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Best Self Discipline Books: 20 TOP Books on Self Control

Arthur Worsley
by Arthur Worsley
M.A. Psychology, Oxford. McKinsey Alum. Founder & Editor at TAoL.

Looking for the best self discipline books of all time?

You're in the right place!

Here's what you'll find on this page...

What You WON’T Find on This Page…

Unlike other book lists on the topic, this reading list is laser-focussed on the best books ABOUT self discipline, self control and willpower ever written.

What you WON’T find on this page is any and every book that might help you get more things done e.g., Eat That Frog! (Summary), The Power of Habit (Summary), The Slight Edge (Summary).

If that’s what you’re after, go check out these book lists when you’re done here:

Why haven’t I included all those books? For the same reason I don’t include non-specific self-help books on my book lists like the best books on entrepreneurship of all time

Because you came here for a focussed reading list of book recommendations on the best books on self discipline, self control and willpower.

And that’s what you’re going to get…

The 20 Best Self Discipline Books Ever Written

Why these best self discipline books and not others? To stay objective, I rank all my book recommendations by what’s most loved (Goodreads rating), what’s most popular (Goodreads review count) and what’s proven timelessly relevant (first publication date).

This isn’t a whimsical list. It’s a data-driven, crowdsourced collection of the best self discipline books ever published as decided by book lovers just like you. (Note: To maximise diversity, I only include the top ranking book from any series in a list.)

And if you think something's missing? I LOVE book recommendations so if there are any other best self discipline books that you think deserve mentioning, email me and I’ll be sure to include them in the next round of updates.

Until then, enjoy this ultimate list of the 20 best self discipline books of all time...

Books 1-5: The Top 5 Best Self Discipline Books of All Time

The top 5 best self discipline books of all time are...

Self Discipline Books: The Willpower Instinct
1. The Willpower Instinct - Kelly McGonigal
How Self-Control Works, Why It Matters, and What You Can Do to Get More of It
Published 2011 // 275 pages // Rated 4.1 over 29,100 reviews on Goodreads
Self Discipline Books: The Practicing Mind
2. The Practicing Mind - Thomas M. Sterner (Summary)
Bringing Discipline and Focus into Your Life
Published 2006 // 170 pages // Rated 4.0 over 5,600 reviews on Goodreads
Self Discipline Books: No Excuses!
3. No Excuses! - Brian Tracy
The Power of Self-Discipline
Published 2010 // 304 pages // Rated 4.0 over 11,600 reviews on Goodreads
Self Discipline Books: Willpower
4. Willpower - Roy F. Baumeister
Rediscovering the Greatest Human Strength
Published 2011 // 291 pages // Rated 3.9 over 19,000 reviews on Goodreads
Self Discipline Books: Self-Discipline
5. Self-Discipline - Dominic Mann
How to Develop the Mindset, Mental Toughness and Self-Discipline of a U.S. Navy SEAL
Published 2016 // 49 pages // Rated 4.1 over 800 reviews on Goodreads

Books 6-20: The Best Self Discipline Books to Read Next

Here are the next best self discipline books from my database...

6. Self-Discipline in 10 Days - Theodore Bryant
How to Go from Thinking to Doing
Published 1991 // 160 pages // Rated 3.9 over 800 reviews on Goodreads
7. Discipline Equals Freedom - Jocko Willink
Field Manual
Published 2017 // 189 pages // Rated 4.0 over 11,500 reviews on Goodreads
8. The Science of Self-Discipline - Peter Hollins
The Willpower, Mental Toughness, and Self-Control to Resist Temptation and Achieve Your Goals
Published 2017 // 218 pages // Rated 4.1 over 900 reviews on Goodreads
9. Making a Change for Good - Cheri Huber
A Guide to Compassionate Self-Discipline
Published 2007 // 128 pages // Rated 3.9 over 300 reviews on Goodreads
10. The Marshmallow Test - Walter Mischel
Mastering Self-Control
Published 2014 // 336 pages // Rated 3.7 over 4,600 reviews on Goodreads
11. Stop Procrastinating - Nils Salzgeber
A Simple Guide to Hacking Laziness, Building Self Discipline, and Overcoming Procrastination
Published 2017 // 165 pages // Rated 4.2 over 200 reviews on Goodreads
12. Willpower Doesn't Work - Benjamin Hardy
Discover the Hidden Keys to Success
Published 2018 // 256 pages // Rated 4.1 over 1,600 reviews on Goodreads
13. Self-Discipline - Ian Tuhovsky
Mental Toughness Mindset: Increase Your Grit and Focus to Become a Highly Productive (and Peaceful!) Person
Published 2017 // 102 pages // Rated 4.2 over 100 reviews on Goodreads
14. Neuro-Discipline - Peter Hollins
Everyday Neuroscience for Self-Discipline, Focus, and Defeating Your Brain’s Impulsive and Distracted Nature
Published 2019 // 229 pages // Rated 4.2 over 200 reviews on Goodreads
15. The Little Book of Big Change - Amy Johnson
The No-Willpower Approach to Breaking Any Habit
Published 2016 // 200 pages // Rated 3.8 over 700 reviews on Goodreads
16. The Science of Self-Control - Howard Rachlin
Published 2000 // 240 pages // Rated 3.7 over on Goodreads
17. 365 Days With Self-Discipline - Martin Meadows
365 Life-Altering Thoughts on Self-Control, Mental Resilience, and Success
Published 2017 // 1,093 pages // Rated 3.9 over 400 reviews on Goodreads
18. Finish What You Start - Peter Hollins
The Art of Following Through, Taking Action, Executing, & Self-Discipline
Published 2018 // 207 pages // Rated 3.7 over 1,300 reviews on Goodreads
19. The Science of Overcoming Procrastination - Patrick King
How to Be Disciplined, Break Inertia, Manage Your Time, and Be Productive. Get Off Your Butt and Get Things Done!
Published 2018 // 238 pages // Rated 3.9 over on Goodreads
20. The 7 Laws Of Productivity - Brian Cagneey
10X Your Success With Focus, Time Management, Self-Discipline, And Action.
Published 2016 // 35 pages // Rated 3.9 over on Goodreads

More Book Recommendations

Enjoyed this list of the best self discipline books of all time?

You'll also like TAoL's other book recommendations...

More Best Books of All Time (by Type)

These are some lists of overall best books to read...

More Best Nonfiction Books (by Topic)

These are some lists of best nonfiction books to read...

More Best Fiction Books (by Genre)

These are some lists of best fiction books to read...

Or, you can read all my book recommendations.

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