You only get one shot at life.

 

You know that. And you probably also know that it is way past time to begin pursing those big dreams inside of you that have been tugging at your heart.

 

The question now is do you have the guts, knowledge, confidence, and discipline to start bringing them to life?

 

Most people don’t, but you don’t have to be like most people.  You can be great and do great things!  The only thing stopping you is yourself and maybe gaining a little know-how.

 

I’ve compiled a list of 13 awesome books  to help you start bravely and competently moving towards your true purpose right now. 

 

This list is by no means all inclusive. If you start taking in and most importantly applying the information within these books, you will be well on your way to living an extraordinary life.

 

Don’t stress too much about which one to read first.  Just pick one that feels relevant to you and start there.  

 

And remember reading is of little value if you don’t put the knowledge you gain into action!

 

So here is the….

 

Fall 2012 Waging War on Normal Reading List For Awesome People:

 

 1. Start With Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action
     By Simon Sinek

 

 

Why are some people and organizations more innovative, more influential, and more profitable than others? Why do some command greater loyalty?

Drawing on a wide range of real-life stories, Sinek weaves together a clear vision of what it truly takes to lead and inspire.

 

2. Poke The Box: By Seth Godin

 

 

If you're stuck at the starting line, you don't need more time or permission. You don’t need to wait for a boss’s okay or to be told to push the button; you just need to poke.

Poke the Box is a manifesto by bestselling author Seth Godin that just might make you uncomfortable. It’s a call to action about the initiative you’re taking-–in your job or in your life. Godin knows that one of our scarcest resources is the spark of initiative in most organizations (and most careers)-–the person with the guts to say, “I want to start stuff.”

 

3. DO The Work: By Steven Pressfield

 

 

Could you be getting in your way of producing great work? Have you started a project but never finished? Would you like to do work that matters, but don't know where to start?
The answer is Do the Work, a manifesto by bestselling author Steven Pressfield, that will show you that it’s not about better ideas, it’s about actually doing the work. Do the Work is a weapon against Resistance – a tool that will help you take action and successfully ship projects out the door.

 

4. Evil Plans: Having Fun on the Road to World Domination
    By Hugh Macleod

 

 

It has never been easier to make a great living doing what you love. But to make it happen, first you need an EVIL PLAN. Everybody needs to get away from lousy bosses, from boring, dead-end jobs that they hate, and ACTUALLY start doing something they love, something that matters. Life is short." -Hugh MacLeod

 

5. Start Something That Matters: By Blake Mycoskie

 

 

The incredible story of the man behind TOMS Shoes and One for One, the revolutionary business model that marries fun, profit, and social good

 

6. The $100 Startup: Reinvent the Way You Make a Living, Do What You Love, and   Create a New Future, By: Chris Guillebeau

 

 

In The $100 Startup, Chris Guillebeau shows you how to lead of life of adventure, meaning and purpose – and earn a good living.

 

7. Startup Weekend: How to Take a Company From Concept to Creation in 54 Hours
    By: Mark Nager, Clint Nelson, and Franck Nouyrigat

 

 

'This book is a powerful and valuable lesson in what can be achieved if you put the right people in the same room, with the intent of achieving a single goal

 

8. No B.S Time Management for Entrepreneurs: By Dan Kennedy

 

 

Tick … tick … tick … can't find enough time? Find out how to use it far more wisely by the man who successfully runs multiple business ventures simultaneously.

 

9. Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die
    By Chip Heath and Dan Heath

 

 

Why do some ideas thrive while others die? And how do we improve the chances of worthy ideas? In Made to Stick, accomplished educators and idea collectors Chip and Dan Heath tackle head-on these vexing questions. Inside, the brothers Heath reveal the anatomy of ideas that stick and explain ways to make ideas stickier, such as applying the “human scale principle,” using the “Velcro Theory of Memory,” and creating “curiosity gaps.”

 

 10. The Talent Code: Greatness Isn’t Born. It’s Grown. Here’s How.
       By: Daniel Coyle

 

 

What is the secret of talent? How do we unlock it? In this groundbreaking work, journalist and New York Times bestselling author Daniel Coyle provides parents, teachers, coaches, businesspeople—and everyone else—with tools they can use to maximize potential in themselves and others.

 

11. Tell to Win: Connect, Persuade, and Triumph With the Hidden Power of Story.
      By: Peter Guber

 

 

Today everyone–whether they know it or not–is in the emotional transportation business.  More and more, success is won by creating compelling stories that have the power to move partners, shareholders, customers, and employees to action.  Simply put, if you can’t tell it, you can’t sell it.  And this book tells you how to do both.

 

12.  Focus: A Simplicity Manifesto in the Age of Distraction
       By Leo Babauta

 

 

Our ability to focus will allow us to create in ways that perhaps we haven't in years. It'll allow us to slow down and find peace of mind. It'll allow us to simplify and focus on less-on the essential things, the things that matter most.

 

13. The Go Giver: A Little Story About a Powerful Business Idea
      By Bob Burg and John David Mann

 

 

Imparted with wit and grace, The Go-Giver is a heartwarming and inspiring tale that brings new relevance to the old proverb “Give and you shall receive.”

 

What are you going to read first?

 

Any books that you would recommend that I left off? 

 

Comment Below…