Positive Mindset. Why self-improvement fails and how to avoid it.

Do you remember my small post about one suitcase life?

This is one of these. Of course, it is roguelike blog, but don’t we need to share interesting ideas about our life and lifehacks?

Here is one thought I want to share with you, my dear readers.

There are a lot of books devoted to self-development in general or to some specified field.

They are useful and interesting. Reading them has to lead people to great results and life progress.

But!

It doesn’t happen in most cases for majority of readers.

Look. Let’s take the most well know books like «Screw it, Just do It» by Richard Branson, «Rich Dad Poor Dad» by Robert Kiyosaki, Allen Carr’s Easyways series!

Millions of copies were sold! These books should make a tremendous impact on human minds. Like Allen Carr wrote in his book that smoking will demise as soon as Easyways would be implemented.

Nah.

Shining idea met cast iron butt of reality.

I think you may know at least one person who still smokes like steam engine after reading a book or quit smoking for a brief period of week or two.

Other books may work just the same. You get a motivation for a brief period of time and then life returns on its old tracks or even worse: Once I felt cheated because didn’t find a silver bullet advice in a book. Shame on me!

Why does it happen?

I have analyzed it and came to these conclusions:

It is not about a book (or any other useful material we decided to use for our self-improvement, but I’ll write “book” to keep it simple).
It is about who and how reads a book.

Even if author does his or her best to make book easy to understand by someone who is running behind, still, it is to be like a set of advises of 20lvl AD&D hero to level 1 hero – «How to defeat dragon with your bare hands».

Does it make such materials useless for us, draining money from our pockets?
OMG! NO!

Of course no!

Such book is a perfect tool for even a level 1 hero! Maybe, such hero will not defeat a dragon, right now, but will vanquish a huge rat as a first step!

«Okay», - You may say, «It is obvious, but, how do we fail to get these results?».

Because books give us results of completely different level and purpose.

Let’s see them:

First and usual result is a Surge of Motivation.

This is “That feel” level of result.
People who gets it usually write comments like: «Very inspiring / motivating book!», «Great book! I feel so energized and motivated!».

Don’t get me wrong. There is nothing bad to get good portion of motivation.

Shame is to stop on this level.

It is pity, but, vast majority of readers get nothing, except nice portion of motivation.

As I mentioned before, motivation is great! It can fuel our efforts.

The only problem, such semi-artificial motivation is like a cup of strong coffee.
Effect is energizing and inspiring, but short-living.

Just like a cup of coffee can make as “stronger” and give “power”, real strength, vitality and power comes from constant work-out, hard. But balanced training. Yes. Slow and steady progress.

When this “Motivation Surge” is equal to “motivational” seminars or paid “walking on coals” practices and so on.
Nice try, effects last until you are get back to the plantation of day-to-day job.

That's why, it effect is so tasty, addictive and shot-living, making people buy pyramids of materials, even if they don't see actual result.

Ugly truth: motivation isn’t a true nature of self-improving books and materials!

Think about them as a roadmaps.

Not a magic pill or coffee cup, but a map to the goal you seek.

Of course, it is easy to say: “see it as a roadmap”, but hard to do.

Tough nut from a level 20 hero, isn't it?

Yes and no.

True: to reap full benefits from a books we need to have a mindset, the way we percept the world, close to one author has.

Then we can follow ideas with a flying colours and empower ourselves.

And one more “But!”

“You are what you eat” works very well for the information we get.

Don't forget, we are information we perceive. Our 'self' consists of information we allow us to “consume”.

It is a big topic to discuss in this small post.

The more important quantity and quality of information we “load” is very important. Of course, it is easy to feed yourself with fictional literature and TV dramas, but what type of “self” they will create?

Good news, it works in opposite direction!

Reading self-development materials, accompanied with persistent work will finally pays out.

Slowly, but steadily you will get mindset you are looking for.

Such books aren't only a cup of motivation and road map to results, but also seeds of your new self.

Of course, they need good soil and care, but at some point you will find see a new person in a mirror.

So we can say, there three levels of “usefulness”:

1. Motivation Cup of coffee. Pleasant, but side effect. Don't allow yourself to be trapped here.
2. Seeds and soil of slow and constant improvement. Treat them well and at some point you will follow:
3. Roadmap. The path author prepared for you.

Give youself some, work hard on yourself and then, reread books you found to difficult or vague, you would be surprised. I assure you!