I just finished reading Steve Pavlina’s book, Personal Development for Smart People.  My overall summary?  This is one book that you can definitely judge by its cover! Okay, I’ll explain.

First, “personal development” is just that – personal - development – read each word separately.   Personal development is not motivation:  this book will not, in and of itself, motivate you.  Steve is not a cheerleader.  I’m not saying this to be negative, I just know that a lot of people buy “personal development” books because they want to be motivated, uplifted, inspired to take action, etc.  This is not one of those books.

Did I grow on a personal level?  Yes.  Was I motivated to take action while reading this book?  No.  Has this book changed my life?  Absolutely.   (I can hear a collective **sigh** coming from you, so let me explain further.)

Secondly, the book is titled, “Personal Development for Smart People.”  As a business educator for over 18 years, I have had to personally change my writing style for the sake of communicating with the common public many times.  On my last corporate project, I was told to write on a seventh-grade level.  (Talk about the dumbing down of America – but that’s another post!)  I could not help but wonder if Steve was told the same, because the writing style itself reminded me of how we were forced to write when we were in the seventh grade – you know – state your point and then back it up with an average of seven paragraphs!  It just seemed strange to me that a book for “smart people” would be so daunting to read.

On the other hand, my husband, who’s a dentist, loved the writing style as he is used to that manner, and he would certainly qualify as a smart person.  Perhaps I have become too accustomed to entertainment in the books (and blogs) I read.  I’ll spend some time reflecting on that and let you know!  Maybe I just missed the witty, unpredictable style I’ve grown accustomed to in Steve’s blog.  Or maybe after 22 years of reading and writing in the personal development industry, there were just a lot of topics I was already familiar with and had to “wade through.”

With that being said, I did have two major breakthroughs, one professional, and the other personal, while reading this book.

The first one, more professional in nature, came on page 53.  I write and speak a great deal about the importance of goal setting, but many times I feel as if most people in the audience miss the point; they either grab onto it with the wrong intentions, or they reject the concept because they don’t want to become a “control freak.”   Steve explains the basic paradigm behind goal setting very well here:

“The purpose of goal setting isn’t to control the future. . . The point of goal setting is to improve the quality of your present-moment reality.  Setting goals can give you greater clarity and focus right now.”  (The underscore is my doing.)

Thanks, Steve, for hitting that nail on the head for me.  I will likely quote this passage in future presentations.  (I feel another blog post coming on, too, so stay tuned !)

My personal revelation came on page 67 and it felt as if my spirit was speaking directly to me through the pages of this book:

“You aren’t here to be weak and passive.  You’re here to shine.”

I modified my mission statement after reading that.  Need I say more?

Overall I say the book is a must-read if you’re into personal development and one you will definitely want to add to your library.  It is chock full of good ideas, in fact, never before have I found so many examples and honest methods for self-development in one book.   If you’re new to personal development, expect to be camping out with this book for a few months, and it will serve as a good reference for several years.

If you’re truly a smart person, you’ll be able to skip past the superfluous material and hone in on the gems that will truly help you grow.

Now, isn’t that what Personal Development for Smart People should be about?

Until next time,
Live joyfully!

P.S. – I’ve just added a special value to one of my upcoming presentations – everyone who signs up for my “Eliminate Clutter and Organize Your Life” webinar through TheSelfHelpSchool.com will receive a free copy of the e-book.  Use the ad below and register today!

Posted under Motivation