I ADORE personal development books. I devour them and I spend half an hour every morning reading one; it’s part of my morning ritual and it sets me up in a positive frame of mind for the day. I 100 per cent believe we can recondition our minds, and reading plays a big part in that. Recently someone asked me for my top five recommendations and the books below sprang to my mind. You can find out more by clicking on each title. And yes, I know there are seven there but it was so hard to stop at just five…

1. The Answer, John Assaraf and Murray Smith

This teaches you about believing and achieving. Affirmations are so powerful. What we tell ourselves is so important. It can make or break us. Think ‘Today might be challenging but I can handle what it throws at me,’ or ‘I can and I will. Watch me!’ Get Negative Nancy out of your head! The first thing I had to learn in business was to condition my mind and not to let fear, time, money or lack of confidence hold me back and to keep pushing. The book also talks about visualisations and the law of attraction . I visualised classes packed with happy women, put it out to the universe and it manifested.

2. The Miracle Morning by Hal Elrod

I woke up like this! 😂

This one taught me about how important your waking routine is in setting up your day.
Instead of hitting snooze, I…

• Meditate
• Repeat positive affirmations (if you want a list of these, let me know in comments)
• Read a self-improvement book or something positive
• List 10 things I am grateful for, while holding my rose quartz
• Visualise all the things I want to happen
• Write a to do list
• Go to the gym

I’ve been doing this for three years (and yes, I do set my alarm very early, I do have a job as well!) and not only do I feel like I’m taking care of my mind and body, I feel it’s rewired my brain for the better.

3.  Secrets of the Millionaire Mind by T. Harv Eker

If you have difficulty managing your money, this one is for you. This shows you how your childhood and family experiences shape your ‘blueprint’, or your attitude to money, and what you can do to break this. It teaches you how to bring money into your life in different ways that do actually work, and how to that money. His six jars money management system is a brilliant idea. This book has stopped me stressing and splurging (no more payday Zara dashes!).

4. The E- Myth Revisited by Michael E. Gerber

I’d recommend this to anyone starting up a business. It looks at the rules of franchising and how it can help any business. It made me plan so that anyone coming to a Turn’d Up Fitness class would have the same amazing experience. If I could take one thing away from it, it’s that no matter how passionate you are about your business, you have to delegate to people you trust for your own sanity!

5. She Means Business by Carrie Green 

Who needs Netflix and chill?!

I listen to this all the time – in the car, in the house. I’ve read it at least three times since starting up my dance fitness business! Carrie Green empowers female entrepreneurs and I always feel like she’s talking to me! She understands how overwhelming and confusing running your own business can be sometimes. She encourages her readers to reach for their dreams no matter what and to not put ourselves down when things go wrong. Her marketing tips, especially with social media, are phenomenal! Even if you don’t run a business, there’s lots in here that’s useful: for instance journaling, to help with stress and focus. At the end of her book, Carrie challenges us to take a 28-day challenge to achieve our goals. Such a good idea.

6.  The Tiredness Cure by Dr. Sohere Roked

This really opened my eyes to how the foods we eat can affect us and to how a sluggish gut and inbalanced hormones can negatively affect your wellbeing. The right diet, exercise and  supplements can make so much difference. I like how it focusses on balance too – it’s not an all or nothing kind of book.

7. Jab Jab jab, Right Hook: How to tell your story in a noisy social world by Gary Vaynerchuk

Turn’d Up was built on social media and a lot of it I learned thanks to this book. Its advice on tailoring your content to each platform and building up an emotional connection with your audience is spot on.

What are your book recommendations? Let me know in the comments! If you want my full list of recommendations, let me know in the comments sections too!