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All the Best-Selling Self-Help Books, Boiled Down to 20 Simple Rules
The key life lessons in all the bestsellers.
Self-help books are everywhere. They’ve been around for centuries. I’ve read hundreds. They all promise to unlock the secrets to a great life. But most of them recycle the same old advice. The core principles? They’re all pretty much the same. So, to save you time, I’ve summarised them for you. Just 20 rules to takeaway. This post is my attempt to condense the repeated lessons of an entire genre into single post. I’m excited to share this with you. Hope you find them useful.
# 1. Make your daily practice too tiny to fail
(Atomic Habits, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, The Lean Startup, The Slight Edge)
— A perfect time will never come. Stop waiting. Save yourself now.
— Small, consistent actions matter more than one-time efforts.
— Motion creates clarity — start now, adjust as you go.
— The first step is the hardest; take it anyway.
— Progress beats perfect outcomes every time.
# 2. Your mindset determines your reality every day
(Mindset, The Magic of Thinking Big, The Power of Now, Awaken the Giant Within)
— Fixed mindset: “I can’t.” Growth mindset: “I can learn.”
— Focus on abundance, not scarcity.
— The past is over; the future is uncertain. Now is the only advantage.
— Your beliefs control your actions and results.
— Stick to thoughts that make you come alive.
# 3. Discipline > motivation
(Can’t Hurt Me, Make Your Bed, The War of Art, No Excuses!)
— Motivation is temporary. Discipline gets things done.
— Push through resistance — the hardest part is starting.
— Small habits compound into massive results over time.
— Willpower is a muscle — train it daily.
— Put your environment to work.
