I turn the self-help books I like into workbooks. I outline chapters or write things about them, "go" where they suggest and figure out ways to put what they suggest into practice, to try it. I think and make plans on how to implement what they are saying in my own, actual life.

It can be helpful to me to read a chapter of a self-help book before I go to sleep. That way I can be thinking about it as I go to sleep and I may dream about associated things, get ideas of how to use the book, etc.

I get in trouble when a book is written really well and I enjoy reading it because I will just read it through instead of working with it as I go along. Just reading cannot get the ideas into my life; I think I'll "remember" what it says but it's like a movie, it's just the warm glow and a few scenes that one remembers.