I do not consider myself an expert in books, productivity, or personal development.
In fact, for a large part of my life I did not even have the habit of reading.
But there was a moment when I honestly felt lost, looking for answers about what to do with my life, my career, and my future.
That was when some books ended up changing the way I think in a huge way.
Not because they magically “transformed” me, but because they made me question things I had never really thought about before.
I Did Not Grow Up with Reading Habits
At home there was never a strong reading culture.
I never saw my parents constantly reading books or talking about authors, philosophy, or anything like that.
For me, finishing a book felt almost impossible.
I remember looking at large books and thinking:
“How can someone finish that many pages?”
Honestly, it felt like it would take me a lifetime to finish one.
And I think many people can relate to that.
Because one thing is knowing how to read.
And a very different thing is developing the habit of sitting down to read voluntarily.
The Moment Everything Started to Change
I was around my seventh semester at university.
I had already gone through more than half of my degree, but honestly I felt completely disconnected from what I was living.
I felt that many of the things being taught at university were outdated or too far from what I actually wanted to learn.
Meanwhile, I was obsessed with other ideas:
- I wanted to make money,
- build applications,
- learn modern technology,
- become independent,
- emigrate,
- change my life quickly.
In the middle of all that confusion, I made a pretty radical decision: I left university.
Yes, literally.
And honestly, it was probably not the best moment to do it.
It was the middle of the pandemic.
My mother was emotionally devastated and kept asking me:
“Why did you do that?”
And now I honestly understand her reaction perfectly.
From the outside, it looked like a bad decision.
And maybe in part it was.
But at that moment I felt like I was searching for something I still did not know how to explain.
The Stage Where I Was Looking for Answers Everywhere
After leaving my degree, I entered a strange stage.
I consumed a lot of YouTube videos, podcasts, motivational content, and advice about success, money, and purpose.
But the more content I consumed, the more confused I felt.
There were too many opinions. Too many ideas. Too many formulas for “success.”
And honestly, many of them did not connect with me.
Until one day I found a very simple piece of advice from someone on Twitter, now X.
It said something like this:
“The best advice I can give you is to start reading.”
And even though it sounded basic, I decided to do it.
Without imagining that it would end up shaping my way of thinking so much.
The Books That Marked Me the Most
I am not going to make a deep technical analysis of each book.
I would rather talk about the lessons that really stayed with me.
Because many times we hear famous book titles, but we never understand why so many people recommend them.
The three books that impacted my way of thinking the most were:
- The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People — Stephen R. Covey
- How to Win Friends and Influence People — Dale Carnegie
- Atomic Habits — James Clear
And even though today there are thousands of summaries on TikTok or YouTube, honestly, reading the full books feels different.
1. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People — Stephen R. Covey
This book helped me understand something important: life is not only about working or making money.
Stephen Covey talks about different dimensions of the human being:
- physical,
- mental,
- social,
- spiritual.
And even though that may sound simple, I had honestly never thought about my life in that way.
I understood that:
- taking care of the body matters,
- constantly learning matters,
- relationships matter,
- and having purpose matters too.
Another idea that marked me deeply was the difference between independence and interdependence.
I used to think:
“I do not need anyone.”
But the book helped me understand that growth also means learning to build healthy relationships, collaborate, and connect with other people.
And one more thing: I learned that if you want to contribute something good to others, you first have to work on yourself.
2. How to Win Friends and Influence People — Dale Carnegie
This book changed the way I communicate.
And honestly, I think it is one of the most useful books for anyone, even outside work.
One of the ideas that hit me the hardest was this: criticism almost never works.
People usually do not change when you attack them.
I also understood something important: most people are too focused on themselves.
And when you truly listen, show genuine interest, and understand someone else’s perspective, relationships change a lot.
The book also helped me understand the power of influence.
Not from manipulation.
But from:
- empathy,
- communication,
- respect,
- and small details that end up creating a big impact on the people around you.
3. Atomic Habits — James Clear
This was probably the most practical book of all.
It helped me understand how small habits can lead to huge changes over time.
And one thing I liked a lot is that the book is not only about “motivation.”
It is about systems.
About understanding:
- why we fail,
- why we abandon habits,
- how human behavior really works,
- and how small daily actions can change a life in a big way.
Honestly, this book had a strong impact on my personal development.
Especially because I realized that many times the problem was not lack of ability.
It was lack of structure and consistency.
What I Really Learned from All These Books
One curious thing is that none of these books gave me magical answers.
But they did do something important: they helped me think differently.
And I believe that was the real change.
Before, I was looking for quick results:
- quick money,
- quick success,
- quick change.
But little by little I understood that many important things:
- take time,
- require discipline,
- require patience,
- and above all require a lot of inner work.
Final Reflection
Today I still do not consider myself an “expert” in reading.
But I am honestly grateful that I started reading during one of the most confusing moments of my life.
Because several of those books arrived exactly when I most needed to change the way I thought.
And although they did not solve my life automatically, they did help me see many things from another perspective.
Sometimes a book does not completely change your life.
But it can change an idea.
And the right idea, at the right moment, can end up changing everything.