Most of us have a very strong and unshakeable belief that a sizable update or improvement in our life is just an article away.

This results in us following a lot of similar pages on Facebook that have many (guest/ghost)writers churning out similar articles every other hour.

Here are 5 types of articles you can avoid reading and save some time. The best part is that it is easily identifiable. Thanks to the titles.

1. 5 or 7 or 9 Productivity Apps that will make you smart        

Every time I click on these kind of articles, I would be hoping to find the next big mobile app used by Innovators / Early Adopters to maximize their potential. Instead I find apps like Evernote, Wunderlist, Trello etc that are used by millions since the Jurassic period.

If there is a path breaking app that people are finding very useful, I am sure they would recommend it to the world through their social channels because its pretty hard to find an unusual and non-popular app that’s extremely useful.

2. X books you should read before you turn X                            

Substitute X by any number above or equal to 20, you will get this article. This is tailor-made for fast readers. If you complete one book per month, you would need a good 2 years to complete the list.

Sometimes its very hard to complete certain books and we quickly jump to more exciting titles that we find in the workplace or elsewhere. This means before you turn x, its difficult to read x books.

Other avatars of the title : “ X books X person wants you to read before you turn X “

An intelligent alternative would be to use an app like Blinkist that feeds you the books in small parts.

Note : If you are voracious reader, these articles are good for you

3. X Character traits the millionaires have in common              

If you are looking to unearth highly confidential secrets of the millionaires, you are in the wrong place. You will read a long article again about vision, focus, courage, big thinking, thirst for learning and books (not again).

I am sure you know what goes into each of the above mentioned words. Here you go. I saved you a lot of time. Didn’t I?

If something works for millionaires, it does not mean that it would work for you too. If there is one thing that has made a significant difference in the lives of millionaires, it is hardwork .

Other avatars of the title : Replace the word ‘millionaires’ by smart people or emotionally intelligent people or entrepreneurs.

4. 10 careers that pay you like crazy                                          

If you are already a few years into your professional life, this article would not be encouraging as your area of interest may not be featured here.

Even if you are planning to master what’s needed for one of the featured careers, there is a very high possibility that by the time you are game for the job, the promising careers have changed because of the market volatility and of course the new articles.

So unless you are a student, this article about the career choices will confuse you like crazy. Stay calm and learn more in your current line of activity and that will pay rich dividends as improving oneself genuinely is not a everyday thing.

5. 10 signs you are meant to be/ born to be / soon to be an Entrepreneur                                                                                  

Let’s say you fearlessly take risks, think smart, lead the pack, love making money, see yourself differently — so they say you are meant to be an Entrepreneur.

Instead the things to be taken into account before taking the plunge into Entrepreneurship would be

                                                                                      Willingness to start from scratch, financial stability to support you for a few months, a good idea on how and what you are selling, a trustworthy team and the competition in that sweet segment.

If the above things are met, you need not wait for the signs. We live in a decade that glorifies entrepreneurship in a strange way and makes us feel that it is the only way to go.

There are millions of intrapreneurs engaged in assists to Entrepreneurs. But when the time is right, they will score one for themselves. And its not something that has to be rushed into.