I was thinking about Pirate's recent post on how self help books suck, and I agree that fiction is more effective.
But I've also been thinking about a "self improvement" strategy (HEAVY on the quotations) I used on my own stubborn brain: Irony.
When I was in high school (not very long ago, lol) I really disliked myself. I felt like a lame, cringe person because I desperately wanted to interact with people without the stink of insecurity wafting off of me.
There's a fine line between irony and arrogance, because it becomes obvious you're compensating for something.
Here's an example: I would often joke that I could do anything. I found it funny to say 'I can do anything' because it wasn't true. Or was it?
Irony helped undercut my self loathing. It made my mind more malleable to becoming the person I want to be more than any cut and dry advice like "have a growth mindset" or "you have to love yourself" did.