Rules
I have been thinking about rules lately. It seems to me they get a bad rap, but in truth they make life a lot simpler.
For instance, if you make a rule for yourself it can save you tons of time and aggravation on a day-to-day basis. The rule could be as simple as ‘I don’t eat chocolate’ – now every time chocolate turns up in the lunch room you don’t have to think, or agonize because you don’t eat chocolate.
A slightly bigger rule like ‘I will not shop and will only replace items when they wear out’ means you can recycle all the catalogs that arrive in the mail, delete marketing emails unread, walk past stores, and save time and money.
There are also all the positive rules – the ‘I will rules’ - often about exercise. These can make your life easier because they tend to create schedules …. ‘It’s 10 o’clock and it’s time for me to ……’
You can call your rule a resolution, or intention, or practice, but when you come right down to it they are still rules.
Which brings me to that part of the library where rules rule! (Sorry, I couldn’t pass that one up.)
The Self Help section – 158.1. This a big section, home to all those authors who turn up on the New York Times Advice, How-To & Miscellaneous bestseller list every week. So if you want some help, advice and/or rules from all the top self-help authors – this is the place to look.
Of course there are other sections where books with specialized rules hang out. Marie Kondo of Tidying Up fame lives in 648 – Housekeeping - and she’s not the only one. You will find lots of organizational help in the 648s. [Note: long before Marie Kondo came up with the whole ‘spark joy’ phrase, William Morris (24 March 1834 – 3 October 1896) created the rule: “Have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful.” ]
On the work front, a lot of self-help lives in 658.4, just down the way from that Housekeeping section – so if you want some tips to get you to the next rung up the ladder, have a look there.
When you stop and think about the Subject Headings frequently associated with self-help books, it’s easy to see what the appeal is – who wouldn’t like a rule to get to these!
Don’t forget to check out these numbers in the New Books section too! And ask at the Reference Desk if you want a little help in finding the right Self-Help book for you.
For instance, if you make a rule for yourself it can save you tons of time and aggravation on a day-to-day basis. The rule could be as simple as ‘I don’t eat chocolate’ – now every time chocolate turns up in the lunch room you don’t have to think, or agonize because you don’t eat chocolate.
A slightly bigger rule like ‘I will not shop and will only replace items when they wear out’ means you can recycle all the catalogs that arrive in the mail, delete marketing emails unread, walk past stores, and save time and money.
There are also all the positive rules – the ‘I will rules’ - often about exercise. These can make your life easier because they tend to create schedules …. ‘It’s 10 o’clock and it’s time for me to ……’
You can call your rule a resolution, or intention, or practice, but when you come right down to it they are still rules.
Which brings me to that part of the library where rules rule! (Sorry, I couldn’t pass that one up.)
The Self Help section – 158.1. This a big section, home to all those authors who turn up on the New York Times Advice, How-To & Miscellaneous bestseller list every week. So if you want some help, advice and/or rules from all the top self-help authors – this is the place to look.
Of course there are other sections where books with specialized rules hang out. Marie Kondo of Tidying Up fame lives in 648 – Housekeeping - and she’s not the only one. You will find lots of organizational help in the 648s. [Note: long before Marie Kondo came up with the whole ‘spark joy’ phrase, William Morris (24 March 1834 – 3 October 1896) created the rule: “Have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful.” ]On the work front, a lot of self-help lives in 658.4, just down the way from that Housekeeping section – so if you want some tips to get you to the next rung up the ladder, have a look there.
When you stop and think about the Subject Headings frequently associated with self-help books, it’s easy to see what the appeal is – who wouldn’t like a rule to get to these!
- Happiness
- Contentment
- Self-Help Techniques
- Success
- Self-actualization (Psychology)
- Life Skills
- Self-realization
- Stress Management
- Longevity
Don’t forget to check out these numbers in the New Books section too! And ask at the Reference Desk if you want a little help in finding the right Self-Help book for you.
- Meg B., West Windsor
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