You Need This Book to Understand NO-BS Success

You're probably asking, "What self-help books should I read?" I might be able to provide some recommendations. But, before I get into the self-help/psychology book I'm currently reading, there are a few factors to consider.

Is it worthwhile to buy self-help books? Useful? Why are certain self-help books reliable while others are harmful or should be avoided?

To begin with, self-help can include a wide range of themes, including personal finance, investing, psychology, and others. As you'll see shortly, my advice is based on psychological sciences, but the book's content may be applied to sports, finance, and a variety of other industries. Now for the answers to the questions:

Are self-help books worth it? Well, it depends on what their content is based upon, and who has written it. Naturally, people who are not PhD or MD graduates can also write great helpful books, but it’s always good to research the authors to see if they have the credential to talk about what they are talking about. For content, it depends on the general field on which the book is written upon. In the case of Psychology books, for example, it is best if the suggestions made in the book are based on research, and are supported by scientific methods. This point answers also the question about which books to avoid: books written by charlatans, or that are based on nothing more than anecdotes mistaken for science. Note, I do not mean that personal stories cannot be helpful, it depends on the claims they make.

My Favourite Self-Help/Psychology Book: Grit, by Angela Duckworth

Published in 2016, Grit still stands as the most insightful book I have read in the non-fiction category. The book generally explains how grit, in other words determination and perseverance, is the true key to success. Not IQ levels, not money (though these help), but grit.

Angela Duckworth.

Angela Lee Duckworth, born in 1970, is an American psychologist, author, and researcher. She is an Upenn professor who does research on grit and self-control.

She is presently the co-host of the Freakonomics radio network show No Stupid Questions.

Lessons from the books

Grit, according to Angela, is passion targeted at long-term performance and tenacity, with no special emphasis on rewards or acclaim in the process. When you combine resilience, drive, and self-control while pursuing goals that will take months, years, or even decades, you have a prescription for grit.

My personal takeaways are as follows:

Never lose sight of the importance of focusing on a few key issues; set a good example.

Never give up. As the book exemplifies success stories come out of not giving up after experiencing failure. They come from putting in the time relentlessly. Time, passion, and resilience.

Failure is part of everyone’s life, but, can you remember a time when you didn’t let it push you down? When you fought for something you loved?

After some time, not giving up will make us masters at whatever we want. No matter talent, IQ, or divine luck. That’s how champions become champions, how writers become successful despite being rejected 100 times, how I’ll graduate — hopefully — regardless of my mediocre grades.

Focus on what’s important. Prioritise and follow through. Sometimes there are people that make us think “How do they do it all?”, then there are jacks of all trades and masters of none. We cannot be successful in anything and everything (at least the majority of us can’t). That’s why it’s important that we focus on a few things that we’re really passionate about and dedicated ourselves to them.

Finally, and maybe most importantly, lead by example. The people around us (peers, colleagues, family), and especially the younger ones, will benefit incredibly by learning grit and a growth mindset. We can spread the verb generally in two different ways: by modelling behaviour, by initiating discussions around perseverance. You can build a strong working team on the basis of “work hard, be passionate, don’t let failure stop you” ground. And more importantly, you can help raise strong and successful children with the same principles.