TwoCents | Mental Masterbation

Hi guys! Been a while . Well, I’m glad my country Cameroon 🇨🇲 just qualified for the African nations cup . Now, that’s by the way!! You would agree with me that we are at the age of information overload right ? Podcasts ,YouTube videos, IG reels, twitter spaces, and so on … So, Lately, I found myself consuming excessive development content yet it seems I wasn’t making any progress with what I was consuming. Any one else on this table ? Seemingly, this endless consumption delivers a powerful dopamine hit but it can ‘’fool ‘’ one into feeling satisfied when you aren’t taking any action . What actually happens is when you constantly consume such content but never really acting on it, the brain gets tricked into believing that you’re actually doing it even though you’re just passively watching someone else do it . Afterward , you would feel like crap because you have that ‘what now ?’ feeling after the video ends and the dopamine rush starts to wear off . Motivational videos for example are a great source to reignite our passion . But we ought to take way more action often towards our goals than after watching these videos where a guy is yelling at us to take action . Some of us wait to finish reading self-care books before taking care of ourselves . Lol but that’s not so helpful. Just start doing the necessary while at it . A great book I’d recommend to help with a good mindset is ATOMIC HABITS . Every chapter of this book has very unique and different perspectives towards understanding habits because habits have a vital role in life . So, it’s important to strike a proper balance between learning and acting on what we’ve learnt . YES! learning feels wonderful , and has a seductive quality about it, and it’s often why we become obsessed by it . But then we look back and realize nothing has changed . We haven’t implemented, we’ve made no progress . So it’s better we learn something ,then implement, refine and reflect . Then learn the next new thing (only once you’re satisfied with the first) . And the cycle starts again . Real progress hinges on APPLICATION not CONSUMPTION. So, if you’re stuck in this trap like I was , try out this 5 -step LEARN method . L : Learn : Choose a topic and dive in E : Extract : Identity key insights A : Act. : Apply the newly found knowledge R : Reflect. : Assess and adjust as needed( usually overlooked yet it’s essential for growth) N : Next. : Once you’ve mastered it , shift your focus forward This is a great framework for moving from passive consumption to active application . Another helpful tip is designing certain days and time for self development while you spend the remaining days for execution . Cheers to taking scrappy action . Do you ever get stuck in the excessive consumption cycle ? Share with us in the comment section below ⬇️

Other insights from Mwambo Kate