30 Posts In 30 Days – Day 16: Self-help
This is Day 16 of the 30 Posts In 30 Days Challenge I set for myself to start writing online. This post was originally published on X.
I remember when I got my hands on “The 4-Hour Work Week” by Tim Ferris.
It was the gateway drug into my own personal self-improvement journey.
And one of the reasons why I started working for myself.
But lately, I’ve noticed I rarely put the advice I consume from videos, articles, or podcasts into practice anymore.
In an attempt to reduce my time spent on self-help content, I’ve come up with a simple plan:
1. Being intentional with my time
Do I really need another advice on how to improve my morning routine?
Some titles or thumbnails might cause excitement.
But first I want to make sure that the offered advice is for an aspect of my life that I actually need to improve.
There’s no need to change what’s already working.
(This step also involves cleaning up my “check out later” notes every now and then.)
2. Processing the information
Taking notes on specific advice or concepts helps me better process the information.
I want to write down what I’ve learned, in my own words, with my own interpretations.
- What does XYZ mean?
- Do I need more information?
- How can I make this work for me?
3. Defining actionable steps
I want to break the information down into the exact steps I need to take, to put it into practice. Right away.
- Where do I start?
- How long will it take?
- Is it a one-time or a regular thing?
If it’s a regular thing, I want to find a small enough step that I can easily repeat on a regular basis.
4. Adding my own twist
Maybe I don’t agree on a specific concept.
Maybe I can’t implement it exactly as described.
Maybe I see a different way to apply it to my lifestyle.
Whatever the advice, I want to make it work for me and the systems I’m already using.
5. Documenting what I’ve learned
That’s an ongoing process for pretty much everything I do nowadays.
But especially when I come up with my own version of how to implement said advice, I want to document it.
My way of doing it could help others, who function in a similar way.
And that’s it!
I’ve been experimenting with this for a few weeks. And I’ve significantly reduced my time spent on consuming self-help content.
Plus, I’ve been able to make some big changes in my private and professional life.