Take a moment & think about all the people you follow on social media.
If you’re like me, you follow all the established & well-known people in the career field that interests you.
For many years, I actually avoided these people. I was in denial about what I wanted to be when I grew up, so seeing other people pursuing those paths just made me angry, frustrated, & sad.
I’d see their content posted all over the social networks & immediately think, “I would’ve done that better!” or “Yeah, tell me something I don’t know.”
It was terrible.
So my social media channels were kept neutral. I only exposed myself to content that was non-threatening. Mainly images of cute cats & nature.
But once I was willing to admit what I wanted to do with my life, the tables completely turned. I quickly learned that social media could actually help me.
As I connected with all the well-known people in my field, I started to understand the art of modeling: Emulating those that are successfully doing what you want to do for a living.
I became a sponge for their information, now looking to them as teachers, & subscribed to anything & everything they published.
I looked for ways to work with these successful people, to reach out to them, rather than avoid & belittle their success.
But guess what?
This didn’t work either.
Why?
Well, actually at first it did work. But there definitely came a moment when I intuitively knew I had all the content & information I needed to move forward.
When that moment came, all of a sudden these people I was modeling & the content I was reading became completely overwhelming.
Every time I opened up my inbox, it was flooded with tips & strategies & advice. Every time I logged into Facebook & Twitter, something new was being posted.
I just couldn’t keep up with it all!
My brain was on overdrive. It’s great to model & connect with the movers & shakers of the world, but at some point it can get to be a bit too much!
As a result, my motivation & enthusiasm crashed.
How could I ever compete with these people? They were already very established, had teams of people working for them, & seemed to be moving at a pace I could never match.
But then one day as I was doing my daily practice, I realized that my creative energy is at a high before the sun rises & that I get my best ideas before opening up my inbox in the morning.
The minute I hop onto my social media accounts, all the wind gets taken out of my sails & I suddenly feel stuck.
It makes perfect sense, actually. In this case, social media is no longer working for me – it’s completely working against me.
It’s a double-edged sword that is directly affected by where you’re at in your quest for uncovering your true self & what you want to do with your life.
So, what can you do?
Step 1: Check out your social media channels. Who do you currently follow? Identify if you are avoiding or embracing those in the career field that interests you.
Step 2: Be honest. How do you feel when you see content put out by those in your field? Do you feel angry & frustrated? Enthusiastic & uplifted? Completely overwhelmed?
Step 3: Adjust your social media engagement based on your answer to number 2. Disengage if you feel overwhelmed, reconnect if you feel enthusiastic & uplifted, & do some soul searching if you feel angry & frustrated.
Step 4: Develop a daily practice. Set aside time every day that is just for you. Regardless of how you feel, it’s always good to have uninterrupted time to develop your own ideas & uncover your own passions.
So tell me, is social media working for you or against you on your journey towards pursuing the career of your dreams? Share in the comments below!
Need help developing a daily practice? Take my free e-Course, 21 Days to a Daily Practice, & receive free guidance & tips!
