Two Tips That Make Reading a Self-Help Book Worthwhile
It takes courage to apply what you learn.
We read one, and Amazon recommends a second. Then a third, a fourth and before we know it we’re hooked on self-help books. I know this because it’s happened to me more than once.
If you’re anything like me, you’ll read plenty of books and articles. You’ll make detailed notes and highlight so much text that there’s more fluorescent yellow on the page than there is white space.
We can recite the words with ease, but honestly, has this new-found information had any impact on your day-to-day life?
Knowing the lessons and doing some with them, as we know, are two very different things.
These Two Books Were so Powerful Because…
Two books have had a significant impact on my life in recent years. The first is The Art of Extraordinary Confidence by Dr Aziz Gazipura and second is a book called How to Own the World by Andrew Craig.
There are several reasons why these books helped so much; They both came at the perfect time for me and the lessons within will last for a lifetime. The number one explanation though, is that I made a point of putting the ideas into action while I was reading the book.
I mention this because I know I’m not alone when I say I’ve read great books, stumbled on intriguing ideas, but did absolutely nothing with the information.
You see, we regularly make mental markers for the suggestions, but as soon as we finish the book, rather than going back through it, we’re already well into the next book without a second thought. Naturally, we forget all about it.
Many self-help books will even have an action steps section at the end of the chapter to prompt us, but we still fly right passed it. We have every intention of going back to complete the exercise, but we rarely do because when we finish one book, we’re in such a rush to start the next.
Our knowledgebase may be growing with each new nugget of information, but until we put the words into action, it’s pretty useless.
Action Point
Slow down.
Next time you read a book that sparks intrigue, follow the exercises word for word in precisely the way as described and see what happens. Take your time and take as long as you need. There’s no rush. Treat the book as a paid course; it could prove to be some incredible value for money.
“Genius is not enough. It takes courage to change people’s hearts.” — Oleg, played by Dimiter Marinov in The Green Book
To Take Action Takes Courage
Whenever I have a problem, or there’s a challenge I’m struggling with, I read.
I scrawl through the Amazon pages and select a few books related to the issue at hand and look for answers. I imagine that being someone reading this post on Medium that you’re the kind of person who does the same, or at the very least, something similar.
When a string of words jumps out from the page as something that may just work, make a note by all means, but set the wheels in motion at the earliest opportunity.
Sometimes, we feel that we’re making change by reading. In some cases, it’s more like procrastination. If we’re not using the information we read, we might as well not be reading it in the first place.
In both of the books I mentioned I did this and the results were near-instant.
I’ve developed a considerable amount of confidence in many areas of my life in recent years, and I have to give the nod to The Art of Extraordinary Confidence but also the fact I took action. It was a good read, but had I not done anything with the information it would have been for entertainment only.
The second book I mentioned, How to Own the World, completely changed my outlook on finances. There’s a still a long way to go for where I want to be but the fact that I feel more financially stable than at any other point in my life, even amid a global pandemic, says it all. Again though, although the book was fantastic, the difference was the action I took.
Action Point
For the next self-help book, you read, skim read it first.
If the initial read gives you hope that you can get out of your sticky situation, read it a second time but a lot slower. If a book seems as though it could be useful, savour it. Read it a couple of times, and imagine how you could use the exercises to make them relevant to your situation and then try them out to see if you’re right.
Final Thoughts
I’ve mentioned a couple of my favourite books in this post, but the underlying lessons are true of anything, and anywhere that we find guidance. It could be from books, but it could also be anything from a movie to a conversation with a stranger.
When you have that feeling inside where you’ve stumbled on something that could make the difference, harness that feeling, use the idea, be bold and most of all, take action.
Remember that reading isn’t a competition. You could read hundreds of self-help books a year, but unless you put the ideas into practice, it’s not going to be overly helpful.
Make it your aim to find a book that resonates and when you do, study it as if it’s a course. Follow the action steps like a recipe. It could just be life-changing.
Thanks for reading,
— Dave
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