How to Fight the Information Cocoon: Giving Yourself a Chance to Thrive
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From the first day of kindergarten to graduation, we are bombarded with messages about what it means to be successful. Conforming and staying within the confines of a safe, boring life is key to success, we’re told. We must all get good grades, go to a top university and graduate with high honors. Anything less than that and our career will suffer. And if we fail at any of this – or worse yet, show an interest in something other than pre-approved majors like business, computer science or becoming a pharmacist – well then, we’re doomed to a life of being an irrelevant cog in some soul-sucking company until we retire at 65. We are stuck in an information cocoon as researchers call it: a place where everything is pre-vetted for us; where everyone thinks the same way; where creativity and uniqueness are frowned upon; and where courage, daring and risk taking are things you can only see on TV shows. More importantly, almost no one talks about this problem because they’re too busy trying to succeed within those confines. In this blog post you will learn how you can fight against the information cocoon so you can thrive instead of just survive.
Keep Learning, No Matter What
Your education should never end, no matter what your age or what you do for a living. Learning new skills that are connected to what you do is one of the best ways to stay engaged, motivated and challenged. This will make you happier and more productive at work. If you’re feeling stuck in a job or field, learning something new can spark creativity and help you discover new interests and opportunities. Another great advantage of continuing to learn is that it will keep you from getting bored. Some of the best ways to keep learning are to take classes. If you can, take a class on a topic that interests you, even if it doesn’t seem relevant to your profession. You never know where it might lead. You could also try reading a book each month. Finally, you can also try to expand your social circle. This can be helpful for both learning and inspiration.
Take Breaks
To keep yourself creative, creative people take breaks. They don’t sit in one place for hours and hours. They don’t try to achieve all the goals in their life in a single day. They don’t sacrifice their health and well-being for their career. They know that in order to stay creative and healthy, they must do regular breaks. No matter what industry you’re in and what you feel like you need to accomplish, take regular breaks. Take a day off every two weeks. Take a week off every two months. Take vacations. This is critical to your health and well-being. Keep in mind that you don’t have to go on crazy extravagant vacations to take a break. You can go hiking, camping, go on a road trip, or simply unplug from social media and technology. Whatever you do, make sure it gets you out of your normal everyday routine so you can come back refreshed and recharged.
Build a Network of Inspiration and Support
As you work on improving yourself and your career, don’t do it alone. Surround yourself with people who have the same goals and aspirations as you do. Share with them what you’re doing and ask them for feedback. Be vulnerable and ask for help when you need it. You can also join or start a group or club around a cause or interest that you care about. This could be a group that helps your fellow professionals become better at what they do or a group of like-minded people who help each other reach their goals. When you’re part of a group that shares your aspirations and dreams, it can significantly increase your chances of success. You can learn from each other, share resources, and support each other when times get tough. Knowing that you’re not alone in your journey can make a huge difference.
Learn more about the field you want to work in
If you’re working in a field that you’re not passionate about, this may be one of the biggest challenges you have to face. But imagine what would happen if you would start reading, watching, and listening to stuff that is directly related to the field you want to be in. You would learn about its lingo, its best practices, and its history. You would expose yourself to new ideas and people who are part of this field. You would get excited about it. You would start building connections and meeting people. This is important because once you’ve started learning more about a field, it can be easier to build a network in that field. This can lead to mentors, job opportunities, and ways to get your foot in the door. This is especially important in creative fields, where there are fewer job opportunities and you usually have to be creative in how you get your foot in the door.
Find a Career You’re Passionate About
The old model of finding a job based on its potential salary has been proven to be flawed. So what should you do if you want to be successful, but are unsure of what you want to do? Start by looking at the things you love to do. Maybe you like helping people, playing music, writing, speaking in front of people, etc. What do you wish there was more of in the world? Do you have any ideas for how you could contribute to society? Find a career you’re passionate about and you’ll get much more out of your job than just a paycheck; you’ll also be healthier and happier. You will be more engaged with your work and more likely to put in the extra effort that can make you more successful. You will probably also enjoy your job more, which will make it easier to go to work each day.
Take Small Steps Toward Where You Want to Be
If you have been struggling with issues relating to your career, you may have been pushed into a corner with no obvious way out. It can be frightening to think about moving forward, when you are not sure where you will land. The good news is that you don’t have to know everything before you take action. When you are feeling stuck, it is often helpful to take small steps toward your goals. This can help you feel more empowered and less stuck. For example, you could make a list of small actions that you could take to move you closer to your goals. This can include finding out more information related to your desired field, or reaching out to someone who works in that field.
Conclusion
The information cocoon is a common problem among students and young professionals. It’s a place where everyone thinks the same way and conformity is celebrated. It’s a place where creativity and uniqueness are frowned upon. The good news is that you can fight against this by keeping yourself creative, building a network of inspiration, learning more about the field you want to work in, finding a career you’re passionate about and taking small steps toward where you want to be.
