Here’s the problem with self-development as a quote-unquote “industry”: the entire success of the “business model” depends on people being stuck and not making any progress whatsoever. That means that, to sell more books/ebooks/courses/seminars/coaching sessions, people have to remain ‘stuck’ and never feel totally ‘developed’ to the point where they can get rid of personal development material completely.
So what happens? The self-development gurus of the world promise more, more, more, more, and more. They come out with new seminars full of “groundbreaking” new ideas that are going to blow your mind and make you into a successful, rich, attractive, smart, savvy, and fun person. They launch their new books that are based on the ideas in their seminars, so people who can’t afford the $500+ price tag to attend the seminars can still get the ideas in book form (and so the author can get on the New York Times Bestseller list). And then there are the people who have their own websites and blogs, and peddle their wisdom there, selling ebooks, one-on-one coaching, and e-courses. They’re rolling out new courses and books at least once a year too. If you add up all the self-development “gurus” and combine all their products, you have a truly giant mass of information that you can use to become that successful, rich, attractive person that gets renewed each year.
That’s a lot of reading material.
So, you know what ends up happening? People go through the books, implement one or two ideas for a short while, get frustrated when it ‘doesn’t work’, and then go buy the next book from another Tony Robbins or Debbie Ford or Echkart Tolle or whoever.
Now – I’m not trying to say that there’s some giant conspiracy among the self-development gurus to keep you from becoming your best self. Actually, they’re pretty cool people and want nothing but the best for you. The main problem is that people absolutely suck at taking advice and taking action – and the self-development gurus cash in on that, big time.
I’m sick of that kind of business model. I want results and actual change from my readers.
My Mission
My mission is this: I want people to feel like they’ve got their self-development ‘handled’. By ‘handled’, I mean they feel so good about themselves and the direction that their lives are taking that they don’t feel the need to ever read anything self-development related ever again (or at least, they get to the point where they only do it once a month or so).
That’s a tall order – especially considering the type of people who are in the self-development game, since they’re focused on constant, never-ending improvement.
But I think that self-development – and getting it ‘handled’ – is so much about your attitude and mindset that it is possible to get to the point where you feel like you just don’t need it anymore. It’s like taking the training wheels off your bike so you can ride with two wheels, like you’re supposed to.
Some people might take longer than others to stop reading self-development than others. But it’s my goal to get people feeling so whole, so alive, and so confident that they feel like they can live their lives without us “gurus” telling them what the best way to live is. It’s about imparting as much wisdom as possible and effecting the most change – not about selling the most ebooks or coaching so many people.
Simply put: I want people to grow, and I want my readers to outgrow me. I’d rather lose 50 readers because my work changed them for the better and they feel self-actualized than gain 100 readers that are just going to read my material without applying any of its principles.
I Want Your Stories
Here’s how you can help me on my mission: share your stories with me.
Tell me what you’re working on.
Tell me why you’re unhappy with yourself.
Tell me what it would take for you to be at the point where you wouldn’t need self-development material any more.
Tell me what your perfect day is like, and what you need help with in order to make it a reality.
Tell me your story: tell me who you are, what your life is like, and who you want to become.
Tell me what I can write on this blog that will help you achieve your dreams.
I want to hear it all, no matter who you are. I want to hear my readers – only through understanding you can I give you the help you seek.
The Iron Rules of Taking Advice
Before I leave you, though, I’m going to give you some simple rules for taking advice in self-development. They may be obvious, but I promise that they will help you grow a lot if you implement them. Remember: as Iron Rule #2 says, a principle or theory is useless unless you apply it in your life.
1. Reading one book five times is always better than reading five books once.
2. A principle or theory is useless unless you apply it in your life.
3. If you have your doubts about anything… Test it!
4. Tracking your actions always beats not tracking them. If you can, track how you implement specific advice and how well you do it. Make sure you review the things you track!
5. Build momentum by creating routines and habits – that’s the easiest way to make things ‘automatic.
That’s it and that’s all, folks. From here…
Please, please, please share your stories, suggestions, and thoughts with me in the comments section below! Also, feel free to email me at BrettPluginID [at] gmail.com if you want more direct, personal help!
