Are Books the Solution or Just Another Problem? Let's Decode

Grab your coffee, take a seat, and get comfy. I've got a fresh thought for you to chew on today, one that may save you from drowning in a sea of self-help and business books.

So, picture this: your desk is a labyrinth of business and self-help books. Each one you bought to solve a specific problem and yet you still have the same problems. Feeling reassured yet? Yeah… same.

This weeks question:

How many business dilemmas have your books actually helped you unravel? Let's sit on that one.

If your Twitter feed looks anything like mine, it’s full of threads about the "next transformative business book." It's as if we've been drafted into a book club without anyone bothering to let us know.

Chances are, you've either written one yourself or bought a few book recommendations yourself.

If this feels like a personal attack, it’s not. This is a plea from someone who fell victim to the "knowledge equals power" trap, gobbling up business books like a starved Pac-Man.

It seems we're suffering from a common delusion that we must digest every last bit of information before we can start applying it.

Reality check: If I read a 500-page book to you, amidst life's interruptions and building a business how much would you actually remember? Unless you have photographic memory, I’d bet not much.

Here's an idea that took me a few hundred unrealized solutions to discover: When you're reading to solve a problem, are you actually using that newfound wisdom to build a solution? Or are you just building an impressive, dust-gathering library?

Russell Brunson taught me this little trick on how to read (yes, it feels just as weird saying it as it does typing it):

Business books lay out their framework in the table of contents. You don't have to consume the whole book, just start where you’re struggling.

And voilà! You have a perfectly digestible meal instead of a five-course banquet you can actually finish.

Here’s my 5-step recipe to read a book (to solve problems):

1. Identify a problem: What keeps you up at night?

2. Choose your weapon, err... book: From your pile of books, choose one that addresses your problem.

3. Dive into a chapter:: You don't need to conquer Rome in a day, just start with one hill.

4. Read that chapter: Dig through the anecdotes, inspiring quotes, and compelling data until you stumble upon an actionable step.

5. Do something about it: Lay the groundwork. Implement what you've learned, and refine it to suit your needs.

if you're all booked out? Here's Plan B:

1. Follow the author on Twitter: For bite-sized insights without the fluff.

2. Slide into their DMs: Surprisingly, many authors and entrepreneurs are receptive to conversations with people who WANT help.

3. Pay for their time: One-on-one consultations can be pricy, but they're a goldmine of tailored advice.

Still skeptical of the book-less options?

In January, I commented under one of my favorite thought leaders, Cliff Ravenscraft, and then threw my phone across the room because I’m such a professional. Fast forward, he’s been helping me pro-bono to reach my coaching goals. In case you have no idea who Cliff is, he’s a business coach that’s helped people like the founder of the podcast Enterpreneurs on Fire. I’ll link the episode he guest starred in below.

Warning: If you end up on a Ravenscraft binge, you didn’t hear about him from me.

So, back to answer the question of the week: Can books solve your problems? Yes, but only if you stop drowning in them and start using them as your lifeboat.

The Cliff Ravenscraft podcast episode:

Shameless plug: If you want a more in-depth story or questions to help you rethink reading — I wrote a Medium post about it.

That’s it for this week! What did you think? Respond to this email or just reach out and say hello. It’s not like I keep tabs on email responses — Okay just a lil.

See you next week,

Nichole Morris