Generic advice is usually bad advice leading to hamster-wheel whiplash – and it may be the worst thing on LinkedIn these days.
๐Hamster -wheel whiplash is what I call one very specific type of conflicting single-source ‘success’ and ‘well-being’ advice โ and here it is:
โช๏ธ Single Source:
{insert guruโs name here}
โช๏ธ Success Advice:
You need to post every day to be successful on LinkedIn
โช๏ธ Well-Being Advice:
You need to take care of YOU posts (mental health, self-care, etc.)
๐คWhy is generic advice the worst?
Because it is straight up TRASH advice on both fronts.
1๏ธโฃ Getting you on the hamster wheel
Advising you to post every day to be successful on LinkedIn is simply an invitation to get on the hamster wheel.
Itโs a classic โdo this to get thatโ scenario.
Mmm โ ok โฆ but
- Successful by what measure?
- By what metrics?
- In what way โ exactly?
Without context which – in this case would mean a specific, personal understanding of what success looks like to YOU – all this advice does is set you up to GET busy and STAY busy BEING busy to achieve โฆ busy-ness??
Honey, that is the dictionary definition of hamster wheeling.
2๏ธโฃ Giving you whiplash
You’re told to:
DO, GO, POST!
Stay consistent. Donโt miss a day.
Show up.โ๐คจ
(๐ ooo that one โ especially when, in the next breath comes ๐)
Take time for YOU!
Take care of YOU!
You need to take time, step back, go within, decompress โ recharge.
๐คYou know what happens when youโre on the hamster wheel and try to pull off an abrupt change like that?
Whiplash.
How to avoid hamster-wheel whiplash from generic advice?
Look, both can be sound, practical advice on their own.
They could even be sound, practical advice *IF* combined responsibly with you firmly and specifically in mind.
You.
Your goals.
Your challenges.
You.
But, if itโs the generic, one-size-might-not-fit-you advice that daily posting is the key to your unrealized success โ the thing itโs most likely to succeed in creating the very real need to pay attention to your mental health and overall well-being.
Simply put, be selective about the advice you take.
After all, good advice is only good if itโs good for YOU.
Iโm sure there are other versions of hamster-wheel whiplash youโve seen- Iโd love it if youโd share yours!
โ๐คจ – In regard to being told to ‘Show up’ – ๐คฎ that is meaningless two-word bargain bin copout advice.
Trash that trash!
Because honey, you show up where YOU need to, for who you need to, when you need to and how you need to. You DO have the answers to those questions, and you DO have permission to define success on your terms.
I think I posted maybe twice last week. Probably not much more the week before. Maybe even the week before that. I don’t keep track. But last I checked – my pulse is a thing, so is my work and gratefully so is my family. I’ll call that success and call it a day. ๐
#youdoyou
———————–
๐I’m Gretchen
๐I am a career strategist and leadership development consultant on a mission to teach you to find what you love without losing yourself in the process.
๐ฏI create sane strategies that produce serious results.
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