Why Self-Help Books Work Even When You Think They Aren’t

You know the drill—you buy one and think: This is the self-help book that will change my life! It’s your new holy book. You read it with close enthusiasm and keenness. Taking notes? I bought a shiny new notebook for that! But then… it’s three days later and you’re still the same person looking into the mirror, all forlorn and drained, as ever.

Why don’t self-help books work? Why aren’t they working for you when people swear that The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People changed their lives and now they live in a 7 million dollar condo with a beach view? Are you just the one in a billion who couldn’t receive the enlightenment?

Are self-help books just placebo’s to you? Why do you keep reading Chapter 1 of thousands of self-help books, feel invigorated with new-found passion, only for it to fizz out in 2 weeks? (Make that 2 hours.)

They work even though you think they aren’t

Okay, so hear me out: In Biology class, we always had theory and labs, or practical sessions. Life isn’t all practical all the time. Sometimes you just have to know the theory until you can actually apply it. Or better yet, you can use the theory to do the real thing. Otherwise, how are you going to do the thing when you don’t have an instruction manual? Your brain is storing all that information for when you need it. In fact, maybe it’s being stored into a part of your brain that will use that information subconsciously when you truly need it!

Keep going

Life is just tough for most of us. When we don’t get instantly gratified for the long hours we wasted on reading a book, we get mad. Keep going—don’t be such a millennial or Gen-Z, waiting for everything to hit as soon you administer it! Remember, good things take time.

Your brain is ever rewiring itself

If you stop reading that self-help book, what are you going to do anyway? Go scroll on Instagram for one mind-numbing hour? The books you read affect your brain. Just like the food you eat makes you who you are. These self-help books are rewiring your brain, even when you don’t see it!

When the time comes, you’ll shine

You are saving these self-help book tips for the right time—when you really need it! If you get into a sticky spot, who will come to your rescue? The self-help book you read last night, that’s what! Self-help books really do work. You just have to wait for the right time and place.

They are a part of your self- improvement plan

If you are on a self-growth journey, one of the best things you should do is read a ton of books. Among these should be non-fiction self-help books, memoirs, biographies, and the like. Self-help is the place to start for all your self-development goals. They give you a wonderful launch into the world of bettering yourself.

Self-help books do work. There are thousands of self-help books out there. if you haven’t been evangelically transformed into a higher being, then you need to search harder. Reading books is very beneficial to anyone out there. Reading self-help books is even better of an idea. They work even when you think they aren’t.