Sometimes I find that I am so busy that I keep moving forward without taking stock of exactly where it is that I am heading for. In our headlong rush towards goals, it is beneficial to occasionally pause and think about who we are and where we are going.
For those of us secure in our environment, and able to have long-term goals and ambitions, I’m sure the phrases “self-improvement”, “self-esteem” and “self-actualization” are familiar to us. The needs to be better, to be happier, and to achieve more are common ones, and are all worthy goals.
For those of us who still can’t figure out what exactly we want, and how we can become self-fulfilled people, a little guidance is probably welcome. Numerous successful people have written biographies and self-help books, and you would quickly run out of money buying all of them. Fortunately, the library does have a pretty good collection of such books, free for the taking (for the period of your loan entitlement, of course).
Type in the name of your favourite successful person and learn how people such as Peter Drucker, Barack Obama, Adam Khoo, Steve Wozniak and Richard Branson forged their way to success. Or if you prefer learning what habits or traits that successful people commonly have, try a search for “success”, “success in business” or “successful people”.
Arguably two of the most famous books are Dale Carnegie’s How to Win Friends and Influence People, which gone through numerous editions in several decades, and Stephen Covey’s The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, which has spawned numerous variations. Both books are worth a read, being full of advice which is at times common-sensical and at times thought provoking. One of my favorite habits from Covey’s book is to keep the end in mind – how often have we scrambled desperately in minutiae of life, and forgotten the larger goals we had been aiming for?
So when taking a break from lectures and assignments, trying grabbing a book for motivation, inspiration or curiosity. What you read might not change your life, but you may find some useful advice.
