Why Self-Help Books Aren't Helping You Find Success

Have you ever found yourself buying a self-help book, excited to dig in and make some big changes? You grab that shiny new highlighter, get to reading and are amazed at all the goodness inside! You are ready for it to change your life, but then...the changes don’t come.

What are you doing wrong?

Chances are, you put a little too much faith in the book and not enough in yourself. See, the self-help book industry is worth billions of dollars and it banks on hooking people in and supplying an endless stream of content when the results don’t come to fruition.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with a self-help book. They actually ARE really helpful––if you do it right. I read them all the time and am the first to recommend a good book as well. However, I’ve got a few reasons why your self-help books aren’t helping you find success, and what to do about it.

1. You aren’t applying what you learn.

Self-help books are no more than a work of fiction if you don’t actually apply what you learn. If you want to make big changes based off of a particular method, then you have to actually implement what the book is telling you to do!

It takes putting effort into changing habits to really see the results you’re after. For a book to really help inspire change, you need to move from having the knowledge, to putting that knowledge into action.

2. You’re trying to do too much.

A thick self-help book is often packed with tons of info and it’s natural to want to implement it ALL. But trying to overhaul your life in one big swoop is not always sustainable.

Rather than trying to use all the tidbits at once, try starting slow. Choose a few simple ways to make changes, and once you’ve mastered them, then build on what you’re learning. 

Habits take time to stick, so give yourself the opportunity to actually make them before adding more. Oh, and speaking of habits, have you downloaded this free guide yet? It will help you get rid of the habits that are holding you back and develop better ones to replace them! Yes, there is a science to it!

3. The book's advice doesn't work for everyone.

Let’s be honest, not every self-help book is good. Not only are some written with poor advice, but it’s common to find a “one size fits all approach,” that frankly, just doesn’t work.

Everyone is different- we have unique home lives, work experience, expectations and skillsets. There’s absolutely no way to get everything you need from one book.

One way to get the most out of a book is to work with someone who helps you apply what you're learning...which leads me to the next point...

4. You need accountability.

Recently I talked about the importance of accountability, and why you need it to reach your goals. The same goes for implementing what you learn from a self-help book.

Chances are, the books you’re reading are encouraging you to change the way you approach tasks, your mindset, and relationships––all good things. Rather than containing those goals to your inner monologue, share them with someone who can keep you accountable.

Find a coach, friend, or colleague who can help realign you if you get off track, check-in and celebrate when you reach your goals. Just because you may be reading a self-help book by yourself, doesn’t mean you have to go it alone.

Should you toss all those self-help books lining your shelves? No! Should you have a plan in place next time you find one you love so that it doesn't just become a waste of time to read it? Yep!

If you decide you need that extra dose of accountability, let’s connect! I’d love to help you dig into high performance. Let's start with a free call here!