I Read 60+ Self-Help Books And Nothing Changed. Here’s Why
04/14/25 • 17 min
Hey Adventurers!
In this episode of The Adventure Reignition Podcast, we’re diving into one of the biggest traps in personal growth: consuming endless self-improvement content without taking action.
I’ve read over 60 personal development books, listened to countless podcasts, and absorbed tons of motivational content... but for years, nothing actually changed. Why? Because knowing something and living it are two different things.
If you’ve ever felt like you’re growing intellectually but still stuck in the same place, this episode is for you.
Join me as I share:
✅ Why reading personal development books gives you a false sense of progress
✅ How overconsumption of self-improvement content builds ego instead of results
✅ The difference between knowing and embodying personal growth
✅ Why adventure and action are the real keys to transformation
✅ How I broke free from the “learning loop” and started living my growth
This episode is for you if you’re ready to stop just thinking about change and start taking action. Let’s break free from overconsumption and turn knowledge into real transformation!
Episode Breakdown:
[00:01:22] The illusion of growth: Why knowledge alone won’t change your life
[00:03:10] My personal journey: How I fell into the self-improvement trap
[00:06:38] The wake-up call: When I realized I wasn’t applying what I learned
[00:09:01] How adventure helped me step out of overthinking and into action
[00:13:11] The biggest mistake people make with personal development
[00:14:32] How to balance introspection with real-world action
[00:16:00] Why personal development is about doing, not just learning
[00:21:12] The only way to truly grow: Stop reading & start experiencing
Favorite Quote:
"Reading the map doesn’t mean you’ve climbed the mountain. You have to take the journey yourself."
Key Takeaways:
🔹 More knowledge ≠ real transformation. Overconsumption keeps you stuck.
🔹 You don’t need another book—you need to start living the lessons.
🔹 Adventure is the balance of introspection and action. Too much of one without the other leads to frustration.
🚀 Ready to start applying what you know? If you’re tired of just consuming content and want to take action toward an aligned, adventure-filled life, DM me "Action" on Instagram or LinkedIn, and I’ll send you my top strategies for turning knowledge into results.
🎧 Subscribe & Review
If this episode resonated with you, subscribe to The Adventure Reignition Podcast and leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify—it helps us reach more adventurers like you!
Final Thought:
Most people stay stuck not because they lack knowledge, but because they don’t act on it. Instead of consuming more, let’s start applying what we already know.
Your next adventure starts not in a book, but in your actions.
Let’s go find it! 🚀
Where to find your host online :
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/blaisedepallens/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/blaisedepallens/
Website: blaisedepallens.com
Hey Adventurers!
In this episode of The Adventure Reignition Podcast, we’re diving into one of the biggest traps in personal growth: consuming endless self-improvement content without taking action.
I’ve read over 60 personal development books, listened to countless podcasts, and absorbed tons of motivational content... but for years, nothing actually changed. Why? Because knowing something and living it are two different things.
If you’ve ever felt like you’re growing intellectually but still stuck in the same place, this episode is for you.
Join me as I share:
✅ Why reading personal development books gives you a false sense of progress
✅ How overconsumption of self-improvement content builds ego instead of results
✅ The difference between knowing and embodying personal growth
✅ Why adventure and action are the real keys to transformation
✅ How I broke free from the “learning loop” and started living my growth
This episode is for you if you’re ready to stop just thinking about change and start taking action. Let’s break free from overconsumption and turn knowledge into real transformation!
Episode Breakdown:
[00:01:22] The illusion of growth: Why knowledge alone won’t change your life
[00:03:10] My personal journey: How I fell into the self-improvement trap
[00:06:38] The wake-up call: When I realized I wasn’t applying what I learned
[00:09:01] How adventure helped me step out of overthinking and into action
[00:13:11] The biggest mistake people make with personal development
[00:14:32] How to balance introspection with real-world action
[00:16:00] Why personal development is about doing, not just learning
[00:21:12] The only way to truly grow: Stop reading & start experiencing
Favorite Quote:
"Reading the map doesn’t mean you’ve climbed the mountain. You have to take the journey yourself."
Key Takeaways:
🔹 More knowledge ≠ real transformation. Overconsumption keeps you stuck.
🔹 You don’t need another book—you need to start living the lessons.
🔹 Adventure is the balance of introspection and action. Too much of one without the other leads to frustration.
🚀 Ready to start applying what you know? If you’re tired of just consuming content and want to take action toward an aligned, adventure-filled life, DM me "Action" on Instagram or LinkedIn, and I’ll send you my top strategies for turning knowledge into results.
🎧 Subscribe & Review
If this episode resonated with you, subscribe to The Adventure Reignition Podcast and leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify—it helps us reach more adventurers like you!
Final Thought:
Most people stay stuck not because they lack knowledge, but because they don’t act on it. Instead of consuming more, let’s start applying what we already know.
Your next adventure starts not in a book, but in your actions.
Let’s go find it! 🚀
Where to find your host online :
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/blaisedepallens/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/blaisedepallens/
Website: blaisedepallens.com
Previous Episode
From Weekend Binge-Drinker to Alcohol-Free: My Unexpected Journey
Hey Adventurers!
In this episode of The Adventure Reignition Podcast, I’m sharing my personal journey of quitting alcohol—from getting wasted every weekend in my 20s to slowly reducing my consumption and finally making the decision to stop drinking in 2024.
Alcohol is so deeply ingrained in our social culture that most of us never even question it. But what happens when you do? If you’ve ever wondered about your relationship with alcohol, felt drained by hangovers, or wanted to make a shift but didn’t know where to start, this episode is for you.
Join me as I share:
✅ Why I started drinking and how it became a routine I never questioned
✅ The shift that made me rethink alcohol's impact on my health, recovery, and energy
✅ How training for a marathon became the perfect excuse to quit—and what happened next
✅ The hardest part about quitting (hint: it’s not the alcohol itself, but the social pressure)
✅ How I built a new identity as someone who doesn’t drink—without feeling like I’m missing out
This episode is for you if you’ve ever felt curious about quitting, reducing, or simply questioning alcohol’s role in your life. Let’s talk about making choices that align with who we truly are!
Episode Breakdown:
[00:01:22] How my relationship with alcohol started in my teenage years
[00:03:10] Party culture & drinking games—why I never questioned alcohol in my 20s
[00:06:38] Traveling the world: My heaviest drinking year & what changed when I got back
[00:09:01] The slow shift: Why I started cutting back in my late 20s
[00:13:11] Training for a marathon: The decision to quit alcohol for 4 months
[00:14:32] The biggest challenge: Dealing with social pressure & the “just one drink” comments
[00:16:00] How I felt after months of sobriety (better sleep, energy, and mental clarity)
[00:21:12] The ultimate test: Drinking again at a bachelor party—what I learned
[00:26:34] The realization: Alcohol is no longer part of my identity, and I don’t miss it
[00:30:00] Why this is not about drink-shaming—it's about conscious choice
Favorite Quote:
"Drinking is so normalized that most of us never question it. But when you do, you might realize you don’t need it as much as you thought."
Key Takeaways:
🔹 Alcohol is a deeply ingrained social norm—but that doesn’t mean you have to drink.
🔹 The biggest challenge isn’t quitting—it’s navigating social pressure.
🔹 You don’t have to make a lifelong decision today. Start by experimenting and seeing how you feel.
🚀 Curious about making a change? Try going alcohol-free for a month and see how you feel!
🎧 Subscribe & Review
If this episode resonated with you, subscribe to The Adventure Reignition Podcast and leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify—it helps us reach more adventurers like you!
Final Thought:
This isn’t about saying alcohol is bad. It’s about questioning what actually makes you feel your best. Whether you want to quit, cut back, or simply be more mindful, the choice is yours.
Your next adventure starts not with another drink, but with a conscious choice.
Let’s go find it! 🚀
Where to find your host online :
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/blaisedepallens/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/blaisedepallens/
Website: blaisedepallens.com
Next Episode
I spent 10 days in silence doing a Vipassana Retreat and I didn’t expect this
Hey Adventurers,
In this solo episode of The Adventure Reignition Podcast, I take you inside one of the most raw, revealing, and unexpectedly adventurous experiences I’ve ever had: a 10-day Vipassana silent meditation retreat. No phone. No talking. No reading or writing. Just ten hours of daily meditation and complete stillness.
It turned out to be one of the most physically intense challenges of my life.
Inside this episode, I open up about:
- The weird sensations I felt after giving away my phone—and how deep my addiction really was.
- The surprising physical pain and endurance it took to sit still for 10 hours a day.
- The moment I cried at the last meditation.
- The mindset shift that comes from truly becoming an observer of your thoughts, pain, and sensations.
- The powerful principle of “Adhitthana” (strong determination), and how it’s shaped the way I now approach content creation, coaching, and personal growth.
This episode is for you if:
You feel overstimulated, disconnected from yourself, or overwhelmed by noise. You crave a deeper connection to your intuition, your body, and the quiet wisdom that only stillness can unlock. Or you’re simply curious what it actually feels like to meditate in silence for 10 days straight.
🔍 Episode Breakdown:
In this episode, I’m sharing what really happened behind the silence—from physical pain to emotional breakthroughs, including:
[00:03:00] Letting go of my phone—and the identity crisis that followed
[00:04:45] Why silence wasn’t the hardest part—the physical battle with stillness
[00:07:35] How Vipassana trains you to observe pain, not escape it
[00:14:10] The emotional moment that cracked my heart wide open
[00:20:00] Why strong determination (Adhitthana) isn’t about force—it’s about full commitment
[00:24:00] The biggest lessons I’m carrying with me into life, coaching, and creation
💬 Favorite Quote:
“You learn to see reality as it is—not as you wish it to be.”
💡 What I Learned:
- Most of us are more addicted to noise and distraction than we realize.
- Stillness isn’t easy—it’s a courageous confrontation with the self.
- You don’t overcome pain by avoiding it. You dissolve it by witnessing it.
- Growth doesn’t happen from chasing highs—it happens through non-reaction.
- Strong determination isn’t a hustle mindset—it’s about staying through the discomfort to experience transformation.
🤝 Want to Go Deeper?
If you’re a multi-passionate creator or adventurer who’s been ghosting your voice and craving more alignment, let’s talk. I’m opening spots for my new 1:1 coaching program, where we’ll co-create a magnetic personal brand rooted in your truth, not trends.
DM me “POD” on Instagram to get started.
🌱 Subscribe & Review:
If this episode resonated with you, please hit follow and leave a review on Spotify or Apple Podcasts. It helps the podcast reach more purpose-driven creatorslike you.
🌄 Final Thought:
In a world that demands speed and performance, choosing stillness is one of the boldest adventure. This retreat reminded me that real clarity comes in silence and that everything I was running from had something to teach me. I hope it inspires you to listen a
Where to find your host online :
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/blaisedepallens/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/blaisedepallens/
Website: blaisedepallens.com
The Adventure Reignition Podcast - I Read 60+ Self-Help Books And Nothing Changed. Here’s Why
Transcript
00:00:00:02 - 00:00:10:20
Inconnu
And reading. Personal development. Books and content without applying the knowledge and the tools and the exercises is basically like
00:00:10:20 - 00:00:12:01
Inconnu
reading a map,
00:00:12:01 - 00:00:13:22
Inconnu
thinking you climb the mountain.
00:00:13:22 - 00:00:18:20
Inconnu
By just looking at the map and reading the map, it doesn't mean you climb the mountain.
00:00:18:20 - 00:00:30:18
Inconnu
And that's the s
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