A personal growth book? Some people wave their hands in horror at the mere thought of a copy falling into their hands, thinking it’s useless. Others, however, stock up and fill their bookshelves.
As an avid reader, I believe the best thing to do is open a book without any prejudices, positively preparing ourselves to see what it can teach us. I’ve read physics books that have broadened my understanding of the human mind, and I’ve read novels that have taught me more about the emotional universe than a psychology textbook. Therefore, I believe the best thing to do is to dive into the pages of a book without prejudices.
Amos Bronson Alcott said, “A good book is one we open with great expectations and close with satisfaction and results.” This isn’t always the case. There are downright bad books.
However, we mustn’t forget that every word belongs to two people: partly the writer’s, and partly the reader’s. This means that if we want to get the most out of personal development books, we must also do our part. If we expect the author to do all the work, there’s a 90% chance the book won’t help us at all.
5 keys to making personal growth books beneficial
- Commit to change before you start reading
The attitude with which you begin reading a personal development book is crucial. Whether it’s a book on quitting smoking, losing weight, becoming more organized, or simply managing emotions, the first thing we must do before opening it is commit to change.
If you feel like something’s missing in your life but don’t know exactly what it is, and you turn to personal development books as if they were a magic formula, you simply won’t be able to benefit from them. Remember that books are just a tool you can use for change. Some may provide general steps along the way, but without real commitment, they simply won’t do much for you.
- Take notes
If you don’t leave your professional training to chance, why do it with Personal Development? Taking notes helps you better grasp concepts, and it’s also a very useful resource you can turn to whenever you need to reflect or think about how you can apply those ideas.
Therefore, it’s a good idea to take notes of the quotes that have impressed you the most or that you consider most useful in the journey you’re planning. When you stop to take notes, you pause your reading and reflect on what you’re writing, which will help you plan your Personal Development path.
- Apply what you have read
Many, many books on personal development have been written. However, in the age of depression and anxiety, it’s clear that the changes they generate in people aren’t very significant. Why? It’s largely due to a lack of consistency in applying their guidelines.
We read the book, agree with its words, and even find them enlightening, but when we close it, it all ends there. If we lack the willpower to put what we’ve read into practice, we’re likely to be worse off than before, because the knowledge we acquired at the theoretical level will become a constant reminder of what we could achieve, but for some reason we didn’t.
- Read it again at another stage of your life
Sometimes, we sense the value of certain books, but we’re unable to fully utilize them, simply because our minds aren’t ready to grasp certain messages or accept certain realities. If this has happened to you with a Personal Development book, simply close it and put it on hold until the time comes, when you’re in a different stage of your life.
An ancient Zen proverb says, ” When the student is ready, the master appears .” The same applies to this type of literature. We must have a prepared mind, the ground must be fertile for certain messages and teachings to flourish.
- Don’t read too many Personal Development Books
A person once invited me to his home. When I arrived, the first thing that impressed me was a huge library full of self-help and personal growth books. I don’t think any author was missing. However, it didn’t seem to me that the person had made much progress in his psychological development.
There’s no doubt that it’s important not to cling to a single author but to read different approaches and perspectives, but reading one Personal Development book after another won’t bring about any significant changes. After a good book, it’s ideal to take a break to give our minds time to absorb the teachings, reflect on them, and think about how we can apply them. Binge-reading this type of literature won’t take you further or allow you to progress faster. Quite the opposite.
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