Motivation and Why It Is Becoming Annoying

Self-help books often don’t take into account the personal circumstances and
experiences of each person, which is fine. But sometimes attempting to implement tips
within a time limit and standards of a book, and eventual discrepancy of real-life and what is
written in a book can leave you depressed and miserable. Simply what works for you, doesn’t
work for another person in the same way. There is no doubt that it is great to find inspiration
from other peoples’ success, but you need to find your own rhythm and create your own path, so
that self-improvement journey is not something unpleasant, forced and oppressive, but rather is
interesting, joyful, exciting and challenging in a good way. If you are to become the best version
of yourself, and you are consistent, then not measuring up to others shouldn’t scare or upset you,
your success will come to you eventually.

There is also a possibility that you could start obsessing over trying to read as many
motivational books as possible and then start to have a feeling that you already did something
useful for your self-improvement. While there is a truth to the previous sentence, because reading
is awesome, it should also be noted that most of the time self-help books are repetitive and
sometimes there is nothing really new you could learn, the same way as nothing better than a
balanced diet and exercise has been invented to achieve a slim and healthy body. So you could
actually waste your time by reading the same things in different interpretations unless, of course,
you don’t use it as a mantra that keeps you going.

When reading these sorts of books excessively, you could eventually feel overwhelmed
and even “disgusted”, and then develop a certain protest to this way of self-improvement. It is
almost like eating the same meal for breakfast, lunch, and dinner every day. Therefore, it is cool
to read diverse books depending on current preferences and mood. Because the above-mentioned
repulsion can permanently discourage you from reading motivational books at all, you may even
miss a worthy book on that topic later on that you would’ve actually enjoyed.

There is a quote by Euripides, “The best and safest thing is to keep a balance in your life,
acknowledge the great powers around us and in us. If you can do that, and live that way, you are
really a wise man.” While self-improvement and the continuous pursuit of goals are incredible,
balance is still crucial. It is okay not to be “a hamster in a wheel” from time to time. You don’t
have to be efficient and productive and exhaust yourself all the time. Do what makes you the best
version of yourself, but also be and stay kind to yourself. If you feel like reading a “dumb” book
like Twilight (even though I don’t think it’s dumb, I honestly love it), do it. If you feel like
staying in bed and re-watching The Office a hundred times in a row, instead of going for a jog, do it. The most important thing is to find a balance in everything, not only in reading habits
though.

Photo: DimaBerlin/shutterstock.com

You might also like:

The Silent Epidemic of Anxiety

Support us!

All your donations will be used to pay the magazine’s journalists and to support the ongoing costs of maintaining the site.