75 Hard Book Recommendations That Will Change Your Life
One of the rules in the 75 Hard Challenge is to read ten pages of a self-development book each day during the 75-day challenge.
Technically, non-fiction can count in the 75 Soft Challenge, but I recommend reading a self-development book that will better you mentally if you take on a challenge like this.
Because whether it’s 75 Hard, 75 Medium, or 75 Soft, these challenges are not easy.
Below are my 75 Hard book recommendations that will change your life. So, whether you complete the challenge fully or not, I recommend these life-changing books to help you with your self-development journey.
75 Hard Book Recommendations
The War of Art
The War of Art is my number 1 recommended 75 Hard Book. It’s also a quick read, so this book is excellent if you need help hitting ten pages.
However, it is a short read with 165 pages total, and some of the pages in the book are short paragraphs. So, the downside is you will have to find another book to read during the 75-Day Hard challenge. The good news is I recommend more amazing books below.
The War of Art is your guide to beating resistance, which we face whenever we try starting a new exercise, diet, business or non-profit, writing our first novel, etc.
If any of these have been your goal, the War of Art is for you!
Resistance can be the silent killer in so many areas of our lives, and the War of Art is broken up into three books that will help you win your inner creative battles!
You can get the book conveniently on Amazon here.
The Comfort Crisis
This book is my other number 1 recommended 75 Hard Book to read while doing the challenge because the War of Art will take you less than 75 days to read.
I discovered The Comfort Crisis at an ironic time in my life because there is something to be said about if you are comfortable, you’re miserable.
This book breaks down the human nature of humans feeling miserable and unfulfilled due to being comfortable.
I like to call it being comfortably uncomfortable.
I was comfortably uncomfortable in my 9-5 job, with the consistent paychecks every two weeks to pay the bills, save very little, and live life with my friends.
We as humans hate doing the hard things (I sure do), but this book helps you learn how to embrace discomfort so that you start living life feeling more to its fullest and reclaim your powerful, healthy, and happy self.
The Comfort Crisis is easily available on Amazon here
Can’t Hurt Me
Nothing speaks mental toughness more than David Goggin’s Can’t Hurt Me novel.
Especially if you’re planning to complete the 75 Hard Challenge, Can’t Hurt Me should be on your list of 75 Hard recommended books.
If you feel any concern about not being able to complete the 75 Hard Challenge (or even 75 Medium),
Can’t Hurt Me should be your first book to read.
Can’t Hurt Me details Goggin’s trauma, from his early childhood and brutal marriage to his training as a Navy Seal, going through their hell week three times!
Goggin’s turned his life from being overweight, depressed, and physically abused into a U.S. Armed Forces and athletic endurance legend.
This book is not a feel-good read but will help you immensely throughout your 75 Hard Challenge.
Check out David Goggin’s Can’t Hurt Me book on Amazon here.
Atomic Habits
If you are planning on starting any business venture, health and fitness journey, or trying to quit smoking, Atomic Habits is one of the best books for instilling change.
Atomic Habits has been recommended to me by various entrepreneurs, health specialists, fitness trainers, etc., using any sentence from the book and applying it to real-life situations.
Every sentence in this book comes with value for your everyday life.
Whether it’s for the 75 Hard Challenge, any fitness goal you have (weight loss, muscle building, etc.), or making any drastic life improvements. Building habits is the foundation for reaching these goals.
You are starting with small and attainable habits and growing them into bigger habits over time. Atomic Habits is your guide to breaking old and bad habits and building good ones.
As stated on the front cover of the book
Tiny Changes, Remarkable Results
Get Atomic Habits fast on Amazon here.
You Are a Bad Ass
You Are a Bad Ass has a series of self-help books, from improving your overall life to improving your financial situation.
If you’re desperately trying to better your life and act, You Are a Bad Ass helps you recognize your true potential while practicing self-love in every chapter.
Jen Sincero uses her life experiences, from trips around the world to everyday life scenarios, to help you understand how to stop doubting yourself and get exactly what you want out of life.
If you want to stop doubting yourself and have a step-by-step guide on creating the life you want with personal and financial freedom, You Are a Bad Ass will help you realize that you are badass and can achieve that.
Get You Are a Bad Ass delivered to your home fast on Amazon here.
Choosing the Right 75 Hard Book for YOU
I recommend you read all 5 of these for the 75 Hard book challenge. However, I’m a big believer that you should prioritize a self-help book that is more relatable to your current life situation.
Do you need help sticking to a diet?
Read Atomic Habits
Need help starting a business?
Read The War of Art
Is your Mindset the root of the problem?
Read Can’t Hurt Me
Need to be fulfilled with your life? Even when you are out partying or traveling with your friends?
Read You Are a Bass and The Comfort Crisis
Think about these factors or a similar one, and start with a self-help book most relevant to your current life situation and any weaknesses you have.
I started with the War of Art because I struggled with resistance for the longest time to get this website and my fitness coaching business up and running, and the book came to me at the right time.
Final Thoughts on 75 Hard Book Recommendations
This rule is the best one of the challenges and why I like the 75 Hard challenge overall.
We should not only be pushing ourselves physically with exercise and nutrition but also mentally with more self-help books and meditation daily.
Non-fiction books are great, don’t get me wrong! I’m a huge Harry Potter geek.
However, we should learn how to better ourselves every day to get the most out of the life that we were put on this planet for.
This is why coming from someone who hated reading and struggled with it growing up; I’m a big advocate for challenging ourselves to read more every day!
Our brain is a muscle, and the books are the weights!
Make the most out of these 75 days, improving yourself physically and mentally.
