after reading over 200 self-improvement books

After reading over 200 self-improvement books over the past thirty years I have determined all self-improvement and success come down to five keystone lessons that all other principles rest upon.

1. Mindset determines your success.
2. Goals create the map to your success.
3. Modeling shows what leads to success. 
4. Systems create the path to your success. 
5. Perseverance makes you successful.

...To succeed in life, you must develop a positive and growth-oriented mindset that allows you to overcome challenges and learn from your mistakes. You should set realistic and achievable goals that are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound. You must create a system of processes, routines, and habits that help you consistently and efficiently move closer to achieving your goals. Finally, you must cultivate the habit of perseverance, which enables you to keep going even when things get tough and never give up on your goals. This is what 200 self-help books will teach you.

Steve Burns

I Read 200 Self-Improvement Books To Learn These 5 Lessons. New Trader U. March 12, 2023. 

years of effort

One of the biggest New Year's resolutions clichés involves someone saying they'll start going to the gym three times a week, attacking the goal passionately at first, and then fizzling out by mid-February.

According to [Jocko] Willink's explanation, the reason why such a resolution is so easily broken is that it's isolated and flexible. The alternative is to incorporate a level of discipline into your entire life, shifting your mindset and adjusting routines as necessary.

So instead of saying that for 2018 you'll go to the gym three times each week, set aside some gym clothes tonight, wake up 30 minutes earlier than usual tomorrow, and exercise. Keep forcing yourself to do that every morning, not three out of seven, and don't worry about annual goals at first.

"Getting stronger, healthier, smarter, wealthier — getting better — none of these things happen from a mere one day of effort," Willink said. They all takes weeks, months, and years of effort for results to show."

Richard Feloni

"A retired Navy SEAL commander explains exactly why people don't stick to their New Year's resolutions — and how you can do better" Business Insider. January 2, 2018.