The Best Books To Get Your Idea Off The Ground in 2018

2018 looks like it’s set to be the year that you snap into gear, and swap your status of ‘starry eyed dreamer’ for ‘slick success’. From a fresh business venture, to that novel you always wanted to write, here are some of the best motivational books around to help you work effectively towards all of your dreams. If you measure your year not in pounds lost, nor hobbies gained, but in steps taken to realize your ambitions, then read on.
Making Ideas Happen by Scott Belsky
Making Ideas Happen
- 19 min reading time
- audio version available
Most projects don’t fail because of a bad idea, but because of bad execution: that’s the key message from Adobe’s Community Vice President and leading creative business consultant Scott Belsky. This stellar bestseller points out the common pitfalls faced by new businesses. It also shows you how to steer around them for a smooth path to completion. Read Making Ideas Happen to understand why your smartphone’s news feed is killing your creativity, John Grisham’s method for writing bestselling novels, and the organizational skills needed to take your great ideas and turn them into reality.
Resilience by Mark McGuinness
Resilience
- 15 min reading time
- audio version available
Resilience is a must read for all artists, risk-takers, and dreamers who question why they haven’t yet obtained the success they desire. Achieving your big goals comes not from luck nor good connections, but from demonstrating strong resilience in the face of all setbacks and pangs of self-doubt. McGuinness, a poet and motivational consultant, outlines how we can stride confidently through the obstacle course of creative pursuits and harness our fears in order to fuel our dreams.
Making It All Work by David Allen
Making It All Work
- 16 min reading time
- audio version available
Productivity guru David Allen shows us how to excel in dealing with our daily commitments, unexpected challenges, and the information overload that threatens to drown us. If you worry that you are spending most of your day flitting between small pointless tasks and procrastination holes, then this bestseller can help you to focus your efforts on achieving your longer term goals.
Success Through a Positive Mental Attitude by Napoleon Hill
Success Through a Positive Mental Attitude
- 15 min reading time
- audio version available
20th century motivational pioneer Napoleon Hill set a precedent for all personal success literature with this world-renowned classic. Hill championed the idea that success can be achieved purely by adopting a positive mental attitude in life. This inspiring read is a great pick-me-up for anyone with lagging motivation. Follow actionable advice and learn from case studies of top business people who managed to attain great personal success and inspire it in others.
How To Be Like Walt by Pat Williams
How To Be Like Walt
- 15 min reading time
- audio version available
Pat Williams examines the intriguing character of one of the greatest and most successful artists of the last century: Walt Disney. Through stories of Disney’s admirable traits, we learn how we too can fuse creativity and competence into a superstar work model. If you’re curious to know Disney’s personal Cinderella backstory, why he was a fearless risk taker, and how he learned to embrace change, then read this top biography.
Write It Down, Make It Happen by Henriette Anne Klauser
Write It Down, Make It Happen
- 13 min reading time
- audio version available
Henriette Anne Klauser explains that simply writing down what you want from life can have the power of realizing those wishes. This easy-to-implement method helps readers clarify what they truly desire, deal effectively with their fears, and sharpen their focus. Whether your goals are personal or professional, this book is a must-read. Klauser is a celebrated author and president of Writing Resources. Her books are richly layered with both background knowledge and intriguing personal anecdotes.
Real Artists Don’t Starve by Jeff Goins
Real Artists Don’t Starve
- 12 min reading time
- audio version available
Creativity expert and bestselling author Jeff Goins dismantles the myth that a creative disposition is a hindrance to success and doomed to a life of hardship and sacrifice. More and more, creativity is being heralded as a fantastically desirable trait. Leading a creative life and working in the business world are no longer mutually exclusive. From following a master, to never working for free, Goins celebrates the process of becoming an artist with a set of rules that show any creative mind how to harness their imagination and flourish.
There you have it: the top titles to help you get your idea off the ground and make your dreams a reality in 2018. You can also check out this booklist in the Blinkist App. We hope you’re now feeling super inspired and ready to push your passion forward into a glorious success!