Help! My Self Help Book Didn't Work!

How dare they. You spend your hard earned money on those books engaging and enticing you with the exciting new joys and opportunities awaiting you, and then the author sends you off into the world without a magic genie to grant your every wish!

Wouldn’t that be great? Well, that is not how it works, nor is it intended to. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard someone say- “I read that book. It was a great read, a lot of really powerful stuff. But my life didn’t change!”

Of course it didn’t. If you read a book about dieting, you’re not going to lose weight by setting it on the table and thinking about how great it was. The point is to learn it, digest it, personalize it and find what works for you, and then actively apply it on a daily basis. YOU must do the work. How you proactively change your life using the concepts and methods you’ve just studied is the critical success factor.

It is very possible that what you’ve read was simply a reminder of common sense, but it takes effort to keep those things at the fore of your consciousness. Or perhaps you felt moments of great inspiration and revelation studying new concepts and philosophies to help you make drastic shifts in your life. In order to prevent day-to-day life from pushing those brilliant ideas back to the bottom of your awareness you must act, and commit to daily activities to maintain this inspirational momentum, awareness and growth mission.

Changing thought patterns, establishing new habits, and overcoming fears is not easy. It isn’t supposed to be- it takes work and commitment, but the outcome is well worth the effort!

Some simple things you can do:

• Meditation- even just 5 minutes a day, to call it into your awareness and set an intention for incorporating it into your day.
• Journaling- write something at least once a day to acknowledge incorporating your new mindset or concepts into your life.
• Accountability Partners- share a book and daily goals with a friend or coach.
• Pictures or quotes placed in and around the home- post visual reminders in places you can’t avoid.
• Calendar or Task Items- create tasks that will pop up on your computer or PDA to remind you of anything you need to bring back to consciousness on a daily basis. Even a single trigger word will do the trick.
• Vision Board- there are many processes to support this. Do your own, or find a coach or workshop to support the creation process. Place it in a consistently visible place in your home so you never forget!
• Read a passage a day - dog-ear or sticky note some favorite pages and quotes to keep you inspired. Even leave it in the bathroom. No excuses- you have time to at least read a sentence or two in there!

A great model for putting new learning into action is in Judith Wright’s book, ‘The One Decision’. The last section of the book provides daily assignments and reflections to keep you committed, accountable, and growing.

A powerful reminder is always holding onto your greater “Why”. Why did you read the book in the first place, what are you trying to accomplish, overcome, shift and get out of life? This is the driving passion from your core. Remind yourself of this each day and each time this life changing decision may be met with challenge or compromise. All of these actions will support you in changing your life and creating abundance, energy and joy you never thought possible!

“I don’t have time” is a cop out. As you shift your energy in these ways, your efficiency and productivity improves exponentially. As a runner, a favorite quote of mine to keep me in check is from a Nike ad reminding us: “Someone busier than you is running right now.” The same holds true to this personal work, and is ultimately more powerful because this is about the quality of your life. Write this down for yourself and never lose sight- “Someone busier than you is (insert favorite personal growth activity here) right now.”

Alright- off for a run and some journaling. Whatever your feelings about Oprah, she does both, and she’s way busier than me!