What happens when overachievers turn to self-help books to try and achieve more? First, you've helped someone's lucrative book contract! Next, those books often talk about flat abs that are so difficult to attain unless you are an Olympic swimmer or under the age of 10! They are just markers of inadequacy that you will never be or, importantly, need to be. They mock you just like the fancy cookbooks with recipes for things like coq au fin that you will never learn to spell, much less make. This could be bad for self esteem. Take care of that first. ..... adapted from an article in TIME by Kristin Van Ogtrop, editor of Real Simple and author of Just Let Me Lie Down