Where should we go for help? Over the course of my life, I've found that there is no "Best Place to Go."

There are literally dozens of places to go and people to talk to when it comes to helping us improve our lives.

Here is a complete list of 31 resources to help you improve your life. For each section, I include the pros and cons of using that particular resource. Basically, I want you to use this for two reasons:

1. To get you thinking about all of the different resources available to you.

2. To get you thinking about the advantages and disadvantages for each of the resources.

I have divided the resources into five different areas to get you thinking, and in some cases I have provided very specific examples. How many of these resources have you used to improve your life?

YOUR IMMEDIATE CIRCLE OF CONTACTS (1-4)

As a general rule, the people in this group are more likely to give you personal attention, and they are more likely to sincerely care about your needs. There are two things to look out for. These people are not necessarily experts in the areas where you need to improve, and they might have their own agenda, but they are generally easily accessible and can be great resources to help you improve your life.

1. Your Friends

2. Your Family

3. Co-workers

4. Your Employer (boss or manager)

INFORMATION RESOURCES (5-12)

There is an unbelievable wealth of information out there to improve your life. On the Internet alone, there are over five million websites with the exact phrases of "Self Help" or "Self Improvement." On Amazon.com, there are over 190,000 books with references to Self Help and Self Improvement. Almost all of the information you are looking for can be found here, but it could take hundreds of lifetimes to find the right information for you. Which of these resources do you currently use to help improve your life?

5. Internet Websites

6. Books ( Library, Bookstore)

7. Seminars, Retreats

8. High School, College or Continuing Education Courses.

9. Audio Programs

10. Television and Video Programs

11. Radio

12. Other Media, Magazines, Movies, Music

TRAINED PROFESSIONALS (13-22)

A trained professional can help you survive and to thrive in many areas of your life. Many have worked with people in your exact circumstances and helped them find the answers they were looking for. As a general rule, professionals can provide you with more objectivity than you would get from a friend or a family member.

One of the challenges of working with trained professionals is finding the right one for you. It is important to find the right type of trained professional (i.e.-therapist or personal coach) and then the best person based on your background, needs and personality. Trained professionals can also be very expensive to work with and in some instances have a stigma attached to them. In many cases, the benefits of working with a trained professional far outweigh the costs and the risk, but this is something that you need to evaluate.

13. Therapists (Professional Counselors, Psychologists)

14. Personal Coaches, Life Coaches

15. Clergy (i.e.-Priest, Minister, Rabbi)

16. Accountant, Attorney, Stockbroker, Financial Planner

17. Self Improvement Experts (Tony Robbins, Dr. Phil)

18. Librarians

19. Personal Trainer

20. Doctors and Other Health Care Professionals

21. Employment Experts (Job Placement Experts)

22. Psychics, Spiritualist, Yogis

ORGANIZATIONS (23-25)

I am using the term "organizations" in a very broad sense. These can include non-profit and for-profit organizations and both professional and social organizations. The biggest benefit that many of these organizations provide is the ability to work with, network with, and share experiences with people in the same boat, on the same mission, or with the same problem. These organizations frequently have "trained professionals," frequently have people who are our friends and family, and use "Known Information Resources" to help each of us grow. These types of organizations are not for everybody, and the benefits that you get back are tied directly into what you are contributing. The wrong group could be a waste of time, but the right group could change your life forever.

23. Non-Profit Support Groups (i.e.-AA, Child Support Groups)

24. Social and Professional Organizations (i.e.-Toastmasters, MENSA)

25. SPAs, Health Clubs

26. Personal Support Network (Master Mind Groups)

OTHERS POTENTIAL AREAS (27-31)

The above areas covered countless resources to improve your life. I have included a few other areas that others have found helpful in the past. As you can see, there is a tremendous amount of overlap between the different resources.

27. Free Government Resources (Hotlines, Brochures, Help Centers)

28. Inner Guidance (Asking and Giving Yourself Help)

29. Pets for other wisdom (Great listeners)

30. Mentors

31. God

Each and every one of us has used at least one of the above resources to improve our lives. Which ones should you be using? Your goal is to find the best resources to help you improve your life.

David Riklan is the founder of http://www.SelfGrowth.com, the #1 “Self Improvement” site on the Internet. The site’s mission is to provide the widest array of information on topics that people care about, including health, finances, relationships, spirituality and personal success. David’s philosophy is simple: there is no “one secret” to success. What works for one person may not particularly work for the next. With that philosophy in mind, he built the # 1 Rated Self Improvement and Self Help website on the internet, published 5 books and, through his speaking and seminars, teaches countless people how to match their needs and background to the philosophy, the system, the product and the expert that will work best for them.