The best books to make every day a great day at work

Why am I passionate about this?

I’m deeply passionate about us all being happy and healthy at work. I’ve been this way ever since I was old enough to realise just how much time we would spend there! I grew up in a time filled with images of stressed out, chain-smoking professionals, where the word ‘executive’ was synonymous with ‘burnout’. I knew there had to be a better way. I’ve worked in mental health for twenty years and corporate wellbeing for over a decade and I love to combine those experiences to help people have their best day at work every day. 


I wrote...

Reworked: Putting Health and Happiness at the Centre of Your Career

By Stephanie Fitzgerald,

Book cover of Reworked: Putting Health and Happiness at the Centre of Your Career

What is my book about?

Most of us will have to work. But no one ever tells us how to work. No one ever sits us down and tells us how to be at the centre of our career. We don't know how to get the most out of our role or how to be happy, healthy, safe and engaged in the workplace. Without the right knowledge work and our careers can veer off track, leaving us unhappy and unfulfilled. Panicking, we change roles and start again somewhere else, hoping it'll get better. But it's still not working and our new roles aren't making us any happier. Reworked utilises neuroscience, evidence-based psychology and two decades of working in health and wellbeing to empower, inspire and ignite a passion for happiness at work.

Shepherd is reader supported. When you buy books, we may earn an affiliate commission.

The books I picked & why

Book cover of Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones

Stephanie Fitzgerald Why did I love this book?

Atomic Habits is a reminder that small and incremental improvements add up to massive successes.

I love how James Clear offers practical examples and suggestions which allow you to put everything you are learning into practice right away. One of the biggest learnings for me was the difference between focusing on goals and focusing on systems. You can set yourself many goals but without the systems in place to support you, you cannot achieve them.

So much of this book resonated with what we know from neuroscience and how our brains like to operate. I recommend this book to everyone I meet!

By James Clear,

Why should I read it?

22 authors picked Atomic Habits as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The #1 New York Times bestseller. Over 4 million copies sold!

Tiny Changes, Remarkable Results

No matter your goals, Atomic Habits offers a proven framework for improving--every day. James Clear, one of the world's leading experts on habit formation, reveals practical strategies that will teach you exactly how to form good habits, break bad ones, and master the tiny behaviors that lead to remarkable results.

If you're having trouble changing your habits, the problem isn't you. The problem is your system. Bad habits repeat themselves again and again not because you don't want to change, but because you have the…


Book cover of The Bullet Journal Method: Track the Past, Order the Present, Design the Future

Stephanie Fitzgerald Why did I love this book?

When you feel completely overwhelmed at work, with no time or headspace to reflect, then this book is extremely helpful.

I don’t use bullet journalling all the time, but it is my go-to system when I am swamped and want to regain a sense of control and purpose. If you have never journalled then this book is a fantastic resource to get you scribbling, noticing and shifting. Even without engaging in the journalling practice, this book is really motivational and gets you in the right mindset to achieve.

It’s a fantastic book for overcoming overwhelm and tackling your never-ending to do lists. 

By Ryder Carroll,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Bullet Journal Method as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

Transform your life using the Bullet Journal Method, the revolutionary organisational system and worldwide phenomenon.

The Bullet Journal Method will undoubtedly transform your life, in more ways than you can imagine' Hal Elrod, author of The Miracle Morning

In his long-awaited first book, Ryder Carroll, the creator of the enormously popular Bullet Journal organisational system, explains how to use his method to:

TRACK YOUR PAST: using nothing more than a pen and paper, create a clear, comprehensive, and organised record of your thoughts and goals. ORDER YOUR PRESENT: find daily calm by prioritising and minimising…


Book cover of Solo: How to Work Alone (and Not Lose Your Mind)

Stephanie Fitzgerald Why did I love this book?

I’ve worked for myself for a long time and it can be a lonely and all-encompassing business.

Rebecca Seal offers a companiable voice, backed by science, to help make working for yourself easier and more enjoyable. The examples given help normalise your own experiences and offer reassurance that everyone struggles at points and that’s ok.

This book again offers something practical to keep you focused on your values, why you do the work you do and how to make the most out of solo working. 

By Rebecca Seal,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Solo as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

“Kind, realistic, and genuinely helpful...Install a copy on whatever surface is functioning as your desk, and you may even feel a little bit less alone.” —The Observer (London)

A practical, accessible, and charming guide for finding joy while navigating your professional life working remotely from home—without losing your mind.

Like it or not, working alone is now the new normal. The COVID-19 pandemic may have accelerated the process, but the trend is clear—making a living outside the confines of a public workplace is here to stay.

For anyone who needs guidance on how to navigate working from a home office—or…


Book cover of Wabi Sabi: Japanese Wisdom for a Perfectly Imperfect Life

Stephanie Fitzgerald Why did I love this book?

This may seem a ‘wild card’ recommendation as this book has nothing to do with work.

However, Beth Kempton uses the Japanese concept of ‘Wabi Sabi’ to help us come to terms with being imperfectly perfect. Life may not always go to plan and we can face disappointments. Perhaps your project fell through, or your pitch failed, or you realised you are on the wrong path or on a pathway that no longer serves you.

This book offers very gentle wisdom to overcome and accept these challenges in life, and therefore in work, providing the reader with comfort and knowledge to embrace their perfectly imperfect life. 

By Beth Kempton,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Wabi Sabi as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The definitive guide that teaches you how to use the Japanese concept of wabi sabi to reshape every area of your life and find happiness right where you are.

Fed up with the exhausting challenges of our fast-paced, consumption-driven existence, millions of people around the world are turning to timeless cultural traditions to find true meaning. In this transformative handbook, Beth Kempton introduces you to wabi sabi (”wah-bi sah-bi”), a captivating concept from Japanese aesthetics that offers a whole new way of looking at the world.

With roots in Zen and the Way of Tea, wabi sabi teaches you to…


Book cover of The 4 Season Solution: The Groundbreaking New Plan for Feeling Better, Living Well, and Powering Down Our Always-On Lives

Stephanie Fitzgerald Why did I love this book?

This book got me thinking about how we need to adapt our lives to align with nature and how challenging this can be in the world of work.

When we have to set our alarm for the same time every day, commute in all weathers and adhere to our work, not mother nature’s, schedule then it can feel really tough. This book was thought provoking and got me thinking about mapping my work life balance across the seasons and the difference some simple adaptations to my life could make to my work.

An interesting and thought-provoking read, really well written.  

By Dallas Hartwig,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The 4 Season Solution as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

In this paradigm-shifting health book, #1 New York Times bestselling co-author of The Whole30 and It Starts with Food reveals a powerful new program to help us feel happier, healthier, and less stressed.

Fatigue. Burnout. Weight gain. Disease. Despite seemingly endless programs designed to help us lose weight and regain our health, readers are more overworked, overtired, and overweight than ever.

In The 4 Season Solution, Hartwig reveals the four keys of health - sleep, eat, move, connect - and explains how we can reconcile the needs of our ancient bodies with the demands and complications of modern life. Today,…


You might also like...

Book cover of The Coaching Habit: Say Less, Ask More & Change the Way You Lead Forever

Michael Bungay Stanier Author Of The Coaching Habit: Say Less, Ask More & Change the Way You Lead Forever

New book alert!

Why am I passionate about this?

Coaching is a wonderful technology that can help people be a force for change… and is often wrapped up in mystic and woo-woo and privilege that makes it inaccessible and/or unattractive to too many. I want being more coach-like—by which I mean staying curious a little longer, and rushing to action and advice-giving—to be an everyday way of being with one another. Driven by this, I’ve written the best-selling book on coaching this century (The Coaching Habit) and have created training that’s been used around the world by more than a quarter of a million people. I’m on a mission to unweird coaching.

Michael's book list on unexpectedly useful books about coaching

What is my book about?

The coaching book that's for all of us, not just coaches.

It's the best-selling book on coaching this century, with 15k+ online reviews. Brené Brown calls it "a classic". Dan Pink said it was "essential".

It is practical, funny, and short, and "unweirds" coaching. Whether you're a parent, a teacher, a leader, or even a coach, you can stay curious longer.

By Michael Bungay Stanier,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked The Coaching Habit as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Look for Michael's new book, The Advice Trap, which focuses on taming your Advice Monster so you can stay curious a little longer and change the way you lead forever.

In Michael Bungay Stanier's The Coaching Habit, coaching becomes a regular, informal part of your day so managers and their teams can work less hard and have more impact.

Drawing on years of experience training more than 10,000 busy managers from around the globe in practical, everyday coaching skills, Bungay Stanier reveals how to unlock your peoples' potential. He unpacks seven essential coaching questions to demonstrate how-by saying less and…


5 book lists we think you will like!

Interested in quality of life, school, and family?

10,000+ authors have recommended their favorite books and what they love about them. Browse their picks for the best books about quality of life, school, and family.

Quality Of Life Explore 25 books about quality of life
School Explore 261 books about school
Family Explore 3,744 books about family