7 Mindset Books That Changed How I Approach Blogging
Looking for the best mindset books for bloggers? These are the books that have helped me stay motivated, build better habits, and approach blogging like a long-term business instead of chasing quick wins.
When most people think about growing a blog, they focus on things like SEO, Pinterest, email lists, or social media. Those things all matter, but over the years I’ve realized there’s another piece that’s just as important: mindset.
Because blogging isn’t always easy. There are slow months, traffic dips, projects that don’t work out, and days when it feels like everyone else is moving faster than you are.
The books in this list helped me stay consistent through those ups and downs. Some changed how I think about productivity, others completely shifted my perspective on money and business, and a few reminded me why I started blogging in the first place.
If you’re building a blog for the long haul, I hope they help you too.
Why Mindset Matters in Blogging
Unlike a traditional job, blogging rarely comes with instant feedback. You can spend days researching, writing, editing, and publishing a post, only to watch it sit on page three of Google for months. Sometimes traffic grows steadily. Other times, it feels like you’re working just as hard and getting nowhere.
That’s why I think mindset matters just as much as strategy.
SEO, keyword research, and creating helpful content are all important. Those are skills you can learn, and many of the mistakes I made early on came from not understanding those areas yet. The harder part is continuing to show up when your traffic drops, a post doesn’t perform the way you hoped, or you start comparing your progress to someone else’s.
I learned that lesson after Google’s Helpful Content Update dramatically reduced my traffic. It was frustrating, and for a while I seriously wondered if I should keep blogging at all. Looking back, I realized I couldn’t control Google’s algorithm, but I could control how I responded. I could keep learning, improve my content, and focus on building a business that wasn’t dependent on one good month of traffic.
Reading became a big part of that shift.
The books below didn’t magically fix my blog or bring my traffic back overnight. What they did do was change the way I approached the challenges that come with blogging. They helped me build better habits, think differently about money and business, stay focused on what I could control, and remember that success usually comes from showing up consistently over a long period of time.
The books below didn’t magically fix my blog or bring my traffic back overnight. What they did do was change the way I approached the challenges that come with blogging. They helped me build better habits, think differently about money and business, stay focused on what I could control, and remember that success usually comes from showing up consistently over a long period of time.
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The Best Mindset Books for Bloggers
Whether you’re just starting your first blog or trying to rebuild after a difficult season, these are the books that have had the biggest impact on my blogging journey. Some focus on habits, others on money or confidence, but every one of them changed the way I think about building a successful blog.
1. The Big Leap by Gay Hendricks
What It’s About
The Big Leap explores the idea that many of us unconsciously limit our own success. Gay Hendricks calls these “upper limit problems” – the beliefs and fears that make us hold ourselves back just as things start going well. Whether it’s fear of failure, fear of success, or simply feeling like we don’t deserve more, the book explains why we often sabotage our own progress without even realizing it.
Why I Recommend It for Bloggers
If I could only recommend one book to bloggers, this would probably be it.
I’ve read The Big Leap twice, and I know I’ll read it again. Every time I come back to it, I notice something different.
One of the biggest lessons I took from the book was recognizing how often I was getting in my own way. I’d hesitate before investing in my business, second-guess new ideas, or convince myself I wasn’t quite ready to take the next step. Looking back, those weren’t strategy problems. They were mindset problems.
Blogging is full of moments that push you outside your comfort zone. Publishing your first post, increasing your prices, pitching a brand, launching a product, or simply believing your work deserves to be found can all bring up self-doubt.
The Big Leap helped me recognize those thoughts for what they were instead of letting them make my decisions.
It’s not a blogging book, but it’s the one I recommend most often because the lessons apply to every stage of building an online business.
2. Mindset by Carol Dweck
What It’s About
Mindset explores the difference between a fixed mindset and a growth mindset. Carol Dweck explains how our beliefs about our own abilities influence the way we respond to challenges, setbacks, and success. Instead of seeing talent as something you’re born with, she argues that skills can be developed through learning, effort, and persistence.
Why I Recommend It
If you’ve ever thought, “I’m just not good at SEO,” or “I’ll never be successful at blogging,” this book challenges those kinds of beliefs.
One of the biggest takeaways for me was realizing how often we label ourselves instead of focusing on learning. Blogging requires so many different skills—writing, photography, SEO, email marketing, social media, affiliate marketing, and even a bit of tech troubleshooting. Nobody starts out knowing how to do all of that.
This book reminded me that every successful blogger was a beginner at some point. The difference isn’t that they had more talent; it’s that they kept learning, experimenting, and improving over time.
I think this is an especially valuable book if you’re feeling stuck or comparing yourself to bloggers who seem further ahead. It’s a reminder that growth happens one step at a time, and that every challenge is an opportunity to learn something new.
3. Atomic Habits by James Clear
What It’s About
Atomic Habits is all about building small, consistent habits that lead to big results over time. Rather than relying on motivation, James Clear explains how tiny changes, repeated consistently, can completely transform the way you work and live. It’s practical, easy to read, and full of strategies you can start using right away.
Why I Recommend It
While Atomic Habits isn’t a traditional mindset book, I couldn’t leave it off this list because it completely changed how I approach blogging.
When I first started, I’d wait until I had a whole free afternoon before working on my blog. I’d try to write an entire post, update a dozen pages, or tackle a huge project all at once. It wasn’t sustainable, and I’d often end up feeling overwhelmed.
This book helped me shift my focus from big bursts of productivity to simply showing up consistently. Instead of asking, “How much can I get done today?” I started asking, “What’s one small thing I can do to move my blog forward?”
One of the ideas that stuck with me most was habit stacking, which is pairing a new habit with something you already do.
For me, that meant spending 20 to 30 minutes on my blog after I put the boys to bed. There was no pressure to finish an entire post. Some nights I’d update internal links, format a draft, or write a few paragraphs. Other nights I’d simply outline my next article.
Over time, I also built a simple blogging workflow and found a handful of blogging tools that made those sessions much more productive.
That small routine has become part of my day, and because it feels manageable, I’ve been able to stick with it. Looking back, those consistent sessions have done far more for my blog than the occasional burst of motivation ever did.
For me, that’s one of the biggest lessons in blogging. Success rarely comes from one viral post or one perfect strategy. It comes from consistently showing up, even when progress feels slow.
4. Get Rich, Lucky Bitch by Denise Duffield-Thomas
What It’s About
Get Rich, Lucky Bitch explores the beliefs we have about money and how they can quietly influence the way we run our businesses. Denise Duffield-Thomas talks about everything from charging what you’re worth to overcoming guilt around making money, all in a fun, down-to-earth way that’s easy to relate to.
Why I Recommend It
This book came along at exactly the right time for me. I’d been blogging for a while and was starting to earn an income through affiliate marketing and other opportunities, but I still found myself holding back.
Looking back, I realized it wasn’t because I didn’t know how to monetize my blog. It was because I had a lot of limiting beliefs around money. Charging for my knowledge, recommending products I genuinely used, or treating my blog like a real business all felt a little uncomfortable.
Reading Get Rich, Lucky Bitch helped me realize those thoughts were more common than I thought. It gave me permission to stop thinking of money as something to feel guilty about and start seeing it as something that allowed me to keep creating helpful content and growing my business.
This book also helped me realize there was nothing wrong with wanting to build an income from my blog. That mindset made it much easier to invest in learning from other successful bloggers, including the Profitable Part-Time Blogger program.
I originally read the paperback, but I actually enjoyed the audiobook even more. Denise narrates it herself, and her Australian accent and humor really shines through. It feels more like you’re listening to a conversation with a friend than a traditional business book, and I found myself replaying sections that really resonated with me.
If you’ve ever felt uncomfortable talking about money or wondered whether it’s okay to earn a good income from your blog, I’d definitely recommend giving this one a read—or even better, a listen.
5. Everything Is Figureoutable by Marie Forleo
What It’s About
Everything Is Figureoutable is built around one simple idea: no matter what challenge you’re facing, there’s almost always a solution. Marie Forleo combines practical advice with stories and exercises to help you work through self-doubt, overcome obstacles, and stop letting fear keep you stuck.
Why I Recommend It
If you’ve ever spent an hour trying to fix something on your website or fallen down a Google rabbit hole looking for the answer to a blogging problem, this book is for you.
One of the biggest lessons I took away was that you don’t need to know everything before you start. Whether it’s learning SEO, setting up email marketing, improving site speed, or figuring out a technical issue, every blogger runs into problems they haven’t solved before.
Instead of seeing those moments as a sign that I wasn’t cut out for blogging, I started looking at them as skills I simply hadn’t learned yet.
I still think about this book whenever I hit a roadblock. Instead of feeling overwhelmed, I remind myself that someone else has probably solved the same problem before—and if they can figure it out, I can too.
Blogging comes with a constant learning curve, and that’s actually part of what I love about it. This book reminded me that every challenge is simply another opportunity to learn something new.
6. You Are a Badass at Making Money by Jen Sincero
What It’s About
You Are a Badass at Making Money explores the beliefs we have about success, wealth, and what’s possible for ourselves. Jen Sincero encourages readers to think bigger, challenge self-imposed limits, and stop treating money as something that’s only available to other people.
Why I Recommend It
This was one of the first books that made me stop thinking of my blog as “just a hobby” and start treating it like a real business. I actually read it after it was recommended inside the Scale Your Travel Blog program, and I can completely understand why it was included.
For a long time, I found myself playing it safe. I’d hesitate before investing in a course, second-guess opportunities, or wonder whether I was really “allowed” to earn a full-time income from blogging.
This book challenged a lot of those beliefs.
One of the biggest lessons I took away was that building a successful blog isn’t just about learning new strategies, it’s also about believing your work has value. If you’re creating helpful content, solving problems for readers, and putting in the effort to build something meaningful, there’s nothing wrong with earning an income from it.
I also started looking at investments differently. Instead of asking, “Can I afford this?” I found myself asking, “Will this help me build a better business?” That shift in perspective gave me the confidence to invest in courses, tools, and resources that have helped me grow as a blogger.
If you’ve ever caught yourself thinking too small or waiting until everything feels “perfect” before taking the next step, I think you’ll get a lot out of this book.
7. The Mountain Is You by Brianna Wiest
What It’s About
The Mountain Is You explores self-sabotage and why we often get in our own way without realizing it. Brianna Wiest explains how our fears, limiting beliefs, and emotional patterns can keep us stuck, even when we genuinely want to move forward.
Why I Recommend It
This was one of those books that made me stop and reflect on my own habits more than once.
One of the biggest lessons I took away is that the obstacles holding us back aren’t always external. Sometimes they’re the stories we tell ourselves—waiting until we feel more qualified, more confident, or more “ready” before taking the next step.
That really resonated with me as a blogger.
It’s easy to convince yourself that one more course, one more rewrite, or one more month of planning will make you ready to publish, launch something new, or finally treat your blog like a real business. But at some point, you have to trust yourself enough to move forward.
I think that’s one of the biggest mindset shifts in blogging. There will always be more to learn, but you don’t have to know everything before taking the next step.
This isn’t a book full of quick fixes. It’s one that encourages you to look honestly at the beliefs and habits that might be holding you back—and then gives you the confidence to start changing them.
Which Book Should You Read First?
Every book on this list helped me in a different way, so there’s no single “right” place to start. If you’re not sure which one to pick first, here’s what I’d recommend based on where you are in your blogging journey.
- Start here: The Big Leap. It’s the one I’ve read twice, and it’s still the book I recommend most often to bloggers. The lessons about self-limiting beliefs apply whether you’re just starting out or have been blogging for years.
- If you’re new to blogging: Mindset. It’s a great reminder that every successful blogger started as a beginner, and that every skill, from SEO to affiliate marketing, can be learned.
- If you’re struggling to stay consistent: Atomic Habits. This is the book that helped me stop relying on motivation and start building routines that actually lasted.
- If you’re trying to earn more from your blog: Get Rich, Lucky Bitch. If talking about money or monetization makes you uncomfortable, this is the one I’d start with.
- If you’re constantly solving new problems: Everything Is Figureoutable. A great reminder that every blogger runs into challenges, and most of them can be worked through with a little patience and persistence.
- If you’re thinking too small: You Are a Badass at Making Money. This book helped me stop seeing my blog as “just a hobby” and start treating it like a real business.
- If you tend to overthink everything: The Mountain Is You. If you’re waiting until you feel completely ready before taking the next step, I think you’ll get a lot out of this one.
Honourable Mentions
While these books didn’t quite fit into my list of favourite mindset books for bloggers, they’ve still had a big impact on the way I approach my business. If you’re looking for your next read after finishing the books above, I’d definitely recommend these as well.
The One Thing by Gary Keller
If you struggle with feeling pulled in a dozen different directions, this is the book I’d recommend. It helped me stop trying to do everything at once and focus on the one task that would make the biggest difference. As a blogger, it’s a great reminder that consistent progress usually comes from doing fewer things well, rather than trying to be everywhere at once.
The High 5 Habit by Mel Robbins
This book is a simple reminder to be kinder to yourself. It focuses on building confidence, celebrating small wins, and changing the way you talk to yourself. Blogging can be full of comparison, so I appreciated the reminder to recognize progress instead of constantly focusing on what’s left to accomplish.
I’m always looking for my next great read, so if there’s a mindset or business book that’s changed the way you approach blogging, I’d love to hear about it. My reading list is never very short!
My Take
If there’s one thing I’ve learned over the years, it’s that blogging success isn’t just about learning SEO or publishing more content. The way you think about your blog matters just as much.
These books didn’t magically grow my blog overnight, but they changed the way I approached building it. They helped me stay consistent when motivation disappeared, think differently about money and business, and keep moving forward even when things didn’t go according to plan.
If you’re looking for one place to start, I’d pick The Big Leap. It’s still the book I recommend most often to bloggers. But honestly, every book on this list taught me something that has helped shape the way I run my business today.
I’d love to know if you’ve read any of these books, or if there’s one you think every blogger should add to their reading list. Let me know in the comments!
Looking for More Travel Blogging Tips?
Building a successful travel blog takes more than the right mindset—it also helps to have the right strategy. If you’re wondering whether travel blogging is still worth it, read my honest thoughts on Is Travel Blogging Worth It in 2026.
Ready to grow your blog? I also share my experiences with Scale Your Travel Blog and Profitable Part-Time Blogger, two courses that helped me improve my SEO, build a stronger business, and think differently about long-term growth. You can also browse all of my favourite travel blogging resources for more guides, tools, and honest reviews.
