julian_devid OP t1_j1w010x wrote on December 27, 2022 at 8:36 PM

Reply to comment by lydiardbell in Guys, in your experience, do personal development books really work? by julian_devid

oooh that's interesting, have you read a book about "wealth" for example rich dad poor dad, the richest man in Babylon etc. what do you think of these?

TaliesinsEnd t1_j1wevu3 wrote on December 27, 2022 at 10:16 PM

The only useful pieces of advice I found when I was into reading these were from Ramit Sethi.

A lot of his stuff is fluff but three that stuck out and helped me a lot in life were:

- Automate your finances. Autopay for bills, try to get them to happen all at the same time of the month so that you know when 95%+ of your bills are paid, deposits should go to savings and investment accounts as soon as possible and preferably before it even makes it into your checking account to begin with.

- It is far easier to make more money than it is to cut enough expenses to make a real difference in your life. Cutting expenses and sticking to personal austerity measures is also mentally exhausting whereas earning more tends to be energizing. I know this piece isn't for everyone. It worked well for me but one size doesn't fit all and I absolutely don't advocate side hustle culture as the end goal of personal finance. In my situation I went from working a more traditional role 70-80 hour weeks with constant office drama to consulting 40 hours a week and earning substantially more.

- You define what rich means in your life. Prioritize the stuff that's really important to you (even if it's something extravagant like a personal chef or chauffer) and don't bother with the crap that isn't as important. For me this manifests in having groceries delivered, a service pick up the dog poop from my yard, etc. because I put a high value on my personal time. Areas I don't really give a damn about/don't spend on include my car. I work from home, my only driving is to and from daycare. I feel absolutely no pressure to buy up from my 2015 Subaru while most of my neighbors have 6 figure vehicles.

boxer_dogs_dance t1_j1wa847 wrote on December 27, 2022 at 9:44 PM

I found a few useful points in the Millionaire Next Door. Likewise Eat that Frog. The Black Swan and Antifragile legitimately changed my perspective on some things.

But I think a lot of these books are just preying on insecurities and selling snake oil.

EmpRupus t1_j1ygpja wrote on December 28, 2022 at 9:18 AM

Not the same person but here's my take.

Self-help books are good if they address a very specific problem you are personally struggling with.

Like as an introvert, Susan Cain's "Quiet" helped me a lot. Or I had organizing problems at my job, and Marie Kondo's "Joy at Work" helped me a lot.

But if it is a random generic book like - 10 Habits of Rich People, or How to hack your mind and max your success, etc., they are either scams, or, they are a retelling of already well-known advice and not useful.