This article was originally very different. I was going step-by-step on how to organize this or how to journal that. Then, I realised that whole article wouldn't be as useful as what I'm about to say right now.

Think for yourself.

If you want to improve at a skill, you need to let yourself think. If you want to quit an addiction, you need to let yourself think. If you want to make a it anywhere in life, you need to let yourself think.

Now, you might hear this advice and think I'm Captain Obvious, but I am certain the majority of the people reading this article don't actually think properly. Try and remember the last time you let yourself ponder deeply on a topic that mattered to you. When was the last time that you turned everything off, went to a private place with no noise and just thought about different topics in depth?

A major problem with people's consumption of self-improvement guides and information is that they don't properly consider how to implement these tips in their lives and will just blindly follow the blanket advice given by the well-meaning influencer. Sure, they'll see a short-term improvement, but since they haven't seriously thought about how to apply these actions in their day-to-day lives, they fail to remain consistent in these "recommended" habits.

An even worse issue comes when, on occasion, the advice gained from these self-help gurus does make a permanent change in one's life. The typical pattern is then to take the word of that self-help guru and others like them as gospel and follow it to a T, without adapting the information to actually fit their unique scenario. This results in less thinking, which neuters the benefits of the advice given, since it isn't really advice and more like direct commands the viewer obeys.

This is why I try to avoid most of self-improvement YouTube, since it's mostly just a circle jerk of braindead kids following the exact steps of an influencer who actually thought about how their positive habits would influence their lives for the better.

So, what do I suggest, instead?

Firstly, I would recommend buying a notebook. I call mine the "Master Planner", which is a very cringy term for a journal where I plan my days and note down my thoughts.

Now, I'm not going to list the benefits and drawbacks of getting a notebook. Instead, I want you to stop reading this article and actually think about that first step. Consider all aspects of keeping and maintaining that book, consider what style of notebook you'd want to get, consider the time you would spend. Once you have considered all of this (and possibly more), then decide whether you're going to follow that step.

Secondly, whenever you see any self-development content, watch the whole video or read the whole article, get out this journal and write down a summary of what was talked about in this video. It is important that this summary is tailored towards you. For example, if the video talks about meditation and its benefits, it would help to write something like "Meditation would be beneficial to me because it would help me focus more on the present moment" or "I could meditate at night, since it would help me sleep easier."

Once again, I recommend that you stop reading this article and consider what I have just said. Consider how your previous decision to purchase a notebook affects this step and consider how much of an inconvenience you are willing to deal with to gain value from the content you watch.

Finally, when you encounter real problems in your life, you should go to a nice quiet room, take out this notebook and just think deeply about this problem, where it came from and how to solve it. If you can't think of a solution, look up people with your similar problem and see what they have to say (see the second step). Sitting alone with your thoughts is the only real way to improve yourself in any meaningful way and make progress in life.

You need to leave room for yourself to think if you want to see any changes in your lifestyle. Turn off the TV, close that browser tab and think.

tl;dr: stop blindly following online self-help gurus and use the brain God gave you to improve your life