The right material to improve yourself
Sometimes, the areas you want to improve in are not job or business oriented. Maybe you want to learn a new language, or you want to build better health habits. With so much material out there, it can be easy to pick up any book with a nice title and start reading. The question is, are you choosing the right material to improve yourself? How do you know if the person giving the advice is reliable? How do you know if following the steps will give you the results you want?
Picking new material for self improvement can be tricky. Not only do you need to find an author that is giving good advice, but you also need to be able to digest what they provide and understand what to take and apply, and what to leave behind. Even once you get this far, your understanding of the meaning of the book can vary wildly from the understanding intended by the author, or the understanding that your friend down the street took from it. If there is any example of this, just look at the variety of churches that come from a single book. Author authority, interpretation, and understanding can change everything!
A good start
A good place to start looking for the right material to improve yourself with is to examine the author. If you want to to work on your communication in your marriage, then you want to avoid an author who is on their third marriage. If you want to build good habits and daily routine, then you want to avoid an author who trots the globe and re-invents themselves every year. On the other side of that coin, if you want to get out of your shell and travel, don’t spend your time reading advice books written by someone who’s interests are building a stable family environment. Author track record is important, so get to know the author of a book before you read it.
After that, check the content against other sources. Find successful people who live lives similar to what your dream life is. Chances are they have a thick personal library. Check to see what their thoughts on a book are. If they know the book and recommend it, you can assume that the content matches their mentality, which matches their results.
Lastly, try to always be reading something. The more you read the easier it becomes to “read between the lines”. It doesn’t take long to learn how to tell the value of a book by the intro. Start with short books on a topic you are interested in and consume as much written material as possible.
Get help finding the right material to improve yourself
These initial steps can help you and your family start picking positive and informative books right away. If you have an interest in personal development, but want to work on a bigger plan or a specific goal, having a Personal Development Coach can expedite the results 10 fold or more. Hiring a coach for you or one of your children can be a positive move, but takes great consideration. Remember, you need to know that the person advising you is giving sound advice. If you would like to find out more about my personal development coaching services, please check the services page and submit your information. Go ahead and ask questions, or check in for reviews on books, as this information is always free and can help you find out if coaching is right for you.
