Make it Count

HOW TO DO THINGS WITHOUT READING A "HOW TO"

If you understood season 1 of this blog, you would not be reading this.

Still with me? I thought so...

Previously....

They tell you how to do something, how to do everything! They are called Self- Help books. They have all kinds of titles that make them a must read. I call them “How to” books. They have titles like 'How to get whatever you want,' 'How to win friends and influence people,' 'How to help your husband get rich so you don’t have to work!' and they are really nice books. Most successful men have a “how to” attached to their success. Bill Clinton himself attributes his success to 'How to get control of your time and your life' by Alan Lakein. ( you can read tehe book if you want, never know you could be the next American president!)
You’ve probably bought a “How to” for your library already. ..

And now....

“How to” books are said to help an individual or a group better themselves economically, intellectually and emotionally. They tend to create a placebo effect where by the reader is conceived that it will work because they believe it will work. They have been criticised for creating a pseudoscientific assertion that tend to mislead the customer.

However, there is growing evidence that psychological therapies for anxiety, depression and other common mental problems can be delivered through books, computer programs and other media. People tend to prefer to solve problems on their own but they end up seeking easy answers through “how to” books which may not be easy to apply. Some people may not be willing to apply what the book says to real life situations and most people quote insights basing on Jackets and titles.

However, the craze for “How to” books has overwhelmed all men, you and I can only try to resist the pressure of thinking you must read a “how to” to do it. After all, we end up spending all the time reading the “How to” and the next book by the same author without really having time to practice. So how do we avoid the pressure?

By reading this "how to" of course

1. Read the “How to” but don’t take everything in it as gospel truth. What worked for Stephen Covey may not work for you, but of course you can compare notes!

2. Follow your conscience. If you have read “how to” books like I have, you realise that what they suggest is what you thought about or what you have been thinking of doing. I for example read “How to get whatever you want” and number one was, Ask! This seems so obvious, its what your conscience would tell you, so listen to your conscience.

3. Use your own method. Try out something new. Write your own “how to” and follow that. Decide what you want to do and how you want to do it. There is no one correct way of doing things. Your own way is in your head not in a “How to”.

4. Relax over a “How to” but don’t read it like reading it cover to cover while making notes will make you a millionaire the next day. I tried to read a “How to” on Stress Management, but I realised reading it was stress itself.

Relaxing over a “how to” however is good. You can pick one or two lines, after all, we all learn from somewhere and it could be from a “How to.” And in case you haven’t noticed, this article is a “How to!”

4. Finally, the only way to get rich from a "how to" is by writing one...