Life hacks.
Career hacks.
Fitness hacks.
Health hacks.
Maybe weirdest and creepiest of all: brain hacks.
We’re exhorted by influencers to #hackyourlife. Supposedly, this is about quick tips and tricks to make life (career, fitness, health, … brains? why am I now thinking of zombies?) more efficient, faster, productive.
And it sounds great. It seems like a good thing, right? Who wouldn’t want to become more efficient, faster, and productive?
But hacks are often just shiny objects we’re invited to chase. Sometimes they’re ridiculous, but because the TikTok video grabbed your attention, you’ll try it anyway. Sometimes they’re irrelevant to your specific situation, but … you got sucked in by the influencer’s popularity, so surely they must know something you don’t.
Sometimes you’re pretty sure the hack in question isn’t going to work as advertised, but you try it anyway.
Social media is a mixed bag. Some of it’s great. Some of it’s not. Like any tool, it can be used for good, or to harm.
The rise of hacking influencers is not what I’d call one of the good things about social media.
Everything you do in your career and your life (and for your brain!) should be relevant to your situation and to who you are. The career hacks that might be helpful for someone in one industry, within a particular organization and team, might actually be harmful for yours.
Hacking your career (life, etc.) can easily become reckless leaping into actions that “they” said were a sure thing. Remember the origins of the word: “hackers” referred to people who break into your computer so they can steal.
Think before you leap.
Un-hack your life.
Be intentional instead.
I’m not saying, don’t take advice. Please take advice. But take advice from people whose wisdom has a foundational basis, from people who have real-world, real-life experience behind them, and ideally from people who know you and have your best interests at heart.
Not from an influencer who’s chasing follower counts and ad revenue.
Sure, sometimes you’ll come across a hack that’s relevant and useful. Of course you will. And by all means, go for it. Just be sensibly intentional about it.