My Problem with Self-Help Books
I used to enjoy reading these self-help-themed books but not anymore... After reading a handful of these books I noticed that they pretty much just rephrase the same principles to fit into their story
Hi friend, Happy Demo-Crazy. In the words of the great rapper and singer, Dagrin, the Chief Executive Omota, of blessed memories, “Shey Democracy leleyi abi Crazy demo?”, meaning, is this a Democracy or a Crazy Demo?
Like I always ask at the beginning of every personal letter I write, How are you doing? (Like really, How are you doing? Feel free to reply to this and be sure I would respond.)
If you met me 4 years ago, you will find me reading or holding a book and it will most definitely be a self-help-themed book but in the last 12 months, I've really struggled with reading them. I have not been able to successfully complete reading one since the last one I struggled to finish reading early last year. I can't even remember the last time I read a book to the end. For someone who has read at least 10 books per year for the last 4 years, this is a big struggle and challenge. I used to enjoy reading these self-help-themed books but not anymore, being the reason for the struggle.
After a personal evaluation, I found out that I am no more motivated or let me say I have developed less interest in reading any self-help-themed book, not because they are useless or don't help but I just figured out that I'm at that point where I don’t just enjoy them anymore and realized that these kinds of books are not what I need. I’ve read over 30 self-help-themed books and one common thing I discovered is that they require you to do the actual work like any other thing that you want to get results from. While I wasn’t expecting any radical or overnight change to occur because of reading a book, the truth is that most of the lessons in the majority of these books are not that profound but these books help you put these principles in perspective and focus. After reading a handful of these books I noticed that they pretty much just rephrase the same principles to fit into their story.
Disclaimer: This is not an attempt to discredit or shit on self-help books. I have read a number of them that have helped me but I just feel like I am at that phase of my life where I just don’t enjoy reading them.
I am sure that by now, you have some questions already and I will attempt to answer some of the questions I think you may have.
Can’t you read these books and apply the principles while at it?
The answer is Yes, I can read and apply the principles at the same time.
Why did you now stop reading them?
The truth is that I just noticed that I was not mentally assimilating the lessons and easily get zoned off while reading them these days. These books require you to focus and concentrate in order to assimilate and get the best from them except you just want to read for reading's sake. There seems to be a problem with me focusing when reading them so I can't even get to the point where I outline actionable steps to take or understand the lessons the author is trying to pass across.
Why are you writing this?
In the last few months, I’ve been hard on myself because I couldn’t seem to get myself to read any book for that matter because I am very big on reading and self-development. Before COVID and the whole lockdown saga, I used to keep a track of the books I read, and not being able to meet up or step up the number of books I read over a year felt like a big letdown. I usually have a target for the number of books I am to read for a year and I can’t seem to get past number one. While I can trace the source of this challenge back to the whole pandemic trauma, I can’t seem to find a solution to it. After making numerous attempts to solve this “problem”, I finally came to the reality that I mentally can't seem to assimilate and concentrate while reading these books. So I am sharing to know if this is peculiar to me or if it is something happening to others too.
What do you intend to do about this?
For now, I have stopped trying hard to read these books but I am working hard to apply the principles I have learned and gotten from the books I’ve read in the past.
Before now, I wasn’t a fan of fiction and novels but after my long hiatus from reading them, I’m back to reading fiction and novels. Last week, I picked up a novel and completed it in a week which is to say the problem isn’t the self-help books themselves but like I stated earlier that it's that I can't seem to concentrate and assimilate the lessons they intend to pass across and I won't spend time reading them for the sake of reading or keeping up the streak.
So for now, I'm picking up fiction, biographies, and autobiographies. Looking out for recommendations on thrillers and interesting books I should check out, especially by African authors. I will be looking forward to your recommendations in the comment section or you can write to me via tunmiseafape@gmail.com.
Is this the end of self-help-themed books for you?
The simple answer is NO. I do not intend to abandon them forever. While I can’t seem to concentrate while reading these books, I still read helpful blogs on these topics. I believe when I am in a better mental place, I will be back to reading these books that used to give me a lot of delight and joy. I will be back to reading thought-provoking and life-changing books by some of my favourite authors. I will be sure to update you on any development regarding this topic.
A little bit of update on my upcoming project
In my last letter, I briefly mentioned that I have two projects focused on telling the stories of Africans in the works that will be launching soon. While I have figured out the goals, objectives, and some foundational frameworks of the projects before now, I was having issues with the naming of one of the projects but today, I finally got the name settled. This gladdens my heart because as a creative, getting the name right for a project is very vital to me as it can make or mar the project. Also, it has delayed the work on developing the visual identity, setting up social media handles, and setting up other communication channels for the project. Now that this is settled, I can move on to working on other tasks that have been hinged on this.
ICYMI, StudentsWhoCreate has a new story up. You should check it out here. I spoke to a student creative who is a music artiste on her journey as a creative and how she managed to combine school with music and baking.
If you got to this point, Thank you for taking out time to read this, and feel free to drop a comment. Follow me on Twitter and Instagram to keep the conversation going.
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