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For someone who is a life coach, TV host, author, and motivational speaker, it’s no surprise that Marie Forleo has people and perspectives that inspire her. Anyone whose career has spanned years of working their way up has to have had significant learnings, whether from experience or books. Marie Forleo’s Reading List will give you some insights into these learnings and perspectives.
it’s absolutely helpful to know a successful person’s reading list.
In Marie’s case, books on dealing with work challenges creatively and upfront, no matter how difficult, seem to be the common thread.
From being sure of one’s own worth to overcoming creative hurdles to finding a path as a career woman.
Here are 5 books that are solid sources of inspiration for anyone serious about business and career goals.
Marie Forleo’s Reading List
The War of Art: Winning the Inner Creative Battle by Steven Pressfield
Clearly a play on Sun-Tzu’s The Art of War, Pressfield’s The War of Art is a practical guide for those doing battle creatively.
Instead of fighting military foes with strategy, this book helps you rid yourself of the enemy within.
This enemy within is one of the forms of resistance that Pressfield warns against, which can be responsible for impossibly strong creative barriers.
Make no mistake; this doesn’t mean that The War of Art is only for artists.
It’s a useful tome for athletes, entrepreneurs, and anyone under the sun who just wants to get things done but is having a hard time doing so.
Whether it’s a novel or a painting or a business venture, there will always be hurdles keeping one from completing an important project.
Pressfield’s refreshing voice emerges, like that of a calm, supportive coach.
It stands out because it describes inner resistance as an enemy that puts up a fight of epic proportions.
It sets you up as a hero capable of seizing your potential and overcoming all the obstacles.
If you’re in a pinch and looking for a voice to put things into perspective for you, then Pressfield’s The War of Art might just help psych you up.
Learn how you can win the inner creative battle.
Buy this book from Marie Forleo’s Reading List on Amazon using the image link above.
Linchpin: Are You Indispensable? by Seth Godin
Seth Godin has written plenty of other books about the process of innovation and the priceless creation of products and ideas.
Linchpin is something new from him, in that it focuses on how one finds a place within his or her organization and leaves a lasting impact.
More of a manifesto than a self-help book, it puts forward the role of the linchpin, who thinks outside the box and resolves conflict better than anyone else can.
This role, according to Godin, is what everyone must aspire for, in order to become indispensable within an organization.
Linchpin suggests that everyone can develop their work into a form of art in which innovation and problem-solving are a talent.
It’s all a matter of internalizing the qualities needed, and practicing and working until you get the hang of it.
Even better is, the book isn’t too preachy or technical.
Overall, it’s a fun read that may just change your approach to work.
If you’re unconvinced that this book is as inspiring as Marie Forleo thinks, then a quote from Godin himself may help:
“It’s time to stop complying with the system and draw your own map … Only you can do it, and you must.”
Learn how you can leave a long-lasting impact.
Buy this book from Marie Forleo’s Reading List on Amazon using the image link above.
Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear by Elizabeth Gilbert
Known for her spunky yet spiritual approach to the world, Elizabeth Gilbert once again urges everyone to embrace curiosity and let ourselves be creative.
This time, however, it’s more encouraging than ever.
Big Magic lives up to its name, suggesting that within each of us are “strange jewels”.
These jewels can help us find new ways to address work problems and other challenges in life.
It’s not as cheesy as it sounds and it is, in fact, moderately encouraging and practical for such a light read.
Gilbert also describes inspiration and writing as independent spirits that float about freely, which we as humans who want to be productive, must attract with great effort; like how we have to firmly reel in a fishing line.
Basically, the effort needed to overcome is not sugar coated here.
With the creative writing process as an anchor for her words of advice, the fear of being stagnant and not seeing enough progress is as relatable as it sounds.
Big Magic doesn’t pull back with presenting the harsh reality, and it doesn’t pull back with encouraging you to get on with it either.
For most who pick up this book, including Marie Forleo, Gilbert’s words tend to be exactly what one needs to hear.
You can learn how to live beyond fear.
Buy this book on Marie Forleo’s Reading List from Amazon using the image link above.
Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead by Sheryl Sandberg
If you’re interested in what a successful career woman has to say, then Sheryl Sandberg’s Lean In does not disappoint.
There’s a lot to expect from the Chief Operating Officer of Facebook, and her biggest hitter delivers.
Not only is Sandberg an authority on women in the workplace, but she’s also a great motivational speaker.
Back in 2010, she gave a groundbreaking TED talk on how women subconsciously hold themselves back career-wise.
She also mentions how more women leaders would benefit everyone.
Her book, if anything, is a splendid follow-up of these big ideas.
From personal anecdotes to hard data and research, there’s a lot of knowledge to glean from these pages.
Combining professional achievement with personal fulfillment is the main theme.
Also reexamining your priorities in life will for sure be a major takeaway.
Sandberg, for one, puts premium on weighing whether you’re concerned with succeeding or with becoming likeable.
Her conclusion is that being genuine in one’s business pursuits determines how they eventually turn out.
There’s also an emphasis on the importance of men supporting women, both in the workplace and at home.
From mutual support between sexes to the right business attitude, Lean In covers all ground possible for women in business.
Learn more about leading.
Buy this book on Marie Forleo’s Reading List from Amazon by clicking on the image link above.
Do the Work by Steven Pressfield
In addition to The War of Art, another book by Steven Pressfield is gracing this reading list.
This is another pragmatic manifesto that shows how to face challenges head-on.
The aptly-titled Do the Work is all about taking action.
Pressfield again mentions the resistance, which keeps one from progressing further in their career or in certain projects.
This time, the focus is more on getting up and simply starting instead of just dwelling on how to do things.
For such a short book compared to his previous works, many might wonder what new concept or advice Pressfield offers in Do the Work.
Here, the resistance is described as an “inner chatter” that masquerades as your true thoughts, an entity to overcome in order to find your true self.
Anyone who feels held back or stuck or nervous about the road they’re taking or a problem they’re facing might have something to glean from this book.
Marie Forleo did, and it’s one of the five books she’s read that has influenced her to move forward.
Doing the work, as simple as it may seem, is easier said than done.
This is one point that the book does not neglect to emphasize.
What happens after that is a matter of how the advice is taken to heart.
Take action.
Buy this book on Marie Forleo’s Reading List from Amazon using the image link above.
Finally.
All these books are a great insight into how Marie Forleo approaches her career and blazes her way forward.
However, beyond reading about success in these five books, Marie herself has maintained that the long and winding road of one’s career is all about embodying the lessons learned.
So, what matters most for us as readers, is the ability to embody all that we read to make progress in our respective career paths.
These books are just the beginning.
