In her latest audiobook Kick Ass bestselling author Mel Robbins of The 5 Second Rule Fame, explains the 8 most common reasons why people get stuck in their lives.
Her view is that instead of blaming yourself and feeling so miserable that you confine yourself to yet another duvet day, there are ways to end self-sabotaging behavior.
It’s all about identifying the root cause of your stress which when dealt with, will change your ‘but I always do this,’ narrative.
So quit the blame game and check out the best self-help audio books to start overcoming negative blocks and change your mindset for the better.
If you need a brutally honest yet touching account of the frailties of the human mind and race read How to be Human: The Manual written and narrated by the very courageous Ruby Wax.
1. Procrastination
As children we all grew up with the old adage “Don’t put off tomorrow what you can do today.” Yet many of us put off things we don’t want to confront.
Contrary to popular belief, procrastination has nothing to do with laziness, poor work ethic or simply being incapable of getting things done.
The root cause of your procrastination is all down to unidentified stress in some area of your life. If you uncover the root, remove the stress; being decisive and making things happen will become a lot easier.
Offers helpful hints and tips to make changes in your personal and private life. Some life-changing insights into the barriers to success, helping you transform procrastination into productivity.
2. You’ve tried to quit bad habits but you can’t
Habits act as a memory code that our brains rely on. At the root of every habit is a trigger. Feel, hear, smell, sense and taste are all triggers that keep us in the habit loop. In order to break the habit the brain needs to find a new routine or way of doing something. Be kind and compassionate to yourself and work through a way of not relying on the triggers and finding a new normal.
Russell Brand has often made the headlines for his off the wall behavior. In this intense but riveting journey of addiction, he confronts his demons to offer an authentic and essential 12-step programme to help refocus your life.
3. Find your passion
It sounds like the easiest thing but so few people find what really fires them. When you’re at school you know instinctively what your favourite subjects are and what you excel in. Sadly, as we reach adulthood and the pressures mount to find a job, most people seem to fall into something as opposed to following their dream. This book is for people who need to reconnect with their authentic selves.
The book starts with the premise that successful people have one thing in common; passion. It is literally like having a life coach by your side helping you find your ‘thing’ again. With writing at the end of each section, every line is amazing, intriguing and inspiring.
4. You never have enough time
This is probably the mantra for the times we live in. Most people are time poor. So here’s a tip, instead of saying ‘Yes,’ to everything straight away, try saying ‘Sounds like a great idea, can I get back to you?’ give yourself time to think, to see if you can fit in yet another commitment whether it’s in work or your personal life. Being busy is often a deliberate distraction from confronting other issues that are just too painful to deal with.
Gail Thomas takes us through case studies that show that when we are drowning in work deadlines we close down creativity and innovation. She teaches us what it is to delegate so that we can focus on more enjoyable pursuits, leading to a more successful career and a happier life.
5. You don’t do the things you need to do
This has absolutely nothing to do with how smart you are. We all know what tasks to prioritise, yet many of us self-sabotage. We don’t carve the time out for ourselves and ignore the things that we should really be concentrating on. The only way to tackle this is to take action. Start small, try to get just one thing done in a week and see your confidence grows.
Based on over 20 years of research, this book explains how to set goals and achieve them. Brian Tracy is a passionate speaker, with a reassuring voice who discusses the essential principles to help realise your dreams.
6. You quit what you start
Completing a task is something that eludes many people. Delve into your past though and you’ll probably find that quitting has become your coping strategy when things get hard. Just because this habit has become your ‘modus operandi’ doesn’t mean you can’t embrace the joy of getting things done.
Michael Heppell’s engaging style really brings this book alive; helping to unlock your potential with a no-nonsense, take action approach. Full of anecdotes and stories it’s an inspirational read from start to finish.
7. You’ve been complaining about the same problem for years
If this is familiar territory, chances are you struggle with taking responsibility to fix the problem. Complaining helps us get sympathy from others who are colluding with ‘the story’ we want to portray. Once we realize that we don’t need to be validated by others, we can retrain the mind and the stories we create to get to the root of the problem.
This soothing and healing guided meditation programme offers positive suggestions to calm the mind so it learns to think positively, removing self-doubt and negativity. Let happiness, peace and fulfillment flow into your life.
8. You are not your past
Too many of us let our past define us. We carry the scars of events and memories. It’s time to make peace with the past, learn from it but move on. Embrace the phrase, ‘Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, today is a gift that’s why it’s called the present.’ Celebrate how far you’ve come instead of giving yourself a bad time about your past. Take control and realize you have the power to re-write your own history.
Holding onto worry only roots us in the past, according to New York Times best-selling author Dr Jennifer Alison. This short, succinct read is packed with good advice and information helping to overcome feelings of low self-esteem, worry and guilt towards happiness.
Discover more self-help audiobooks.
