11 reasons you need to know about joining a book club

I love this quote from Haruki Murakami “If you only read the books that everyone else is reading, you can only think what everyone else is thinking.”

And if you’re anything like me, I don’t want to be thinking the same as everyone else. I want to be different. I want to stand out. I want to succeed.

One of the philosophies behind The Confident Mother book club is to bring you interesting books that will help you grow and develop as a woman so that you take charge of your life with more joy and more confidence; to bring you books that are a bit different and will expand your thinking; books that will change the way you live your life. So self-help and personal development books.

Because I know that very tiny changes can have a BIG impact on the way you live your life. Something as simple as introducing bursts of colour to bring you more joy.

Here are 11 more reasons to join a personal development book club:

1 – You read books you might never read otherwise

When you belong to a book club, you’ll read books you might otherwise have missed or ignored.

This way you get to expand your thinking horizons, experiment with new ideas and try something different.

2 – Somebody else decides what you’re going to read

The number of times I’ve gone online to select a book from Amazon or I’ve browsed the shelves in the local book shop, and come away empty-handed because the choice is SO overwhelming.

In a book club, somebody else has made the decision for you … no agonising over what to buy.

3 – You have a reading deadline so you’re more likely to get it read

When I finally make a decision and buy a book, I’m sorry to confess that often it just joins the pile of books on my bedside table. Or in my office. Or the bookshelf in the front room.

When you join a book club, there’s a deadline to read the book or at least get started!

4 – You’ll get support and encouragement

When you read a personal development book, it’s good to know that there are other women reading the same book at the same time, going through the same experiences and learnings. You’ll be encouraged and supported when it gets challenging.

And you’ll enjoy supporting and encouraging others. Because we’ll all find different aspects are more challenging than others.

5 – You’ll get inspiration from the other book club members

One of the best things you can do for you and your career is to surround yourself with like-minded positive action-taking women. There’s that lovely quote credited to Aristotle “The whole is greater than the sum of its parts.”

The people you surround yourself with influence and, to some extent, define your success. Surround yourself with negative thinkers, guess what you’ll start to think that way too.

Surround yourself with other women who want to grow and develop AND are ready and willing to take action, you’ll be inspired to do it too.

6 – It’s an easy way to invest in coaching

What’s unique about a personal development book club is that it gives you a simple easily accessible introduction to coaching. And for just £20 every other month, my book club is the fraction of the cost of an hour with an experienced career or confidence coach.

AND you get the benefits of coaching: you’ll be encouraged (prodded, spurred and coaxed) to question yourself and then put your learnings into action. Just like a coach.

7 – You’ll learn something new about yourself

Who doesn’t want to learn something new about themselves. (And if you don’t then you’re probably not a good fit for the book club anyway). When you broaden your mind and try new things, I guarantee you WILL learn something new about yourself.

Use this new-found knowledge to create a better happier life for yourself.

8 – You’ll put what you learn into action

It’s all very well reading books to help you grow and learn, but the ONLY WAY that you’ll make long-lasting change is by putting what you learn into action.

9 – Reading reduces stress

Reading a book is a brilliant way to take ‘me’ time to help reduce stress and overwhelm. What’s more, a 2009 study at the University of Sussex discovered that reading (even just 6 minutes) can reduce stress by up to 68%.

If you want less stress in your life, read a book and join a book club. (And to understand HOW reading reduces stress, check out this article.)

10 – You’ll increase your confidence

Want even more confidence? Want to up your game at work? Want to stop wondering if you’re good enough?

There is so much you can do to increase your confidence at work or at home. (Just have a browse of my website for starters).

When you join a personal development book club, you’ll get introduced to new tools, techniques and strategies to grow and develop your confidence.

After reading Joyful (the January 2019 book) I have consciously introduced more colour, more polka dots and more circles into my workspace.

I am now more joyful when I work and that joy is reflected in my energy and my confidence.

Sounds simple, doesn’t it.

It is.

And it works.

11 – You’ll get a better understanding of the people you work with

One of the things I love most about reading self-help or personal development books, is that not only do I get light bulb moments about the way I think and why I do things, I also get a better understanding about the people I work with.

Very often it’s easier to spot what somebody else is doing ‘wrong’ than to apply that same spotlight to yourself.

When you get a better understanding of the people you work with, you can work together more effectively and more harmoniously. And that’s got to be good for your career development.