This page contains resources I believe will help you on your self-improvement journey. Everything on this page is something that has personally helped me get to where I am.

Whenever you use the links from this page, you are directly supporting the further development of Mind of Steel. If you buy something through a link on this page (e.g. a book on Amazon), I will get a commission from the company for recommending their products (at no additional cost to you).

Books | Services | Apps

Books

In today’s world of endless Internet content, books are still king. While articles, blog posts, and social media updates are about urgency, books are about depth. They take a certain subject and analyze it in detail.

This is the reason that a good book can literally change your life. Below is a list of books that I believe will have the most profound impact on you.

Developing a Strong Mindset

The 48 Laws of Power

by Robert Greene

One of the most eye-opening books you will ever read. It talks about “how the world works” in the most straightforward, brutal, and unapologizing way. Its lessons are applicable to any area of life and backed up with real examples that spawn the entirety of human history.

The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck

by Mark Manson

This book will teach you how to reflect on your values and decide what really matters in life. I was a huge fan of Mark from his blog and this worldwide bestseller is the epitome of his writing. This is my go-to book for gifting to friends and people I care about.

The Daily Stoic

by Ryan Holiday

One page for each day of the year, focusing your mind in the right direction. The philosophy of Stoicism is about embracing hardships, facing challenges, and maintaining mental strength. This book gives you a slap in the face on each page, every day — because you need it.

Mind of Steel Handbook

by Phil Janecic

This book outlines the universal rules of mental strength and how you can apply them to your life. It may be tacky to include my own book in this list, but this book was initially written as a set of rules to guide my own life. After a lot of research and testing, I expanded those rules into a detailed guide with instructions and examples.

Bulding Habits and Discipline

Atomic Habits

by James Clear

The best book on habits you will ever read. This book is such a beautiful work of art, as it gives you all information you need to know about making and breaking habits in your life in a structured, organized and useful way. James is full of great insights and expresses his idea in such a way that they seem… obvious.

Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less

by Greg McKeown

This book will help you prioritize your life. As the book cover suggests, the ideas inside will help you untangle your life. If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by the amount of tasks and responsibilities in your life, this is the book for you.

Discipline Equals Freedom: Field Manual

by Jocko Willink

This book will help you stop making excuses. Jocko Willink is one of the scariest people on this planet. As a former Navy SEAL, he shares priceless lessons on perseverance and not giving up.

DEVELOPING SOCIAL SKILLS

The Art of War

by Sun Tzu

An ancient guide on thinking strategically. Written by an ancient Chinese military strategist, this book has stood the test of time. It’s short and to the point, but filled with universally-applicable life lessons on dealing with conflict.

The Art of Seduction

by Robert Greene

Understand how seduction works in various areas of life. Judging by the title alone, this may seem like another trashy book about picking up girls, but this couldn’t be farther from the truth. Robert Green (the author of The 48 Laws of Power) analyzes seduction in all of its forms — romantic, sexual, political, societal. It is filled with so many eye-opening ideas that I couldn’t even begin to list them.

The Social Gladiator

by Phil Janecic

This book will help you overcome insecurities regarding social interactions. The reason I am putting yet another one of my books on this list is that I have yet to find another book that teaches you how to overcome the root of your insecurities instead of just giving you methods for “forcing” yourself to become more outgoing.

Models: Attract Women Through Honesty

by Mark Manson

The only dating guide you ever need to read. Even though this book is written by a guy, for guys, it is filled with many perception-shifts that will help you see the world of dating in a healthier way. Mark Manson is a master writer and this book is filled with a lot insight and useful tips.

Services

While not directly related to self-improvement, these services help me run Mind of Steel and this page wouldn’t feel “right” if I didn’t mention these great companies. They are simply amazing.

If you ever need anything website-related, here’s what I recommend:

Siteground is the #1 web hosting provider. I’ve tried out a lot of different providers and none of them come close to Siteground’s quality. Moving over to SG has allowed to simply “set it and forget it”, knowing that the security and stability of my website is in good hands. Cannot recommend them enough.
Elementor can help you create magical website designs. I’ve been designing websites since I was a kid and it was always a pain in the ass — I just want to showcase my work! When Elementor rolled out, it quickly took the world by storm. With this simple, yet complex plugin you can create literally anything you can think of.
ConvertKit makes email marketing easy. Like most people, I started of using Mailchimp because it has the biggest free plan. But pretty soon, you start to see its limitations. I analyzed a lot of email marketing services and ConvertKit clearly stood out as the best choice. Not the cheapest, but it focuses on important things: deliverability, simple interface, quality content and great (visual) automations. If you have more than a few hundred people on your mailing list, switch over to CovertKit and reduce your headaches.
Namesilo is the only place you should buy domains from. Buying a domain should be easy, and most websites offer pretty much the same service… on the surface. They draw you in with cheap prices, then double them for renewals. You have to pay for “extras” like hiding your personal information from being displayed online. Namesilo is the only provider I’ve seen that offers the same prices for renewals and gives you all of the “extras” completely for free. I’ve been with them for years with no complaints.

Apps

I’ve been hesitant from investing in mobile apps for a long time. I mean, there are so many free options out there, why pay for the same thing?

I wish I let go of this ridiculous mindset much earlier. Investing in a quality app that solves your problem is not different than investing in anything else that helps you live a better life.

Here are the apps I personally use and recommend:

Todoist. Probably the most widespread to-do manager out there, and for a good reason. It’s available on pretty much every platform, has great UI, and if you use it right, it can transform your life and make you more productive. Use this link to get free 2 months of premium.
You Need a Budget. This is one of the best investments I have made in my life. This app has transformed how I think about and manage my finances. It has even made budgeting fun. If you have to invest in one thing from this page, this is a clear winner.
Way of Life. I’ve burned through a lot of habit trackers — pretty much every single one I could find — and this is the only one that makes sense. It doesn’t just allow you to track what you did, it allows you to track whether you’re moving in the right direction. It’s free for up to three habits.
Notion. I don’t know how I would live without Notion. It has become my own personal hub of knowledge. This is where I save my notes, plan ideas, write articles, write books, brainstorm… it’s super simple, yet so versatile. Seriously, give it a shot. It’s free.
Strong. If you’re serious about fitness and tracking your workout, there’s hardly a better app than Strong. The basics are free, but I gladly pay to unlock all features and let the app track my exercises, count rest times, and save workout history.

Resources