One of the biggest lessons I’ve been thinking about since the end of last year is the context for advice.
What I mean is, whenever someone gives advice (or for that matter just shares what worked for them or someone else), it’s always within a certain context.
It’s easy as a learner to hear that advice and assume it applies across the board. Often the person giving the advice perpetuates the problem by telling you that it will apply to your situation.
Like, “You need to be an early riser.” Or, “You need to go to college.” Or, “You need to put in the hours at work.”
What if the advice is really like…
- “You need to be an early riser” only if you have a specific checklist for what you want to accomplish right when you wake up (otherwise you might be wasting your time getting up early and reading the stupid internet).
- Or “you need to go to college” only if you’re 18 and want to get into nursing.
- Or “you need to put in the hours at work” only for the first three months at you job (and then after that you should be working less than everyone else).
I don’t know that these are accurate, like with the contexts I’ve given. I’m just throwing them out there as options.
That’s what I’ve been thinking about lately. Whenever I hear advice, think, does this applies in the context I’m in right now?
