As we navigate a new year, now is the time to envision what 2021 will look like for your business and for you personally. I am a firm believer that what you fill your mind with determines your growth on both a personal and professional level.
Reading books not only enhances thinking skills but also helps our minds grow and mature. As an agent, no matter where you are in your career, there is always room for improvement and growth.
Here are my top six motivational reads that will help you improve in all areas of your life.
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Relentless: From Good to Great to Unstoppable
By Tim S. Grover
Tim Grover is well-renowned for his work with some of the most fantastic sports and business professionals who have ever lived (think Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant, to name only a few). Grover’s bestselling book shows readers how to be relentless and achieve whatever one’s heart desires.
If you find yourself making excuses for not meeting your goals or have a habit of pushing your deadlines back to a later date, this book is direct and leaves no room for excuses. If you feel like you’ve reached your peak as an agent, this book maps out how even the best get better.
As a bonus, Grover also shares inspiring (and untold) stories from some of the most successful and accomplished athletes of our time. I highly recommend this book because agents can easily apply Grover’s insights on some of the most successful professionals to your life too. For those who find great inspiration after reading this book and want to take it to the next level, the author even has his own training platform here.
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Think and Grow Rich
By Napoleon Hill
>Dubbed the “Granddaddy of All Motivational Literature,” this book was the first to examine what makes a winner strategically. Now recognized as one of the most accomplished “winners” of all time, author Napoleon Hill spent much of his life creating his Law of Success philosophy, which forms the basis of this work.
This book has provided great inspiration to me, and I continually revisit it, especially as I enter new chapters and milestones in my life. As someone who built his business from the ground up, I greatly value the stories from greats like Henry Ford and Thomas Edison.
Some of the most important lessons within the book include having:
- A dedicated passion that compels you to act on your plan continuously
- A great faith that your plan will allow you to succeed
- An understanding that you cannot acquire wealth without a concrete plan for attaining such wealth
Whether you are an agent starting out or have been in the business a long time, this book is an excellent read for timeless life lessons. It has had such an impact on my life that I have been teaching an in-person class on it for more than eight years, and now, anyone can tune in to see it from my YouTube channel.
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5 AM Club, The: Own Your Morning. Elevate Your Life
By Robin Sharma
This book completely changed my life. Robin Sharma introduced this concept more than 20 years ago based on a revolutionary morning routine that has since aided his clients in maximizing productivity, activating their best health, and helping “bulletproof their serenity” in the overwhelming, complex world in which we live.
This book details the epic benefits of rising early and how this habit upgrades happiness and feeling invigorated, to name a few of its positive effects. After reading it, I too joined the 5 a.m. club, and it has since provided me time for exercise, self-renewal and, most of all, personal growth.
By being alert at 5 a.m., you can take time to think, express creativity and start each day peacefully, which is especially crucial for agents who can often feel rushed or overwhelmed with the endless tasks each day brings. This book and its practices can change your life for the better.
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The Alchemist
By Paulo Coelho
If you’re looking to follow an inspiring tale of self-discovery, this book is it. This story tells a story of an Andalusian shepherd boy who desires to travel searching for worldly treasure. His journey leads to riches far more satisfying than he could have ever dreamed. This book taught me to listen to my heart and follow my dreams. I recommend The Alchemist because, though it’s a simple tale, it’s rich with many life lessons.
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The Miracle Morning: The Not-So-Obvious Secret Guaranteed to Transform Your Life (Before 8AM)
By Hal Elrod
The way we live and work has wholly shifted due to the pandemic, which makes having a routine more critical than ever. The book’s author, Elrod, has compiled the best practices of human consciousness development and masterfully condensed the best of them into a recommended daily routine.
By reading this book, you can learn about vital daily rituals and apply them to your life. The Miracle Morning can serve as a great piece of inspiration for those who read it, and I especially recommend it if you are an agent planning for growth and success in 2021.
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The Obstacle Is the Way: The Timeless Art of Turning Trials into Triumph
By Ryan Holiday
This book reveals a success formula that has long been followed by some of the most successful in history. Holiday invites readers to turn obstacles into opportunities. As a real estate agent, we are faced with roadblocks all the time. The Obstacle Is The Way will encourage you to find triumphs, even when faced with what seems like the impossible.
This piece of work will help show you how to turn adversity into an advantage, which is an important skill to set yourself apart from your competition.
If you fill your mind with uplifting and motivational material, you will gain the mindset to have a positive and motivated year ahead. If you haven’t already read these six books, they make perfect additions to your 2021 reading list, especially as you’re planning for growth and success for this new year. These books help serve as a source of inspiration and a road map for action.
Santiago Arana is a managing partner at The Agency, in Los Angeles. Connect with him on Instagram.
