Law Of Attraction Tip: Self Help Vs Shelf Help

Humans are information collectors.  We like to know all about the things we're interested in.  That's a good thing because it helps us grow and expand.  But with the sheer volume of information available today it's easy to get overwhelmed and quickly move from self help to shelf help.

Shelf help is defined as researching, getting all the books, audios and courses available, studying and learning but then never doing anything with that.  While learning is a good thing, falling into the pit of shelf help can actually be detrimental to your growth.  Here are several reasons shelf help can harm rather than help you:   

1. It can lull you into a false sense of security.  Spending huge amounts of time on research can make it feel like you're making progress when you actually you aren't.  It's like constantly checking airline rates but never booking a flight.


2. It can make you feel inadequate and uncertain.  Some people fall into the trap of feeling like they're never quite ready so they keep getting one more bit of information in the hopes that it has that magic piece that will finally get them moving.  It's like they become a perpetual student - full of knowledge but not confident enough to step out into the world and use it.
   
3. It can be overwhelming and confusing.  Some information is a good thing but you can get to a point of too much.  The more you research the more you'll find different people contradict one another which can be confusing when you're trying to decide which route to take.
   
4. It can lead to indecision. Because of all the information available you may not know what to decide so you decide to wait a little longer.  Which turns into a lot longer.  Which turns into never. This is indecision and it keeps you from getting what you want.

Self help on the other hand takes that information then uses it to move toward a goal.  So you still do the research, collect material and study but then you make a decision and take action.  You acknowledge that you don't have all the information (no one ever does) but you step out with confidence knowing that you can always change course as you learn more. 

Self help is proactive and takes you toward your goals - shelf help paralyzes you and stunts your growth.

Which serves you better?