Summary

The article discusses the challenges of writing about self-improvement and the author's journey to finding authenticity in their writing by moving beyond conventional self-help topics to explore more profound human experiences.

Abstract

The author reflects on the pitfalls of writing about self-improvement, highlighting the pressure to produce unique content in a saturated market and the personal crisis that can arise when one's own advice fails to resonate. The piece suggests that rather than focusing solely on self-improvement, writers should aim to share experiences that evoke emotions and provide a fresh perspective on life. It emphasizes the importance of writing about things that one genuinely cares about, thus offering readers a chance to connect with the writer's truth and find beauty in the mundane. The author encourages embracing the uniqueness of personal stories, arguing that each individual's perspective can transform the way readers experience the world.

Opinions

Writing about self-improvement can lead to feelings of inauthenticity and fraudulence, especially when personal advice no longer applies to the writer's life.
The self is a complex and elusive concept, with only a few individuals, such as enlightened beings, seemingly possessing a deep understanding of its nature.
Writers should strive to take readers beyond survival and the mind by writing for the emotions and sharing adventures, beauty, and unfamiliar experiences.
The pressure to follow writing advice and produce content that resonates with readers can make writing feel like a chore rather than an expression of joy.
Each individual's story is valuable and unique, and sharing these stories can enrich readers' experiences in ways that self-improvement advice may not.

WRITING | CREATIVITY

What to Write about When You’re Tired of Writing about Self-Improvement

Writing about self-improvement makes me feel like a fraud.

Photo by Murilo Simoes from Pexels (Edited by Author)

You’ve read the stories. There are tons and tons of irrefutable evidence in favor of the simple truth: That on the internet, self-improvement works. You want to make it. Nay, you need to make it. So you figure that if you could write the next viral “how to improve your life” story then maybe you’d be set for life.

But you’re new; fresh actually. You wonder what fresh angle a newbie like you can take in the wild jungle that self-improvement on the internet can be. “Oh I will just observe myself,” you think. “My experience is unique. That’s what will set me apart.”

To ensure that your work is truly unique, you even do some due diligence. You research your topic of choice and find that no one has tackled the problem from your angle. You find that no one has talked about the particular steps you used to overcome early morning depression. You’re excited. You start typing and eventually publish even. You get so many views.

Two days later you receive a negative message from your ex. You feel depressed. You can’t get out of bed. You remember your viral self-help article. The one about how you overcame morning depression. You try to follow your own advice but in vain. It doesn’t work anymore. Your smart-ass mind has found a way of rationalizing its way out of your own advice. You feel like a fraud. You’re a fraud. You feel even more depressed.

This story happened to me.

Well, not this exact story. But a version of it.

In my version, there was no viral article(of course). There was an idea. A beautiful idea. A revolutionary idea about overcoming procrastination. I felt it in my bones. I wrote it down, outlined it, and everything and put it to rest. I waited a few days to get around to it. I had other things to do in the meantime.

And thank God I did for when I finally dug the idea out of my archives it no longer applied to my situation.

Self-Improvement Is a Fickle Business

What is the self? Do you know? Does your teacher, your pastor, your best friend, know? Is it the mind? Is it the body? Is it your emotions? Your soul? What is it really? Can you see what I am getting at?

No one really knows.

Actually, a few people seem to know. Enlightened beings. People like Sadhguru, Eckhart Tolle, Mooji — these people seem to know all sorts of things. Things that are not taught in school. Things that are not written in the bible or the Quran or that psychology textbook. From the mysteries of the Universe to the nature of our existence to the reality of the ‘self.’

I am not enlightened. I don’t entirely understand what the ‘self’ is. Most times, I don’t feel qualified to talk about anything ‘self’ related.

If you’re like me. If you feel the same way about self-improvement, here is what you can do instead. Here is what to write about in the meantime.

The Truth Shall Set You Free

I have an alternative proposition for you: Give me an experience with your words.

There are more aspects, more dimensions to being alive than reproduction and survival. There’s more to being human than amassing a larger paycheck.

“Once you’ve come as a human, you’re not trapped anymore. Other creatures are trapped in their own instincts, beyond that they cannot think. You have instincts for survival, but you have the possibility of going beyond instincts.” — Sadhguru

So please my dear writer, take me beyond my instincts. Take me beyond my survival and my mind.

Write for my emotions — not my mind. Take me on an adventure with your sentences. Speak your truth with your words. Talk about things that you really care about. I truly enjoy watching people talking about things they enjoy. Write about an unusual but beautiful encounter. Teach me how to see beauty in the most mundane of things.

Paint foreign worlds within me using your paragraphs. Write about something unfamiliar. Oh, I hope you write about something that doesn’t make sense. Because then my mind will stop racing while trying to understand what you’re talking about. I hope I can finally rest and lose myself in the seemingly meaningless embrace of your words.

Take me on an adventure with your writing. That will be your gift to me. You don’t need to tell me how to become better at surviving. You can simply use your story to make my experience of this moment much more profound.

While it’s true that there’s nothing new under the sun, no two sunsets will ever be the same. They can be similar but they will never be the same. That’s the beauty of life. No two experiences of the same event will ever be the same. That’s how important you are. Share your story with the world. It doesn’t have to be about self-improvement.

I am a relatively new writer, and because of it, I tried to steal like an artist. To copy what works. In the end, I started feeling like a fraud. I even detested my craft for a while.

It’s easy to get entangled in the vast web of writing advice: Omit needless words. Avoid passive voice. Write for the reader. But let me ask you a question: How do you feel when you write? Do you feel like your writing is an expression of your joy? Or does it feel like a chore? And if feels like a chore, maybe it's time to make some changes.

There is nothing wrong with writing about self-improvement. But also, there is nothing wrong with not writing about self-improvement.