Helping Me Help Myself

In Helping Me Help Myself, author Beth Lisick undertakes a year-long journey through the self-help industry. She immerses herself in the teachings of prominent gurus like Stephen Covey, Jack Canfield, and Richard Simmons, following their programs and philosophies. The book chronicles Lisick's month-by-month experiences as she tackles different areas of her life - from organization to finances to relationships. She attends seminars, reads bestselling books, and puts various expert strategies into practice while maintaining her skepticism and sense of humor. Through real-world application of self-improvement principles, Lisick tests whether these popular methodologies can create meaningful change in her life. She documents both her successes and failures as she navigates this multi-billion dollar industry. The narrative explores the intersection of cynicism and sincere desire for personal growth, raising questions about authenticity in the self-help movement. Through her experiment, Lisick's story speaks to the universal human drive for transformation and the complex relationship between external guidance and internal change.

Readers describe this as a lighter take on the self-help journey compared to similar books. Many found Lisick's self-deprecating humor and frank observations relatable, with several noting her ability to poke fun at both herself and the self-help industry while still treating the core concepts seriously. Readers appreciated: - Personal anecdotes balanced with actual self-help insights - Humorous writing style - Realistic portrayal of attempting lifestyle changes Common criticisms: - Too superficial in exploring each expert/method - Not enough depth or meaningful transformation - Some found the tone too snarky Ratings: Goodreads: 3.3/5 (1,200+ ratings) Amazon: 3.7/5 (50+ ratings) One reader noted: "She manages to be both skeptical and open-minded about the whole process." Another criticized: "Each chapter feels like a drive-by rather than a deep dive into any particular method."

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Up for Renewal by Cathy Alter A woman spends twelve months following advice from women's magazines to overhaul her career, relationships, and daily habits.

My Year of Living Biblically by A. J. Jacobs A writer follows every rule in the Bible for one year, exploring ancient practices in modern life while documenting the challenges and revelations.

Julie and Julia by Julie Powell A frustrated office worker cooks her way through Julia Child's cookbook in one year, documenting her culinary successes and failures during this self-imposed challenge.

🌟 Author Beth Lisick funded her unconventional self-help journey by working as a "standardized patient," acting out medical symptoms for training doctors. 🌟 The book chronicles exactly one year (January to December) of the author's attempts to follow advice from different self-help gurus, including Richard Simmons and Stephen Covey. 🌟 During her chapter on organization with Julie Morgenstern, Lisick discovered over 60 tubes of lip balm scattered throughout her house. 🌟 While researching the book, Lisick attended a $5,000 seminar by motivational speaker Jack Canfield, creator of the "Chicken Soup for the Soul" series. 🌟 Despite her initial skepticism of self-help culture, Lisick ultimately found that her credit score improved by 100 points and her income doubled after applying some of the lessons learned during her year-long experiment.