Magical Thinking about Self-Help Books

I have a habit of occasionally buying advice or self-help books, usually about personal finance, health, or getting organized. The problem is that once I buy them, I tend not to actually read them. Why don’t I read them? Well, my intentions are good, but the books are generally not very scintillating reading. And the areas I think I need to work on are the exact areas I don’t necessarily really want to think about, as they are associated with anxiety and with forcing myself to do things I don’t feel like doing. So I procrastinate actually reading the books, and they often just sit on my bookshelves for weeks, months, or years. Strangely, though, I somehow manage to feel that just by having bought them, and having them sitting on my shelves, I have made concrete steps toward moving forward in the areas I mentioned. Magical thinking!