Parting Shot

The final chapter of the book Self-Help Stuff That Works

by Adam Khan:

YOU NOW HAVE in your possession over a hundred tested, proven principles. Apply them and they will work for you. But watch out for two sneaky, tricky factors that can spoil your progress: enthusiasm and greed.

Enthusiasm is a powerful force, and, like electricity or nuclear power, it is important to control that power carefully or it can fry you. Too much enthusiasm can cause overwhelm and burnout.

Greed isn't too far from enthusiasm. Remember the children's story of the goose that laid the golden eggs? Its lesson applies to this book. The owner of the goose didn't want to wait for the golden eggs to come out one at a time. He killed the goose to get all the eggs right away and he wound up with nothing. If you try to get all the value contained within these pages quickly, if you try to apply too many principles at once, you will reap very little constructive change. Most changes require concentration and it is a limitation of the human mind that it cannot concentrate on many things at once.

Choose a few, preferably only one principle, and concentrate on it. Make it your theme for a few days, a week, a month. At some point you will have gained a certain naturalness or automaticity with it - a mastery - and it will then be time to choose another principle to concentrate on.

Although this seems a slow way, it's the best way to reap the most benefits in the long run. I wish you well.

Concentrate on only one principle at a time.

Here are the instructions from the second chapter of Self-Help Stuff That Works, also about how to use the book for maximum benefit:
How to Use This Book

Do you feel that there is a better way to change and if you were more willing to put out money or effort you would really change? It's nonsense. Find out why:
Self-Help

next: Making Changes Stic