The internet would resemble the stark, desolate corridor of a hospital without personal development blogs.
Topics like mental health, self-love, and self-care receive more awareness and change millions of lives today because of the existence of personal development/self-improvement blogs.
Without personal development blogs, I believe we would be incredibly unhappy with no hope for a better life.
The blogs I will discuss in this article changed how I think about life and myself – to the point where I decided to start my own personal development blog documenting what I’ve learned.
Reading a blog post from one of these bloggers is so therapeutic. It’s like having a life mentor stand over your shoulder and show you the way forward. These blogs have inspired me, and I’m sure you’ve heard of a few, if not all of them.
Now, there are numerous personal development blogs on the internet, but these 9 have influenced me the most and are the ones I regularly engage with.
Let’s jump into the 9 best personal development blogs that will improve your life!
Table of Contents
9 Best (and Thought-Provoking) Personal Development Blogs
1. MarkManson.net
Like most people, I discovered the brilliance and eccentricities of Mark Manson from his book, “The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck.”
Mark Manson’s vibrant and refreshingly uncaring personality shines through his writing. When reading an article on his blog, there’s no doubt in your mind that Mark Manson has written it. I love when you can immediately tell a person’s personality from their writing. Most bloggers adopt a neutral voice – but not Mark, and this allows his readers to connect with him on a significantly higher level.
Reading Mark’s stuff also makes me want to improve how I share my voice on this blog – so you can better understand who I am.
As someone who cusses a lot, I find Mark’s posts humorous and insightful. He speaks about relevant issues – but puts his own refreshing spin on them. His brutal honesty and “no-filter” writing speak to the masses for a reason.
I must’ve been about 21 when I first heard of “The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck.” At that point, I didn’t even know that he had a blog.
I gifted his book to a close friend who was beginning a new chapter of his life. And like me, he ate it up in a day. I read the book when I was in the throes of depression, and it had a unique way of healing that no therapist possesses.
MarkManson.net is similar in style. He calls you out on your excuses, stops you from feeling sorry for yourself, and encourages you to take action (in fewer words and with more cussing.)
“The idea of progress is often the enemy of actual progress.” – From the post The Disease of More.
Favorite posts:
2. PersonalExcellence.co
If you’re a personal development nerd, then you’ve undoubtedly heard of Personal Excellence – one of the leading personal development blogs.
Personal Excellence was created by Celestine Chua back in 2008. I can’t get enough of her articles – I bookmark them and sometimes leave the tabs open in my mobile chrome browser.
Celestine Chua has a sincere and relatable way of letting her ideas come through to her audience. You’ll identify with most of her blog posts (like I do) because we all go through similar life struggles. However, when you read the post, you feel like she’s speaking only to you.
PE has over 600 articles ranging from people skills to relationships to emotional mastery and so much more – you’ll definitely find something that interests you. And I promise that once you start browsing this blog, you’ll find yourself hooked and jumping from post to post.
She also has a podcast and offers courses to help you live your best life.
“The missing piece of the puzzle is not the lack of talent, but your readiness to put in the grunt work.” – From the post 10,000 Hours to Develop Talent
Favorite Posts:
- If you cannot do great things now, start by doing small things in a great way
- 6 Tips To Deal With Digital Burnout
3. MarcandAngel.com
Marc and Angel are the power couple behind one of the planet’s most popular personal development blogs.
They started their blog after experiencing intense grief from losing their loved ones. What inspires me most is their ability to pick up the pieces of their life and turn them into something good that can help others.
Marc and Angel go above and beyond to support their readers. They regularly share real-life stories of their readers – which almost everyone can relate to – and they offer actionable advice.
I’m a huge fan of their practical, empathetic, and helpful writing style. When you browse their blog, you’ll find thousands of articles – 1011 articles live in their “Life” category alone.
A few topics they explore heavily include relationships, careers, and healthy living. Besides being passionate bloggers, they offer life coaching services and have written inspiring books touching many’s lives.
“Calmness is a human superpower. The ability to not overreact or take things personally keeps your mind clear and your heart at peace.” – Marc and Angel
Favorite Posts:
4. TinyBuddha.com
Unless you’ve been living as a hermit with no internet, there’s no way you haven’t heard of Tiny Buddha.
Lori Deschene founded tiny Buddha in 2009. She is famously an introvert and started the blog to express herself. In one of her interviews, Lori also stated that she had an eating disorder, and the blog helped her detail her life experiences and help others in the same situation.
Today, the blog has grown to not only have a massive following but also multiple contributors. Tiny Buddha is open to contributors from all over the world who share their life challenges and lessons across every facet of personal development.
I love this blog format because you get to understand different perspectives. And you also realize that no matter where you are in the world or your age or gender, we all go through similar struggles, if not the same. And somebody somewhere has conquered a struggle that you’ve been through, and you can gain advice and support from them.
You aren’t limited to one person’s ideas and views.
There’s something magically powerful about the Tiny Buddha community, and there’s something for everyone.
“A great attitude becomes a great mood. A great mood becomes a great day. A great day becomes a great year. A great year becomes a great life.” – Unknown (From the homepage of Tiny Buddha)
Favorite Posts:
- How to Be Successfully Content with Your Life
- Finding a New Path When You’re Attached to the Old and Scared of Failing
5. LifeHack.org
If you’ve searched for any topic related to personal development on Google, you’ve likely come across Life Hack, ranked as one of the highest authority sites on personal development.
Life Hack was started by Leon Ho in 2005 to document his journey with productivity. Now, the website has thousands of published articles ranging from relationships to career choices to focus, finding your purpose, and more (a lot more.)
This blog has become one of the most popular hubs for personal development information. There is a stream of talented writers who have quite possibly answered every question anyone has ever asked about life in a search engine.
“Because in the end, life is nothing without the time to live it.” – From the homepage of Life Hack
Favorite Posts:
- 13 Things Mentally Strong People Don’t Do
- Here’s A Shocking Truth If You Think You’ve Wasted Your Life
6. PositivityBlog.com
The Positivity Blog was one of the first personal development blogs I encountered that actually changed my life for the better.
Henrik Edberg created it in 2006. Henrik isn’t afraid to share his experiences with eating disorders or his struggles with self-esteem. He shows you that he is very human – but still managed to create something better with his life.
He’s the embodiment of “personal development.”
Henrik has 100s of articles on his blog – maybe even 1000s (I don’t know the exact number). But each of them are a wonderful dose of inspiration and lives up to the name of his blog – the positivity blog.
He also offers a variety of courses on self-esteem, procrastination, destressing, etc., that are lauded by many of his students.
“Remind yourself: anyone who wants to do things of value in life will fail.” – From the post How to Overcome Failure
Favorite Posts:
- How to Start a Successful Blog in 2022 – The most in-depth (free) resource there is on blogging.
- How to Break Out of a Motivational Slump
7. ZenHabits.net
Leo Babauta created Zen Habits in 2007. And the blog continues to receive millions of views per month. On his website, he states that he has a readership of 2 000 000 million readers!
Clearly, the number of lives Zen Habits has managed to change is exponential. And the best part about the blog is how “zen” it looks. There are no sneaky and distracting images or advertisements. It’s pure, amazing content that pulls you in without needing colorful aesthetics.
The minimalistic appeal coupled with impactful, to-the-point writing is what draws so many readers every month.
Leo has stated in interviews that the blog’s inspiration came from his experience with productivity, setting habits, being a dad of 6, and working a job that he didn’t feel fulfilled in.
He now also hosts premium courses, including The Fearless Living Academy, a life-changing training program that teaches you to hone into your purpose and make the impact you want on the world.
“Knowing thousands of recipes doesn’t feed you, unless you start cooking.” – Leo
Favorite Posts:
8. TheBlissfulMind.com
I only recently discovered this gem of a blog – created by Catherine to help readers reduce overwhelm and burnout and incorporate more mindfulness into their lives.
A much-needed reprieve, especially in today’s digital world.
The blog has a calming aesthetic that stays true to its message. Catherine’s posts date back to 2017, and they’re geared towards intentional, simple living. She also writes about honing your mindset and redefining productivity to bring more fulfillment and less stress into your work.
Catherine has also expanded her blog to a shop where she sells digital and physical products, such as journals, planners, etc.
“Sometimes in order to let go, you need to figure out what you want to embrace instead.” – Catherine, The Blissful Mind
Favorite Posts:
- Why a “Full Life” Isn’t the Key to Fulfillment
- Digital Detox: What I’ve Learned From Unplugging Once a Week
9. ChrisGuillebeau.com / The Art of Non-Conformity
As unconventional as the name (The Art of Non-Conformity) sounds, so are Chris’s ideas and teachings. The blog is packed with practical and valuable tips to live your best life by not following others’ expectations, breaking the status quo, and following your own dreams.
Chris has authored several inspirational books where he shares how to explore the world while making money and living a life you want (not what others want for you.)
I love the aesthetic of his website so much – sometimes, I randomly type in the website URL just to bathe in the warmth of the website and get more life advice, of course.
The blog is split into three main categories – life, work, and travel – and each contains hundreds of articles that will suck you in until you’re tired of reading.
His posts are short and snappy and offer real advice without beating around the bush. Chris’s writing proves that sometimes the most important things in life can be expressed in the simplest of ways.
“Don’t waste your time living someone else’s life.” – Chris Guillebeau
Favorite Posts:
Final Thoughts
And that’s my list of the best personal development blogs.
The greatest part about all these personal development bloggers is that they show you they’re human. If they can come out of a sticky situation, and improve their lives, so can you.
When browsing these websites, getting lost in the sea of information they offer is easy. I find myself reading one post, and then another, and then another. It’s no doubt they’re the most successful bloggers out there.
What they write touches the heart; it makes you feel something – and that’s excellent blogging.
You’ll also notice how different each of these blogs are – in content, style, voice, and categories – yet they inspire in their own way and give you practical life advice.
Do you also enjoy reading these personal development blogs? Let me know in the comments below.