Spotting bad advice

You know yourself best.

When you’re building a company, climbing in your career—heck, even starting a family, making personal decisions… you’re going to get a LOT of advice.

Most of which you haven’t asked for.

(Mmmm… unsolicited advice… everyone’s favorite.)

Bad advice often comes from people who have never been where you are. Who don’t know where you’re going. Who don’t understand your vision. Who are projecting their fears onto you.

TBH, I think that most people who give bad advice don’t mean to give bad advice.

The genesis of bad advice is often caring, protecting, wanting to help, or trying to stop you from failing.

That makes it all the harder to tell the good from the bad.

Your parents care about you, and that doesn’t mean that they know how to grow a company. (Or hey, maybe they do! If so, count yourself lucky.)

Your sister has your best interest at heart, and that doesn’t mean that she has examined the calculated risk you plan to take to the same depth that you have.

Your friends have been there through years of ups and downs, and that doesn’t mean they know what decision is right for you.

I’ve found that it’s important to do two things:

One is surrounding yourself with trusted coaches and mentors and blocking out everything else.

Vet the source of your advice. Have they done the things you want to do?

Or are they posing next to the jet they rented for a photo shoot on the ‘gram? (I still can’t believe this is a thing.)

And two is listening to yourself.

This is one of the most important skills I have ever learned: to not ignore my gut. To sit with myself and explore the WHY behind my feelings.

Why is this situation making me feel uneasy? Why does this person light up my nervous system or trigger me? Keep asking why until you’re comfortable with the answer.

When it comes time to make a decision, ultimately, you know yourself best.

❤️