Mindset shifts, habit makeovers, and a fresh start for a new year.
The new year brings the perfect chance to reassess, release what no longer serves us, and reimagine the life we actually want to live!
Whether you're craving a mindset reboot, a career pivot, emotional healing, or a fresh approach to daily routines this reading list is designed to help you press reset in 2025.
Why These Made the List & What They Each Focus On:
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The Let Them Theory by Mel Robbins
Theme: Letting go of control, creating peace
If you're tired of overthinking what others are doing or (not doing) this short but powerful mindset shift helps you stop trying to control things you never had control over. Mel Robbins delivers a bold, freeing concept to start the year with calm boundaries and a clearer emotional lane.
Designing Your Life by Bill Burnett & Dave Evans
Theme: Purposeful direction & intentional living
Based on a popular Stanford course, this book guides you through designing a life that reflects what you want, not what others expect. With reflection exercises, thought experiments, and real strategies, this is a must-read if you're rethinking career, purpose, or personal goals in the new year.
You Can Heal Your Life by Louise Hay
Theme: Emotional healing & self-worth
A classic in the self-help space for a reason, this book explores the beliefs we hold deep inside and how they shape our daily experience. Louise Hay gently leads readers through the connection between mindset and wellness, guiding emotional healing and increased self-acceptance.
Reset: Powerful Habits to Own Your Thoughts, Understand Your Feelings, and Change Your Life by Debra Fileta
Theme: Micro-habits and thought work
This title dives into the small daily habits that shape our mental and emotional wellness. With a Christian lens, Fileta encourages readers to examine their thought patterns and emotional responses and equips them with tools to gently reshape both.
Don’t Believe Everything You Think by Joseph Nguyen
Theme: Mindset shift & cognitive clarity
Perfect for those who feel stuck in anxious loops or negative self-talk, this guide teaches you how to observe your thoughts without attaching to them. Grounded in mindfulness and psychology, it's ideal for readers ready to rewrite the stories they’ve been telling themselves.
The 5 Resets: Rewire Your Brain and Body for Less Stress & More Productivity by Aditi Nerurkar, MD
Theme: Stress relief & increased productivity
A fresh take from a Harvard-trained doctor, this book blends neuroscience and behavior science to help readers create low-stress, high-energy lives. Learn how to align body and brain to work smarter, not harder without burning out.
The Restart Roadmap: Rewire and Reset Your Career by Jason Tartick
Theme: Career clarity & reinvention
Whether you’re feeling misaligned in your current role or considering a leap into something new, Tartick’s book is filled with both career strategy and encouragement. A solid read for anyone making bold career shifts in 2025.
The Fun Habit by Mike Rucker, PhD
Theme: Science of fun & joyful living
This surprising standout uses psychology and neuroscience to show how fun isn’t frivolous, it’s essential! With practical strategies for making fun a habit, this one’s ideal for anyone feeling burnt out, joyless, or stuck in “productive but not happy” mode.
The Happiness Files by Arthur C. Brooks
Theme: Life and career happiness
Based on his popular Atlantic column and Harvard course, this book gathers Brooks' best work into a beautifully written collection. From procrastination to fulfillment, each essay provides practical insight on leading a more joyful life at work and beyond.
Think Again by Adam Grant
Theme: Mental flexibility & unlearning
One of the most important skills of 2025? Relearning. Grant explores how the ability to rethink is critical in a rapidly changing world. If you’re ready to challenge assumptions, embrace curiosity, and become a lifelong learner, this is your book.
How to use this list for your January reset:
- Pick one book that resonates most with where you want to reset (mindset? habits? career?).
- Schedule reading time even if it's just 15 minutes.
- Pick one “reset action” from the book and apply it in January (e.g., boundary‑setting, a habit tracker, clearing out mental clutter).
- Reflect at the end of the month: what changed? what felt easier? what still needs work?
- Decide your next book based on your outcome and what you want focus on next.
January doesn’t have to be about drastic “New Year, New Me” everything. It can be about gentle resets, aligning with what really matters, and setting the tone for the next 11 months. These books aren’t about overnight miracles, they’re about foundations, habits, mindset and the small changes that compound.
Start your year with intention. Pick a book. Pick a habit. Pick a story. And let January be the month you reset forward.
Final Thoughts
There’s no right way to reset your life but starting with reflection and intention is always a good move. Whether you’re choosing just one title from this list or stacking several into your TBR, may these reads meet you exactly where you are and nudge you closer to where you want to be.
Which one will you start with? Let me know over on Instagram, or save this post for whenever you’re ready for a January reset!
