According to the back cover, Getting Things Done was hailed as “the definitive business self-help book of the decade” (Time) when it was first published almost fifteen years ago. I personally recommend this book to my friends and family whether they are looking to improve their business or personal life.

Allen’s straightforward language and conversational tone make this an easy book to read and process. He helps create a system that allows you to stop thinking about everything you need to do and only focus on the things you need to do right now to get the maximum impact on your life. I love that he gives you clearly defined steps that are immediately actionable without having to do the entire system to get results.

Graduation is not only the end, but it is the beginning of an amazing journey full of open doors and opportunities. Gilbert challenges us repeatedly in her book to find our passion and have the courage to pursue it. She is candid and funny and as a writer and her willingness to share her own successes and failures make the book inspiring.

Whether you are just starting out on your journey or doing a mid-life pivot, this book will help you find what you love and help you figure out how to do it.

As a parent of a high school senior who missed out on most of his senior milestones, this is a bittersweet season for both me and him, and I know many others feel the same way.

Grit by Angela Duckworth is such a perfect book for this season and beyond, because it talks in depth about how it is more than talent that makes people successful. Using stories and examples from her own life, her work, and from history, she shows how focused persistence is actually the key to success.

The subtitle of the book is: How to Stop Doubting Your Greatness and Start Living an Awesome Life, which pretty much sums up why it made my list. Most high school graduates don’t doubt their greatness and they shouldn’t- they should be on top of the world.

But for many kids, college is the first time they really struggle with anything, especially self-doubt. So whether your grad could use a boost now, or whether this is a weapon for future use, this is a perfect book to show someone that you believe in them and they should believe in themselves.

One of my college instructors introduced me to the 7 Habits and even though I never manage to implement all 7 perfectly, I love this book. My copy is dog-eared, stained, and the spine is cracked from being read and re-read. This is a book that no matter how many times you read it, you always get something new from it.

My friend, Claire Lauer (featured in What the Boss is Reading here), also included this on her top 5 list of professional development books, and it’s ranked 1st on Goodread’s list of Motivational and Self-Improvement books, so you know this book is a winner.

You might remember that this was the book I gave as a graduation gift last year because I loved it so much. Read my blogpost about it here and then go get the book for yourself and the grads in your life.

My graduation find for this year…

Admiral William McRaven addressed the 2014 graduating class at The University of Texas. As a Longhorn himself, he based his speech around the University’s slogan “What starts here changes the world” and incorporated 10 important lessons from his time as a Navy SEAL.

Whether you have a graduating senior or just want a book to motivate you (and that senior who seems to have lost most of their senior experiences), this is a short, fabulous read to lift you up, help you focus, and get you moving.