If you are going to write a book I reckon self-help is a pretty lucrative sector of the market. While the authors in the literature genre struggle to make a dollar from their beautifully descriptive, emotionally challenging works of fiction the self-help crowd have the mighty dollar flowing in. They have learnt the skill of a multi-pronged approach – take one great idea, whip out a book, package up a seminar, hold private consulting which you can charge a bomb for ’cause you are a best-selling author, develop on on-line members course – there is no limit to the marketing options.
To this day I find myself drawn to the self-help section of the bookstore. The titles suggest ways to solve my financial problems, create happiness, unearth my life’s passions, fulfil my secret ambitions, manage my relationships. The solution to each one of my life’s dissatisfactions seem to lie on the shelves of the self-help corner.
I’ve spent a fortune on the books and here’s the result of my attempts to live their advice.
Mothers of young children can find some “me time” by losing their perfectionist tendencies – ignore the dishes in the sink and take 30 minutes to yourself.
I may have embraced this one a little too enthusiastically. A bio-hazard team remains on constant alert to fumigate our house due to my neglecting household duties to blog, read and write the great Australian novel.
The Power of Positive Thinking
Like Pollyanna I’ve tried to think happy thoughts, always looking on the bright side of life. Unfortunately bad, sad and shitty things happen even when you are sitting in the garden chanting to yourself “I’m feeling positive we can overcome these challenges”.
The Law of Attraction
You attract success to yourself. Yes you do and then you proceed to question whether it’s the right thing for you and decide you just really can’t manage with all your other responsibilities and then wave it goodbye while you fluff about.
A Budget is the Key to Retiring With Millions In the Bank
So help me the budgets I’ve written. Unfortunately, they never seem to add up so I tend to forget about them and go back to juggling. Retiring with millions in the bank is no longer an option – unless my blog suddenly goes viral and develops millions upon millions of followers and I figure out what the whole “monetising your blog” is about. Retiring at all is looking doubtful. Meanwhile the children’s inheritance is a mortgage-from-hell with the hope they can sell the unfinished house for as much as the bank is demanding. Note to self, don’t die until you’ve built up some equity in Shambles Manor (and at least got the flooring down).
Discover Your Passion And Your Life Will Be Perfect
Really helpful if your passion could be something that brings in some cash. I, however, managed to acquire a passion which doesn’t pay well. Hello to the other trillion wanna-be-writers out there. My failure at the budgeting rules (see above) means mortgage-paying activities are ahead of the passion every day.
Communication is the Key to Relationship Harmony
This one assumes you spend time with your significant other in a setting not involving interrupting children, misbehaving dogs, and a to-do list stretching metres. Communication tends to involve dealing with the current crisis, tossing a coin to see who is cooking dinner while the other collects a child from band, sorted, moving on. We do communicate though – just this morning there was lengthy discussion over who forget to buy milk.
Are you a self-help junkie? Has any of it worked for you?
orples says
Janine, I have to laugh at your humorous outlook, even though I do realize that a lot of it is written from real life frustration. I’ve been there, done that, and can really feel your pain. I used to buy a lot of self help books, too … few of which actually helped. Thank God for google … now I just pay Comcast for internet service and search for what I need online. FYI, I’m great at budging. It would, however, be nice to have some money to budget. LOL. One day, maybe both of our ships will come in.
shambolicliving says
I am so glad it makes you laugh – it makes the pain worth it to know I can give you a giggle.
deaconhayes says
I can relate to you on the whole desire to learn and grow. One of my favorite quotes is from Abraham Lincoln, “I don’t think much of a man who is not better today than he was yesterday.” I think that even though we can make mistakes and fall off track, it is important to reflect where we went wrong and adjust our course. Especially, when it comes to our finances. My wife and I do our best to do a monthly budget. Sometimes we get off track, but we always reflect back and do what’s necessary to get back on course 🙂
shambolicliving says
I’m adjusting like crazy, thanks for visiting the blog.
Rachel @ The Kids Are All Right says
There is still clearly a hole in the market for a book healing those people who worked in commercial radio 1980-2000. It will finally bring together your life experience and your writing skills, and all that pain will be worth it. You can call it “Radio Recovery”. You can thank me in your foreword.
shambolicliving says
That’s all I needed a little bit of direction.