So, I was thinking about the state of society’s general condition of mental health the other day.
Yeah, BIG topic. And certainly not one I imagine I can solve. Even a little bit. But I did come up with some observations that I’d like to share with you.
Has our access to social media created an addiction to being overly stimulated with new information 24/7? It seems that the trend’s lifespan becomes shorter each cycle! I can’t even call it a year … do trends last weeks? Months? Definitely not years!!! So, if you’re a card-carrying member of the “Flavour of the Month Club”, welcome to the family.
We get our news 24/7 on youtube, our business is accessible on Facebook pages (does anyone even visit websites any longer?). And the tools we use to deliver our services are mutating so fast we can watch the changes in real-time.
How does that impact my business? I need to be able to pivot quicker while holding onto my core message. The services I offer (and by extension, you offer in your own business) remain the same but the way it’s delivered might need to change.
And then we have our “all things that were old are new again” cycle. Think fashion – maybe because I’m getting older I’m noticing that some things are on their 2nd or even 3rd pass by. So, is it possible that this also may apply to business trends? We see principals repackaged and new messaging being used, but the ones that really work were already included with Napoleon Hill’s book “Think & Grow Rich”, Carnegie’s book “How to Win Friends and Influence People”, and Maltz’s book “Psycho-Cybernetics” (to list just a few). Reworking the tried and tested messages from these classics to speak to new listeners isn’t a bad thing. But you need to recognize when something is truly unique and totally different and when it’s an update. By the way, totally new isn’t bad or good in itself. But you need to know what you’re looking at when you decide if this is what you need to add to your business toolbox or personal paradigm.
Much of the new stuff works and we consume it because as a society we crave newness, something different, the “next fix”. And the familiarity of the refreshed trusted message makes us feel good.
How do we get off the “next new thing” hamster wheel and stick with our well-defined and mapped-out strategy?
With intention, identifying why we’re so drawn to the new stuff we chase after. I’ve heard this called “shiny object syndrome” and that is fitting. And by developing confidence in ourselves. To know that what we decide for ourselves is actually what we want.
Know that developing confidence in this area doesn’t mean we’re unconfident in all areas. A financial master may not make the best decisions around their health. Jumping from diet to diet, exercise plans, etc., will likely lead to poor results, failing health and no weight loss in sight. So, this failure can be seen as proof that they make bad decisions. Eventually, this can infect the areas of their lives where they are winning.
As I said, I’m not aiming at solving the social media addiction problem within our society, but to understand its impact on decisions we make, how it impacts both our business and personal interactions and yes, even our business.
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