These 3 Books Helped Me Overcome My Worries and Creative Block

We all know what we should do in our lives, yet sometimes we get stuck. We may fall into the trap of negative thinking, making it difficult to find the motivation to move forward.

It would be great if someone could come to us and reiterate what we need to do. Books often serve as that reliable friend who does just that.

As a non-fiction enthusiast, I enjoy revisiting three of my favorite books that have helped me overcome my worries, find happiness, and achieve my goals without getting stuck in the process.

I would like to share what I have gained from reading these books and hope that it will also help you achieve greatness in your own life.

1. Keep Going by Austin Kleon

I read this book on my kindle after reading ‘Steal like an Artist’ by Austin Kleon. After completing it in one sitting, I immediately ordered a hard copy because I loved it so much.

People often focus on the end results when starting new goals. When I started blogging, I expected a lot of views. Similarly, when I decided to start a YouTube channel, I expected a larger subscriber count even before posting my first video.

Expecting results is common, but what do you do once you’ve achieved your goals?

I asked myself and realized that I don’t want to stop writing or creating videos simply because I’ve earned money. So, why should I dwell on the results?

Creativity is a process where every day you have to keep doing the same things over and over again. There’s no end to it until you pass away.

Imagine getting stuck in a time loop where, no matter what you do, you can’t move to the next day. You have to keep doing the same things repeatedly without seeing the end.

Now, try to answer this question: you wrote a book, and it became a national bestseller, selling millions of copies. On the next day, you need to write for your blog or start a new book. Could you complete that work within a minute?

No! Like a new writer, even the national best-selling author needs to start his next work from scratch.

Actionable advice: Create a routine

No matter what your goal is, try to develop a routine and follow it consistently without expecting immediate results.

There is no fixed formula for successful routine; you must find the routine that works best for you.

To establish your own routine, analyze your day by asking these questions:

• · When do you feel most energetic?

• · Are you an early riser or a night owl?

For instance, I’ll write in the morning after meditating for 10 minutes.

This book reminds me that it’s a new day, and I should start from scratch.

2. How to Stop Worrying and Start Living by Dale Carnegie

One businessman who had lost all his life savings and incurred a huge debt in his business was worried about his future. He decided to leave everything behind and seek another job for survival.

As he walked along the road, feeling defeated, he came across an old man in a wheelchair who had no legs. The old man greeted him with a smile and said, ‘Good morning, sir. It is a fine morning, isn’t it?’

After this incident, the businessman realized something and changed his decision, he went to the bank, where he convinced the manager to provide additional funds and reopened his business.

How often do we blame ourselves and act as if we have the worst problems in the world?

After reading this book, I went to my white board and wrote down this quote: “Every Day is a New day For Wise Men”

Worry or negative thinking can become quite common in the stressful modern job environment.

After completing college, I secured a corporate job. During that time, I found myself constantly worrying about my future, as I didn’t want to continue that job until retirement.

Looking back now, I can’t help but wonder why I assumed I would want to do that job for my entire carrier.

Worrying about the future, assuming it will be bad, can lead to dwelling on negative thoughts, increased stress levels, and ultimately, burnout.

Reading this book gave me a lifetime piece of advice: ‘Live one day at a time’.

You never know what the future holds, so why worry about it.

Actionable advice: Prepare for the worst-case scenario

• 1. Begin by asking yourself, “What is the worst that can happen with your worry?”

• 2. Prepare yourself mentally to accept the worst-case scenario.

• 3. Now, think how you can improve the worst-case scenario.

Focusing on improving your future today offers a higher chance of having a bright future.

3. The Happiness Equation by Neil Pasricha

Great Work → Big Success → Be Happy

Be Happy → Great Work → Big Success

One important takeaway from reading this book is “Happiness is not a destination; it’s a journey”

From childhood, we have been conditioned to postpone happiness:

• Do well in your exams, and you’ll be happy.

• Get a job, and you’ll be happy.

• Get married, and you’ll be happy.

• Get to retirement, and you’ll be happy.

Do you believe that you’ll be happy after accomplishing your goals?

No, after completing our goals, we create new goals. There is no end to this.

I thought starting a blog would make me happy, and it did, but it didn’t last long. Then, I wanted to earn money from it.

Similarly, people work harder for their promotion. Once they’ve achieved it, they again work overtime to secure their next promotion.

Goals keep changing in our lives. We always wanted more and fall into the trap of thinking that we can only enjoy in the future.

In the process of thinking about the future, we often miss out on enjoying the small moments in life.

We often overlook the small wins, yet these little things that bring us true happiness.

I love this parable: one man found a map that leads to happiness. Along his journey, he saw the beautiful tress, waterfalls and birds, but he never cared for anything. He just wanted to reach the end to see the happiness.

After reaching the end, he only saw a big rock, and on the rock, he noticed the words written: “Road Ends Here”

Actionable advice: Do any of these seven things for two straight weeks to feel happier.

• 1. Three Walks — Walk for 30 minutes at least three times a week.

• 2. The 20-minute Replay — Write about your positive experiences for 20 minutes.

• 3. Random acts of kindness — Perform five random acts of kindness.

• 4. A complete unplug — Disconnect from the internet after your working hours.

• 5. Hit Flow — Approach your tasks with mindfulness.

• 6. 2- minute meditation — Meditate for 2-minutes daily.

• 7. Five Gratitude — Write down the things you’re grateful for.

If you think that earning big checks will make you happy, then ask CEOs or great business people whether they’re happy after achieving it.

Conclusion

To summarize, three important takeaways I’ve applied in my life are as follows.

1. Live one day at a time.

2. Every day, you have to start from scratch. No matter what you achieve in life, you have to keep doing the same things repeatedly.

3. Don’t postpone your happiness. Try to enjoy the process.

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