The 6 Most Absurd Self Improvement Tips of all time
Or is it?
Are we Improving Ourselves to Death?
For many of us, the ideal morning routine or productivity hacks and tips appear to be a quick read away. It’s human nature, especially in competitive Western societies, to constantly look for ways to improve our wellbeing. Our society loves self-improvement, whether it’s increasing self awareness, or making a simple mental shift that will benefit us in some way.
The question is however, does it actually work?
Is it all just smoke and mirrors? Or is really success possible with Self Improvement?
There does seem to be a growing negativity towards the self improvement movement.
So let’s explore what the most absurd self improvement tips are and why it is so.
1. You must constantly be reading self motivation books
In reading this type of self-help literature, there’s a possibility of overindulgence, which can paralyze you into inaction due to its tendency to make you think there’s still more to learn if you’d like to complete the puzzle of success.
When you read lots of self-help books, you may reinforce the idea that you need help.
2. Avoid negative thinking — at all costs.
One of the main goals of mainstream personal development is to help individuals change their “negative thoughts” into “positive thoughts.”
It makes sense that the more distance we can create between ourselves and that version of ourselves that thinks negative thoughts, the happier we will be… or is it?
The truth is, many counselors use negative thinking techniques to help clients visualize the worst-case scenarios. Why, so that you can prepare, both emotionally and practically for whatever is to come, no matter how bad.
3. Procrastination is bad
Procrastination is frequently viewed as a negative trait that must be overcome at all costs. Procrastination allows you to avoid the discomfort of doing something you’d rather not do. So, you keep yourself occupied by doing something you enjoy.
So, in a society that glorifies productivity, it can be hard to accept procrastination as a good thing. We’re told from a young age that if we don’t do our homework right away, we won’t get good grades in school and won’t be successful in life.
But the truth is, sometimes procrastination is actually better for your mental health to put off starting until tomorrow. Furthermore, many of the most profound “aha moments” occurred to people when they were not rigidly focused on their work.
If you go to a career counselor for assistance in finding a job, you will inevitably be asked, “What are you passionate about?” We live in a culture where doing work that we are “passionate” about is both the starting point and the end goal.
So what’s the problem? It’s simply this, for the majority of us, passion is not something that is discovered, but rather something that must be developed. It is difficult to pursue your passion because it usually fades over time. Passion can also lead us astray, sending us off into wildly unrealistic endeavors, so it is critical to recognize its limits. Your success depends on it.
Very few individuals truly have a “passion” that can translate into a worthwhile and lucrative career. Here we think of the creative arts or talent in the sporting fields.
So, learn to recognize good self-help advice when you sense an irrational aversion to following it within yourself. Hopefully, you will come to the realization, that you don’t have to be special to learn to live happily and that success is within your grasp, irrespective of your circumstances.
5. All you need is motivation
In its most basic form, self-motivation is the force that drives you to do things. However, the subject of self-motivation is far from straightforward. People can be motivated by a variety of factors, both internal and external, such as a desire to do something, a love for someone, or a financial need. Motivation is usually the result of a combination of factors.
The problem with many self-motivation programs is that the motivation experienced at these events is a fleeting feeling that is typically just excitement experienced when something is new. Once the excitement wears off the motivation disappears and failure sets in. Developing and understanding your own motivation can help you to gain control over many other aspects of your life. So if you want to achieve any level of success, choose wisely what programs you go for, before forking out your hard-earned cash.
6. You are Awesome / Special
At the very least, the above is unrealistic. Of course, it’s fine to feel special, but it won’t solve any of your real problems. Because working on yourself isn’t easy, real self-help advice is often extremely uncomfortable or difficult to follow, as it is a direct confrontation of your inner demons. It smacks your ego and pride in the face and tells you, ‘No. ‘You’re not all that special, really.’
Then there’s the paradox of it all.
Simply by looking for a self-help book — hoping to improve our lives somehow, we are having a negative experience because we are thinking that our lives are not what we would like them to be. In our pursuit of “better,” we devalue our current lives and miss out on what is right in front of us.
In my opinion, the problem with most self-improvement programs is that it is given from a safe distance, without understanding the issue, only touching the periphery, and is overtly superficial.
If you want to improve, either do it or wait for the problem to go away. Decide which is best for you and do it.
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