10 reads to help you reflect, reset, and step forward with intention. Because how you close one chapter shapes how you begin the next
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The days leading up to the new year hold a unique kind of power.
It’s not quite reflection season anymore — and it’s not yet goal-setting mode. It’s the space in between, where insight settles and clarity begins to form.
Before you rush into resolutions, productivity plans, or ambitious intentions, consider this:
What you consume now shapes how you think, decide, and lead next.
These books are not about doing more.
They’re about thinking better, leading with intention, and stepping into the next year grounded — not reactive.
Here are some of the best books to read before the new year, especially for women navigating growth, leadership, identity, and impact.
1. The Mountain Is You — Brianna Wiest
For releasing self-sabotaging patterns and emotional blocks that quietly shape your decisions.
Read this if: you feel like you’re this close to the next level — but something keeps pulling you back.
2. Atomic Habits — James Clear
A masterclass in building habits that actually last.
Read this if: you’re tired of setting goals that collapse under real-life pressure.
3. The New Rules of Influence — Lida Citroën
How to build trust, credibility, and influence without selling out your values.
Read this if: you’re stepping into more visibility, leadership, or authority in the coming year.
4. Essentialism — Greg McKeown
A reminder that clarity is a leadership skill.
Read this if: your plate is full, your calendar is packed, and you’re craving focus.
5. Daring Greatly — Brené Brown
Leadership rooted in courage, connection, and trust.
Read this if: you want to lead with strength and humanity.
6. Designing Your Life — Bill Burnett & Dave Evans
Apply design thinking to your career and life.
Read this if: you’re open to experimenting instead of forcing a rigid plan.
7. You Are a Badass — Jen Sincero
Mindset shifts delivered with humor and honesty.
Read this if: you need a confidence reset before goal-setting season begins.
8. Deep Work — Cal Newport
A powerful argument for focus in a distracted world.
Read this if: you want 2026 to be about meaningful output, not constant busyness.
9. Mindset — Carol Dweck
The foundational work on growth vs. fixed mindset.
Read this if: you’re navigating change, stretch goals, or self-doubt.
10. Big Magic — Elizabeth Gilbert
Permission to create, try, and explore without fear.
Read this if: you’re craving creativity, reinvention, or a more joyful approach to growth.
How to Use This Reading List
You don’t need to read them all.
You don’t need to rush.
Choose one that meets you where you are right now — and read with intention.
Ask yourself:
- What am I being invited to think differently about?
- What feels ready to shift?
- What does Future Me need me to understand now?
The goal isn’t to start the year busy.
It’s to start it clear.
The books you read before the new year quietly influence the standards you set after it begins.
