Let’s Change That.
This topic has been on my mind recently. I want to clear the air upfront by saying that content consumption is not inherently bad. It can be beneficial in many cases.
The energy and information you gain from consuming content need to be channeled correctly.
The Problem with Overstimulation
Have you ever watched a video and expected your life to change? Don’t lie.
The titles, subtitles, and social praise from content hook our attention. We build false expectations in our heads, open the video, blog, or even a book with excitement, and start consuming it.
Here’s the thing: you and I both know that consuming it alone isn’t going to change your life.
We end up trapped in a cycle of consuming with good intentions, but ultimately consuming just to feel good about ourselves.
This is called Overstimulation.
Consuming content about improving yourself but never actually improving yourself.
All content around you is designed to grab your attention, which acts as a starting point to make you aware of a problem.
They begin by increasing your awareness of that specific problem, and then boom: they show you there is a solution or product. They feed you all the benefits of how that particular product or service is going to change your life, and you buy it—but never do anything.
In reality, your brain loves collecting those dopamine hits, reinforcing the Overstimulation loop even further.
The Difference Between Overstimulation & Limited Stimulation with Implementation
Overstimulation creates extrinsic motivation—relying on external factors to motivate you.
For anyone you see saying, “Fu*k motivation, all you need is discipline,” you begin to see the problem here.
“All you need is discipline” is only partially true.
The extrinsic motivation we get from consuming any kind of content is useful for three reasons:
- We feel motivated after consuming it (which can be used as initial momentum to build discipline).
- We’re in a position to understand a concept that can change our lives.
- We learn how to implement that concept.
The magic happens when you implement that concept, which forms the base of everything.
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The difference between the two is simple:
- Consuming content = unsustainable motivation
- Consuming content with implementation = self-growth, seeing results, and cultivating intrinsic motivation
The Thing That Can Haunt You
Not all content is created equal.
What many people fail to understand is that some concepts may not work for them. We’re human. We are all different in our unique ways.
This creates an anti-“specific kind of content” mindset.
The people who adopt this mindset tried implementing a concept, it didn’t work for them, and they go on to tell everyone that it doesn’t work.
At the same time, there are people who swear by the exact same concepts.
Let’s take running, for example.
Some people love running; some people hate it.
How can you know if running is a good exercise for you without doing it consistently?
If you run daily, consistently, and stick to it for 6-12 months—only then can you decide if it’s good or bad for you.
This goes for any other concept that can improve your life.
Trying something for a day, deciding it sucks, and dropping it will haunt you.
A Foundation of Awareness & Direct Experience
All true self-improvement stems from awareness and is solidified through direct experience.
Information makes you aware of a problem you may have and gives you steps to fix it.
Following those steps (direct experience) for a given amount of time is what improves your life.
If you’ve given ample time and still haven’t seen results, awareness comes back into play and the cycle continues.
If you have a foggy or anxious mind, and any kind of content tells you to do something, you need to follow through on a consistent basis to see if it actually helps you. If it doesn’t, that’s fine.
Any kind of content acts as a “boost” to your awareness.
Direct experience helps you understand if it is useful to you.
If it is useful to you, intrinsic motivation starts to build.
If it isn’t useful to you, go back to the awareness step. This is what most people skip.
The worst thing you can do at this point is write off good content as a whole.
That’s how you end up living an average life.
Show me anyone you aspire to be like that doesn’t have a foundation of continuous improvement in their life. You won’t be able to. If you can, these people aren’t worth aspiring to be like.
Your life as well as your business will suffer if you don’t improve yourself as your business grows.
Your relationships will suffer if you don’t improve yourself as they grow.
Your health will suffer if you aren’t aware of the hidden problems it’s causing.
Too Long; Didn’t Read
Stimulation is bad if you overconsume it to feel like you’re doing something.
Stimulation is good if you develop awareness and intrinsic motivation over time.
-Rahul Kauriar
