Every single one of us has been shaped by our experiences. So much so, that no two human beings can have the same exact outlook on life. It’s pretty crazy to think about. But there is also a sadness to it. Because deep down we realize no one will ever be able to see the world through our eyes or experience a moment in the same way you do. No one will ever feel the same exact happiness you do, nor the sadness that comes your way.
…ahem!
Sorry, getting a little too deep there.
The point I’m trying to make is that despite the fact that we make never fully be able to experience someone else’s worldview, we can cultivate a stronger understanding of how they might think by studying what they have already learned. And one of the best ways to do that is through reading the same books they’ve read.
I often get people asking me for book recommendations and I can usually point them in the right direction. Well, today I wanted to share with you The Daily Athlete Reading List; a collection of books that have shaped nearly all of the content, ideas, and concepts shared on this website. These books have profoundly moulded the way I think as well as the people I look to for inspiration.
Check out the list below and see what these books are about and how they could benefit you as an athlete.
Don’t forget to scroll all the way to down to see a free bonus offer waiting for you.
The Daily Athlete Reading List
Eleven Rings: The Soul of Success
By Phil Jackson
What is it about?
During his epic career as head coach of the Chicago Bulls and Los Angeles Lakers, Phil Jackson won more championships than any coach in the history of professional sports. In his quest to reinvent himself, Jackson explored everything from psychology and philosophy to Zen meditation. In the process, he developed a new approach to leadership based on freedom, authenticity, and selfless teamwork that transformed great athletes into superstars and good team into dominant dynasties. What Eleven Rings shows us, however, is that when it comes to the most important lessons, we don’t know very little. This book is full of revelations: about fascinating personalities and their drive to win; about the sources of motivation and competition at the highest levels; and about what it takes to bring out the best in ourselves and others.
Why does it matter?
Whether you are a player or a coach, there is something important for you to learn from this book. In order to achieve individual success, you have to be willing to change your mentality from “Me” to “We” and recognize that you cannot win it all by yourself. Kobe realized this and so did Jordan. But it took a man like Phil Jackson to step in give their heads a shake. No matter how good one person may be, it takes a team that is on the same path with the same mindset to achieve great things. Let this book show you how that’s done.
Key Takeaway: Learn what great leadership looks like
By Viktor E. Frankl
What it’s about?
Psychiatrist Viktor Frankl’s memoir has riveted generations of readers with its descriptions of life in Nazi death camps and its lessons for spiritual survival. Between 1942 and 1945 Frankl labored in four different camps, including Auschwitz, while his parents, brother, and pregnant wife perished. Based on his own experience and the experiences of others he treated later in his practice, Frankl argues that we cannot avoid suffering but we can choose how to cope with it, find meaning in it, and move forward with renewed purpose. Frankl’s theory-known as logotherapy, states that our primary drive in life is not pleasure, but the discovery and pursuit of what we personally find meaningful.
Why does it matter?
Every single one of us is searching for meaning, whether we think we are or not. And when things are going well, it’s easy to find meaning in what we are doing. But how do you find purpose and usefulness out of suffering? It took a horrifying event in history for one man to discover that meaning does not necessarily come constant pleasure, but instead our ability to endure pain and suffering. Luckily for you as an athlete, your suffering is not at the hands of the Nazis. Instead, you have a unique choice. You get to choose your suffering. You will encounter loss, failure, muscle soreness, fatigue, and injuries; but guess what? That’s what you signed up for. That’s the life of an athlete. Life is full of suffering, so why not choose what is worth suffering through.
Key Takeaway: Meaning is found in suffering, so choose what you want to suffer through.
Mindset: The New Psychology of Success
By Carol S. Dweck
What it’s about?
Based on the decades of research done by Dr. Carol Dweck, this book uncovers what has been discovered about mindsets and why they matter so much. Ranging from school, work, sports, the arts, and beyond, studies have definitively proven that your mindset will determine your outcome. People with a fixed mindset—those who believe that abilities are fixed—are less likely to flourish than those with a growth mindset—those who believe that abilities can be developed. Mindset reveals how great parents, teachers, managers, and athletes can put this idea to use to foster outstanding accomplishments.
Why does it matter?
How you handle challenges says a lot about your mindset. When you encounter something that is beyond your current skill, how do you respond? Do you protect your ego? Do you tell yourself that it’s too difficult? Or do you embrace the opportunity for growth? The interesting thing about Fixed and Growth mindsets is that they can vary for each area of your life. You can be fixed on how you view mathematics, but growth-minded on your athletic abilities. It can be tempting to lean towards our strengths and avoid our weaknesses. But we all know that the best athletes are those who are well rounded. Through reading this book you will discover how to cultivate a growth mindset and why it matters so much to your overall success.
Key Takeaway: Develop a growth mindset
The Inner Game of Tennis: The Classic Guide to the Mental Side of Sports
By W. Timothy Gallwey
What it’s about?
Written by tennis coach Timothy Gallwey, The Inner Game of Tennis is a revolutionary program and way of thinking for overcoming the self-doubt, nervousness, and lapses of concentration that can keep a player from winning. In this book, there are detailed mental and physical exercises designed to help a player increase body awareness and improve concentration and rhythm. Not only is this a helpful guide for players who want to take their performance to the next level but it also provides countless lessons for those in coaching roles as well.
Why does it matter?
There’s a reason this book is still in circulation and even growing in popularity more than 40 years after it’s release. It has valuable insights and ideas that truly stand the tests of time. In sports, so many of our actions are determined by our thoughts. We always want to have control over everything and we allow our conscious mind to determine everything that happens. But what if you let our unconscious mind take over? What if we could find ways to let the body do what it naturally knows how to do. The inner game is a constant battle between self 1 and self 2. Gallwey proposes that we let go of self 1 and let self 2 dictate how we train and act during performance. If you are looking for a way to get out of your head and perform like you know you are capable of, this is the book for you.
Key Takeaway: Learn how to quiet your internal self-talk and let your body do what it knows how to do.
The Mindful Athlete: Secrets to Pure Performance
By George Mumford
What it’s about?
George Mumford was a basketball player at the University of Massachusetts but injuries forced him out of the game he loved. The meds that relieved the pain of his injuries also numbed him to the emptiness he felt without the game and eventually led him to heroin. After years as a functioning addict, Mumford made meditation the center of his life. He kicked drugs, earned a master’s degree, and began teaching meditation to inmates and others. The Mindful Athlete shares Mumford’s journey from addict to mindfulness practitioner and gives you proven mindfulness techniques to transform your performance both on and off the court.
Why does it matter?
Your mind is a muscle and often one that gets ignored. You can work as hard as you want in the gym, but if your mind isn’t right, all the reps in the world won’t make a difference in how you perform. To be “in the zone” in a beautiful feeling and I’m sure you’ve all experienced it at one point or another. This state can feel elusive and difficult to cultivate. But what if you could get in the zone by choice? I’d say that would be edging close to a superpower. This book is not a magic pill for a bulletproof mind, but it’s a starting point to opening your eyes to new ways in which you can strengthen your mind.
Key Takeaway: Introduction to mindfulness practices for athletes
The Obstacle is the Way: The Timeless Art of Turning Trials into Triumph
by Ryan Holiday
What it’s about?
A quote from the Roman Emperor and philosopher Marcus Aurelius serves as the inspiration for this book: “The impediment to action advances action. What stands in the way becomes the way.” The author argues that obstacles don’t inhibit success, they create it and that we should see through the negative experiences and find the positives. The book is largely structured around three disciplines: Perception, Action, and Will. Each section uses historical anecdotes and figures from politics, commerce, sports, and history including Theodore Roosevelt, Amelia Earhart, Laura Ingalls Wilder, Ulysses S. Grant, Barack Obama, Steve Jobs, and many more. From each story, we discover a way in which someone was able to use their obstacle and stepping stone to success.
Why does it matter?
As an athlete, you are guaranteed to encounter obstacles. Defeat, injuries, and missed shots are all part of the game. And the sooner you can accept that these are part of your journey the quicker you will be able to recover from them. Everyone has setbacks, no one has an easy path. But it’s those who can come back stronger, smarter, and more prepared that end up achieving greatness.
Key Takeaway: Become more resilient through stoic thinking.
The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business
By Charles Duhigg
What it’s about?
Charles Duhigg takes readers to the thrilling edge of scientific discoveries that explain why habits exist and how they can be changed. Distilling vast amounts of information into captivating narratives that take us from the boardrooms of Procter & Gamble to sidelines of the NFL to the front lines of the civil rights movement, Duhigg presents a whole new understanding of human nature and its potential. At its core, The Power of Habit contains an exhilarating argument: The key to exercising regularly, losing weight, being more productive, and achieving success is understanding how habits work.
Why does it matter?
Behaviour change is difficult and breaking out of an old habit in an attempt to start a new one can drive people crazy. The problem that most people face is that they think they know how to start new habits, when in reality they don’t have a clue. Regardless, they try to make changes relying solely on their own willpower and end up failing, thus perpetuating the cycle of self-defeat. What this book does is educate readers on how habits really work and illustrates the best ways in which we should go about creating lasting behaviour change. A lot of athletes assume they know how to start new habits. But the reality is that most only know how to further strengthen old habits. And they’re actually really bad at picking up new habits because they rely heavily on positive feedback loops. Break the cycle with this book and rethink habits.
Key Takeaway: Understand the science of habits and learn how to develop your own lasting change.
The Talent Code: Unlocking the Secret Skill in Sports, Art, Music, Math, and Just About Anything
By Daniel Coyle
What it’s about?
Drawing on cutting-edge neurology and firsthand research gathered on journeys to nine of the world’s talent hotbeds—from the baseball fields of the Caribbean to a classical-music academy in upstate New York— Daniel Coyle identifies the three key elements that will allow you to develop your gifts and optimize your performance in sports, art, music, math, or just about anything. These three elements work together within your brain to form myelin, a microscopic neural substance that adds vast amounts of speed and accuracy to your movements and thoughts. The good news about myelin is that it isn’t fixed at birth; to the contrary, it grows, and like anything that grows, it can be cultivated and nourished. Combining revelatory analysis with illuminating examples of regular people who have achieved greatness, this book will not only change the way you think about talent but equip you to reach your own highest potential.
Why does it matter?
The common language used around the discussion of talent is that it’s a fixed trait; something that cannot be grown or developed. As this book proves, that line of thinking is just plain wrong. Talent can be grown and best of all, there’s a code for doing it. Through reading this book you will develop a stronger understanding of how to develop your talents and speed up your learning curve. In studying the science behind talent and reading about the real-life methods where the talent code is being applied you too can learn to master your skill.
Key Takeaway: Talent is not inherited, it can be developed by anyone, including you.
10-Minute Toughness: The Mental Training Program for Winning Before the Game Begins
By Jason Selk
What it’s about?
Mental training is a must for high performance both on the field and off. But simply hoping for mental toughness isn’t going to build any mind muscles. You need a proven routine of daily exercises to get you where you want to go. 10-Minute Toughness is your personal coach for boosting brainpower and achieving a competitive edge in whatever game you play. With quickness and ease, you’ll learn how to master your own mind and psych out your opponents using personalized techniques. Like no other program available, the 10-Minute Toughness (10-MT) routine gets you ready for the competition in just ten minutes a day.
Why does it matter?
No matter how many books you read, videos you watch, or photos you like on Instagram, there is only one thing that is going to create real change. Taking action. The benefit of this book lies in the fact that it not only gives you the information but that it even provides you with instructions for how to act on it. Of all the books on the list, this one is by far the most actionable. However, it still requires that you get started. If you are looking to improve your mental toughness and preparation for performance, read and use this book.
Key Takeaway: Develop your mental toughness with actionable instructions.
Can’t Hurt Me: Master Your Mind and Defy the Odds
By David Goggins
What’s it about?
For David Goggins, childhood was a nightmare — poverty, prejudice, and physical abuse colored his days and haunted his nights. But through self-discipline, mental toughness, and hard work, Goggins transformed himself from a depressed, overweight young man with no future into a U.S. Armed Forces icon and one of the world’s top endurance athletes. The only man in history to complete elite training as a Navy SEAL, Army Ranger, and Air Force Tactical Air Controller, he went on to set records in numerous endurance events, inspiring Outside magazine to name him “The Fittest (Real) Man in America.” In Can’t Hurt Me, he shares his astonishing life story and reveals that most of us tap into only 40% of our capabilities. Goggins calls this The 40% Rule, and his story illuminates a path that anyone can follow to push past pain, demolish fear, and reach their full potential.
Why it matters?
There are few books I can recommend without much hesitation → and this is one of them. For any athlete or person out there who has ever felt like they could have given more and then wondered why they didn’t, this is the book you need to read now. It’s so tempting to let excuses and weak mindsets get the better of us. When we are tired, sore, and beat up the best option seems like rest. But what Goggins illustrates through experience is that there is never a valid reason to give it less than 100%.
Side Note: I would highly recommend you get the audiobook version. David and the narrator take breaks in between stories to explain and elaborate more on what you just happened. And because of his stories are so insane, it helps to get a little more context and understanding.
Key Takeaway: You always have more in you to give, you just need to find the right spark to bring it out.
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