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My grandparents grew up in a time and place when they knew exactly where their food came from: their own backyard. That kind of transparency seems almost unimaginable to me.

The carton of milk I buy might have been sourced from hundreds — or even thousands — of animals. The apples I carefully select tell me only the country or state in which they were grown. Even the fresh bread from my favorite local bakery is suspect; I know nothing about the flour, the seeds, or the hands that bring it to life. And I haven't even gotten to processed food. (See also: I'm Eating What? 12 Gross Things in Your Food)

Sometimes, self-help isn't.

While there are loads of excellent strategies out there for improving yourself and your life in all kinds of different areas, there are a few fairly common self-help mandates that may not work as well as they should. (See also: 10 Mantras That Will Transform Your Life)

Take caution before blindly throwing yourself at new goals like these.

"Get Up Earlier"

It's common to tell people that if they want to improve themselves, they should wake up earlier. This is supposed to give you time to get things done before you have to officially start your day.

Our generation has seen the cost of a college degree inflate dramatically while simultaneously becoming far less valuable than it would have been 15 or 20 years ago.

It's not just that there are a lot of them or that more people have access to financing and are able to get a degree. Rather, the quality of the education has dropped, the price has skyrocketed, and the value of what you do learn has become increasingly less cohesive with what employers want to see. (See also: 10 Ways to Improve Your Decision-Making Skills)

According to Bankrate, certificates of deposit with a 5-year maturity (as of 7/18/14) offer a meager 1.74% growth rate — hardly anything to brag to your friends about. What do you do if you want to make your money grow even more? (See also: A Low Risk Investment Plan)

One option could be to invest in the stock market. But with such a short time frame as five years, stocks may not be your best option.

Instead, a more suitable investment would be to invest in bonds.

Specifically, to invest in bond funds.