Only by reading personal growth books with the right attitude will you enjoy all the benefits. 3 strategies to make reading self-help manuals a real experience of change.
"A good book is that book that we open with great expectations and close with satisfaction and results." Amos Bronson Alcott.
Dear GetPersonalGrowth, everything is fine, but an article on how to read a book seems a tad over the top! Do not you think?!
Maybe ... yet, despite the fact that millions and millions of them are sold every year books on personal growth, only a small percentage of readers seem to actually benefit from the advice contained in these self-help manuals. Have you ever wondered why?
I found a couple of answers:
- most personal growth books are… bad!
- the majority of people does not put into practice the advice contained in these books.
We can solve the first problem right away: if you trust me, here is my top 5 personal growth books. ;-) But in this article I want to tell you how to solve the second problem. there 3 strategy that I have adopted to get the most out of personal growth books:
1. Make a decision to change before you start reading
The attitude with which you start reading a personal growth book is crucial. Whether it's a book to quit smoking, to lose weight or to be more organized and effective, make a promise to yourself: commit to changing your life.
Even before reading the first page of your brand new self-improvement book, write the 3 things you will change in your life after reading the book.
Yes, but how do I know what I'll change if I haven't read the book yet ?!
I'll answer you with another question: how did you manage to spend € 15-20 for a book you haven't read yet? Personal growth books, blogs and audio books are just a tool. You already know what is wrong with your life, what you would like to improve or how you would like to improve.
Think about the 3 things that could improve your life by reading the book. Write them on the dedication home page (there is always a lot of empty space!) and reread them as you continue reading the book.
2. Take notes
Change is serious business. Real personal growth books aren't Danielle Steel novels, they're real textbooks for your graduate in improvement.
Take notes, underline the key phrases and if the book is truly worth making some concept maps.
Committing to it helps you ground the desire for changefurthermore, reprocessing the information facilitates memorization. Achieving your change goals will be easier the more effort you put into these stages. If you bought the book just to fall asleep better in the evening, change genres: I could suggest some good novels.
3. Don't read personal growth books
Yes, you read that right: stop reading personal growth books one after the other. It is useless. Once you have finished your personal growth book, don't rush to the bookstore to buy another one.
It's not by reading personal growth books that you will change your life. Only by applying its advice can you hope to improve your life. Reading is only the first phase of a journey made of experimentation, self-discipline and deep understanding of concepts.
If you move from one personal growth book to another, you will only continually change your focus. Putting too much meat on the grill sometimes means running out of steam.
As for me, I love reading every night, that's why I try to alternate personal growth books with compelling novels. Only after turning into a habit or internalizing the advice from the last self-help book do I move on to the next and so on.
Do you just read or do you practice the advice of the books you read? Let me know in the comments. Thanks.
