Unplug from LinkedIn to listen to yourself
The online world is noisy, like a raucous neighbour who thinks it’s okay to throw a party every Friday night. Bro, it’s been a tough week. I just want to hear my own thoughts, please.
But unlike a neighbour, who only ruins your peace one night a week, there’s no escaping the online hell we sign up for every day.
There’s too much information, pressure, reminders that AI might take your job, AND countless options for a “good” life (none of which lead to the path you long to take).
As a result, we’ve stopped hearing ourselves think.
I’ve been chilling on LinkedIn all week. And by chilling, I mean stressing, second-guessing myself, and sweating through my shirt like it’s a full-time job.
Every writer on LinkedIn seems to have a six-figure newsletter, is booking their dream clients every day, and has a life that looks effortless. Meanwhile, I’m grafting my a$$ off for a business that isn’t mine, making me wonder if I should quit my job and book a flight to Fiji too.
It’s wild how fast you can go from inspired to inadequate, all from a few scrolls down the feed.
The endless humblebrags disguised as “thought-leadership” pieces can make you feel behind. But you’re not behind, and neither am I.
We’re simply misaligned from what we really stand for. That distracting *doof* *doof* *doof* from your feed throws you off your real dreams. You don’t know who you are and what you want because you’ve let a stranger’s dreams, thoughts, and emotions overpower your own.
But there’s a simple solution: Switch off social media (especially LinkedIn) to listen to yourself.
When I hopped off the LinkedIn merry-go-round, I learnt that:
- There’s nothing wrong with working for somebody, unless that job is making you so miserable that it would be in your best interests to quit.
- Starting your own business isn’t always fun. A lot of the creators I follow on LinkedIn are quite open about this. Entrepreneurship is fulfilling, and it has its good days. However, there are also many bad days, and not everyone is ready for that kind of pressure.
- Most of the noise on LinkedIn actually comes from people whose job is to sell LinkedIn. Seriously, I’ve come across more “personal branding experts” on LinkedIn than job listings. Is this the new “make money online” fad? I remember the early days of digital marketing when everyone and their granddad were doing affiliate marketing and SEO (the old way with keyword stuffing). That used to be the “in thing” before, but I guess it’s LinkedIn ghostwriting now.
- Not everything you read is real. My ex-boss bragged about giving his team raises and bonuses every few months, when I know for a fact that he hasn’t in years. Don’t believe everything you read.
- Visibility is important, but only when you know what you care about, because otherwise, you’re just attracting the wrong type of attention and people. I’ve never had an Instagram account, I deleted Facebook after a year of using it, and I’ve never used TikTok. I’m not judging anybody for using these apps, but I can honestly tell you that nothing is missing from my life by not having them. Instead, directly reach out to people, brands, and agencies you want to work with. Go to the right people instead of hoping they’ll come to you.
I’ve always been vocal to my friends about the effects of social media, but even I’ve fallen victim to it on LinkedIn. And yes, LinkedIn is a social media. Don’t argue with me.
Figure out who you are before liking, commenting, and sharing another’s post. Don’t change your personality to fit an online mould. If you’re going to post and scroll, then be authentic about it. And to learn what’s authentic and true to you, you have to switch off for a bit or tune into your own radio station to drown out the noise.
If you liked this reflection and want to follow my writing journey (and occasional copywriting insights), you’ll find me here, where I’m 110% true to myself.
