit of success.
- Act Now! highlights the value of perseverance and resilience in the face of obstacles, urging individuals to maintain momentum and determination in their endeavors.
- The author stresses the need for continuous learning and adaptation, advocating for a mindset of constant improvement and agility in the pursuit of personal and professional growth.
Are you often overwhelmed by goal-setting? Winiarksi will guide you on how to do it more easily. The wisdom he shares in this book is your roadmap for getting results within 90 days.
Whether you’re looking for a way to improve your team’s performance or experience more successes in your personal life, the wisdom Winiarski shares in Act Now! A Daily Action Log for Achieving Your Goals in 90 Days will help you.
This slim volume is packed with valuable information and sound suggestions for the things you can do to live a richer, more meaningful life.
6. The Rhythm of Life by Matthew Kelly
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Takeaways:
- The Rhythm of Life explores the concept of discovering and embracing one's unique purpose and potential, guiding readers to live with intention and fulfillment.
- Kelly emphasizes the importance of balance and harmony in various aspects of life, including relationships, work, and spirituality, to achieve a sense of wholeness and contentment.
- The book encourages individuals to cultivate a positive mindset and embrace gratitude, recognizing the transformative power of optimism and appreciation in daily living.
- Kelly advocates for the pursuit of personal growth and self-improvement, promoting a mindset of continuous learning and development to reach one's highest potential.
- The Rhythm of Life underscores the significance of authenticity and integrity, urging readers to align their actions with their core values and beliefs to lead a purpose-driven existence.
For many of us, the journey to self-awareness is a long and challenging one. The Rhythm of Life: Living Everyday with Passion & Purpose serves as a roadmap for discovering your true self and your life’s purpose.
Kelly guides his readers in uncovering their inner motivation, their potential, and their needs in order to thrive. Delivered in a refreshing and clear style of writing, the book’s content is relatable to anyone who has ever embarked on a quest for true happiness and fulfillment.
The book is divided into seven parts, each one dealing with ways that bring you closer to a better version of yourself. These include:
There are several “timeless creeds” that serve as guide posts for anyone who wishes to follow a life of purpose. These include:
7. Vision to Reality by Honorée Corder
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Takeaways:
- Vision to Reality emphasizes the importance of setting clear and compelling goals, providing practical guidance on transforming aspirations into tangible achievements.
- Corder underscores the significance of taking consistent and focused action, highlighting the power of persistence and determination in realizing one's vision.
- The book advocates for effective time management and prioritization, offering strategies to maximize productivity and efficiency in pursuit of one's goals.
- Vision to Reality encourages readers to cultivate a resilient mindset, embracing challenges as opportunities for growth and learning rather than viewing them as setbacks.
- Corder emphasizes the value of accountability and support systems, emphasizing the benefits of seeking mentorship and surrounding oneself with a positive and empowering network to bring visions to fruition.
Vision to Reality: How Short-Term Massive Action Equals Long-Term Maximum Results shares a process for identifying and living the life you’ve always dreamed of.
Perhaps your whole attention is so focused on getting your urgent tasks done that you fail to spend time working on the important things. Have you always delayed the fulfillment of your dreams in favor of taking care of other people’s needs?
This book will show you how to use daily actions in order to arrive at the life you want.
The information in this book is of great value for those who are stuck in a rut. It fires up their motivation and excitement for living again.
8. The 5 AM Miracle by Jeff Sanders
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Takeaways:
- The 5 AM Miracle advocates for the transformative power of early morning routines, highlighting the benefits of increased productivity, focus, and energy by starting the day at 5 AM.
- Sanders emphasizes the importance of intentional goal setting and planning, offering practical strategies to align daily activities with long-term aspirations.
- The book underscores the significance of holistic well-being, promoting habits that encompass physical fitness, mental clarity, and emotional balance for a fulfilling life.
- The 5 AM Miracle encourages readers to embrace a proactive mindset, emphasizing the value of taking ownership of one's time and priorities to optimize productivity and success.
- Sanders advocates for the cultivation of consistent habits and rituals, promoting the idea that small, daily actions can lead to significant and sustainable progress in various areas of life.
If you are wondering how you can increase your productivity, this book is a good source of information. It isn’t just about getting up at five in the morning—the author makes that clear from the get-go.
However, Sanders does advocate getting up earlier that you currently do in order to take advantage of the time of day when your energy is at its peak.
In The 5 AM Miracle: Dominate Your Day Before Breakfast, Sanders explains the benefits of waking up earlier than usual. He also provides easy-to-follow instructions on how you can become a morning person.
Furthermore, he introduces life-long morning routine habits that gear you up for long-term success.
Towards the end of every chapter, an action plan is introduced, providing a summary of the points discussed and a way for the reader to apply them in their life.
9. Take Control Of Your Life by Rachel Rofé
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Takeaways:
- Take Control Of Your Life offers practical strategies for empowering individuals to take ownership of their choices and create the life they desire, emphasizing the importance of personal agency and responsibility.
- Rofé advocates for the cultivation of a positive mindset and self-belief, highlighting the transformative impact of optimism and confidence in shaping one's reality.
- The book encourages readers to embrace resilience and adaptability, recognizing challenges as opportunities for growth and learning rather than insurmountable obstacles.
- Take Control Of Your Life emphasizes the value of intentional decision-making and goal setting, providing actionable steps to align actions with long-term aspirations.
- Rofé underscores the significance of self-care and well-being, promoting habits that prioritize physical, mental, and emotional health as essential components of a fulfilling and balanced life.
Most of the books featured today show how you can meet your goals by doing small actions that build upon each other and create a big positive impact.
Take Control Of Your Life: A 2-Hour Plan to Help You Set and Reach Your Goals also advocates that approach, and readers will appreciate how Rofé goes about doing it. Her voice and writing style make the information she shares accessible and straight to the point.
She makes sure that you aren’t overwhelmed by the information she shares. Instead, she provides practical exercises so that you can immediately apply the goal-setting strategies she includes in the book.
Rofé believes that if you are willing to commit just two hours, you can discover the life you really want and create a plan for achieving it. She presents a six-step process for getting the life you’ve always dreamed of:
10. Daily Rituals by Mason Currey
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Takeaways:
- Daily Rituals offers insights into the creative and productive habits of various influential figures, shedding light on the diverse approaches to daily routines and rituals.
- Currey explores the impact of consistent habits and rituals on the lives and work of artists, writers, and thinkers, highlighting the role of structure and discipline in fostering creativity and productivity.
- The book provides a fascinating glimpse into the daily lives of renowned individuals, revealing the unique strategies and rituals they employed to optimize their creative output.
- Daily Rituals underscores the value of consistency and routine in sustaining long-term creative endeavors, showcasing the diverse methods through which individuals maintained their creative momentum.
- Currey's exploration of daily rituals serves as a source of inspiration for readers seeking to cultivate their own habits and routines to support their creative and professional pursuits.
Daily Rituals: How Artists Work reveals the ways notable artistic and creative individuals have balanced the demands of daily life (such as their jobs, marriages, social obligations, etc.) and their commitment to their craft.
Currey allows us a glimpse into a world where hard work and extreme dedication are necessary to produce masterpieces.
The book shows that, even with this type of dedication to the arts, the creators did not neglect their obligations to the everyday aspects of life. Their routines ensured that they remained functioning and contributing members of society while being steadfast to their true calling as artists.
This book is ideal for creatives searching for inspiration on how they can manage their time in order to produce their own masterpieces.
The book is well-researched and features a diverse selection of individuals from different areas of the arts and sciences.
11. Manage Your Day-to-Day by 99U, Edited by Jocelyn K. Glei
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Takeaways:
- Manage Your Day-to-Day offers practical insights and strategies from leading creative minds, providing guidance on optimizing productivity and creativity in a fast-paced world.
- The book emphasizes the importance of establishing boundaries and managing distractions to maintain focus and enhance productivity in the digital age.
- Glei and the contributors advocate for the cultivation of deliberate and sustainable work habits, highlighting the impact of routine and structure on creative output and overall well-being.
- Manage Your Day-to-Day encourages readers to prioritize deep work and creative pursuits, offering actionable advice on managing time and energy to maximize productivity and innovation.
- The book underscores the significance of self-care and balance, promoting strategies to prevent burnout and maintain sustainable creative practices in the modern work environment.
With so many things to do on in ordinary workday, it is no surprise that it’s often the most important things that remain unfinished. With the sheer volume of things that you need to “get done,” the pressure to be productive often becomes overwhelming.
Manage Your Day-to-Day: Build Your Routine, Find Your Focus, and Sharpen Your Creative Mind might be the answer to managing your schedule in order to crush those daily goals.
The concepts presented in the book are easy to grasp. Furthermore, there are key takeaways at the end of every chapter to drive home the core messages.
Although this is a tiny book, it is filled with useful information and actionable ideas that can truly improve your productivity and help you become more efficient and effective in the work that you do.
12. Atomic Habits by James Clear
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Takeaways:
- Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones emphasizes the transformative power of small, incremental changes, advocating for the compounding effect of consistent, tiny habits in achieving remarkable results.
- Clear highlights the importance of habit formation and behavior change, offering practical strategies for building and sustaining positive habits while breaking detrimental ones.
- The book explores the concept of identity-based habits, encouraging readers to align their habits with the person they aspire to become, thus reinforcing positive behavior change.
- Atomic Habits underscores the significance of environment in shaping behavior, providing insights into designing surroundings that promote desired habits and discourage negative ones.
- Clear advocates for the implementation of habit tracking and measurement, emphasizing the value of feedback and reflection in the process of habit formation and personal development.
13. Hello Mornings by Kat Lee
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Takeaways:
- Hello Mornings: How to Build a Grace-Filled, Life-Giving Morning Routine advocates for the transformative impact of establishing a morning routine centered on faith, purpose, and intention, providing a framework for starting each day with focus and positivity.
- Lee emphasizes the importance of incorporating prayer, planning, and movement into morning rituals, promoting the idea of nurturing spiritual, mental, and physical well-being at the beginning of each day.
- The book offers practical guidance for creating a personalized morning routine, highlighting the benefits of setting a positive tone for the day through intentional and uplifting activities.
- Hello Mornings encourages readers to embrace a mindset of growth and grace, promoting self-compassion and flexibility in the pursuit of establishing and maintaining morning rituals.
- Lee underscores the significance of community and accountability, advocating for the support and encouragement of like-minded individuals in cultivating a consistent and meaningful morning routine.
14. Morning Magic by Arrmon Abedikichi
Takeaways:
- Morning Magic: How to Sleep Better, Wake Up Productive, and Create a Marvelous Morning Routine advocates for the power of intentional morning rituals in setting a positive and productive tone for the day, emphasizing the impact of early habits on overall well-being.
- Abedikichi provides practical strategies for creating a personalized morning routine, highlighting the benefits of incorporating mindfulness, movement, and reflection into daily rituals.
- The book encourages readers to embrace gratitude and visualization as essential components of a morning routine, promoting the cultivation of a positive and purposeful mindset.
- Morning Magic underscores the significance of self-care and self-reflection, advocating for habits that prioritize mental and emotional well-being to enhance daily performance and fulfillment.
- Abedikichi emphasizes the value of consistency and adaptability in morning rituals, promoting the idea of tailoring routines to individual needs and goals while maintaining a sense of regularity.
15. Win the Day by Mark Batterson
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Takeaways:
- Win the Day: 7 Daily Habits to Help You Stress Less & Accomplish More emphasizes the significance of making daily choices that align with long-term goals, advocating for the transformative power of intentional actions in shaping one's future.
- Batterson encourages readers to embrace a mindset of perseverance and resilience, highlighting the impact of determination and grit in overcoming obstacles and achieving success.
- The book underscores the value of prioritizing personal growth and development, offering practical strategies for continuous improvement and self-motivation.
- Win the Day promotes the idea of embracing a proactive and purpose-driven approach to life, emphasizing the importance of taking ownership of one's choices and actions.
- Batterson advocates for the cultivation of a positive and grateful mindset, highlighting the impact of optimism and appreciation in fostering resilience and success.
Final Thoughts on Daily Routine Books
From morning rituals to evening habits, these books are a roadmap to transforming your days into power-packed, purposeful journeys.
Remember, the magic isn't just in reading about these routines; it's in applying the wisdom to your own life. Whether you're aiming for increased productivity, better health, or a greater sense of balance, the routines outlined in these books are versatile tools that you can tailor to fit your unique lifestyle.
And if you're looking for more resources about daily routines, be sure to check out these blog posts:
- 16 Morning Routine Charts to Print and Track Your Habits
- 16 Best Books on Minimalism and Simplifying
- How a Daily Morning Routine Energizes and Enhances Your Day
- How to Start a Good Morning Routine: 7 Steps
Finally, if you want the perfect morning routine, then check out this seven-step process for creating a morning routine that will become a vital part of your daily life.)