3 Self-Development Myths on Social Media

3 Self-Development Myths on Social Media

As a reader of my Newsletter, you probably consume self-development content from various sources online. If so, you’ve probably noticed the same thing I’ve noticed on self-dev social media pages; broad, unproven claims from non-credible sources, marketed as solid truth.

It is frustrating as a curious professional to be unsure if I’m consuming true, helpful information or harmful, misleading information. Therefore, today I’ll analyze 3 common forms of self-dev advice I’ve noticed online with peer-reviewed research, and credible insight from established professionals.

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Myth #1: You Have to Wake Up at 4/5am

There’s a circulating belief that if you wake up earlier than your peers, then you have a time advantage over them to get more things done. A counter I have to this philosophy is that early-rising is often coupled with early bedtime. So technically, while you sleep, others could be up working, “getting ahead of you.”

Although everyone has roughly the same sleep requirements, it is true, many successful people believe in early rising, such as entrepreneur and former Navy SEAL, Jocko Willink:

Willink routinely posts a picture of his watch during his early-morning workout to let his followers know that he’s working while they’re snoring. Aside from being totally badass, this is also intimidating. Do I really need the discipline of a Navy SEAL to accomplish my goals?

There is some neuroscientific support for early-rising. Dr. Andrew Huberman of Stanford University explains:

There are certainly health benefits such as enhanced cognitive performance that can be earned with consistent early-rising. But let’s circle back to the original claim; Is early-rising necessary for professional success?

Conclusion:

Early-rising isn’t technically necessary for professional success. Everybody has different patterns of productivity so it’s your responsibility to find out how you work best. If you currently enjoy working in the afternoon/evening, then that’s perfectly fine. However, if you feel that your performance could be improved, try consistently rising early. I recommend a least a 2-week trial to allow your body’s circadian rhythm to fully adjust.

The only way to understand your optimal work rate is to experiment. The solution is rarely one-size-fits-all.

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Myth #2: Self-Care Isn’t Productive

I have been guilty on many occasions of procrastinating deadlines so excessively that I must set my entire routine aside to complete the task at hand. I always convince myself that every minute of the day is required to accomplish the task, yet I always realize that non-stop effort ends up being unsustainable and counterproductive.

Take exercise, for example. It is typical to believe that exercise is a purely physical activity that bears no significance to deskwork, and is a waste of 1-2 hours that could be spent on the task at hand. However, a recent peer-reviewed study, (link below) provides evidence that “lactate may be a mediator of the beneficial effects of exercise on brain health.” (Xu et al., 2022) Lactate is released during exercise and was previously thought to be a waste product. The study instead describes lactate as an energy supply for neural activity and a regulator of important cognitive molecules.

Study Link: https://t.co/e4LJR8rTia

Conclusion:

All tricky science aside, the bottom line is that exercise benefits mental performance. The next time you have to cram in work, consider that it might be useful to set time aside for exercise. It may help you avoid burnout and complete your work more efficiently.

Myth #3: You Should Read at Least 1 Book/week

This may be the most vague and unsupported claim on this list. I’ve even seen social media accounts recommend reading as much as 1 book every single day. Yet, there is rarely any commentary of why this practice is beneficial. This raises a red flag to me and reminds me of a wise piece of insight from entrepreneur and investor, Naval Ravikant:

Sure, it feels good to read X number of pages or books because quantitative metrics validate our belief that we’ve accomplished something. But if you’re not retaining any of the knowledge, what is the point of reading at all? True learning requires reflection and critical thinking.

I recommend:

• ??????Taking notes
• ??????Highlighting
• ??????Rereading
• ??????Researching analysis/discussion of the content
• ??????Writing your own summary

Conclusion:

Many people will think the tactics above are a waste of time. Yet the greatest waste of time would be to read a book without understanding its’ contents. Slow your reading speed and focus on understanding concepts rather than turning pages.

Thank you for reading.