When layoffs loom, career uncertainty can send us into overconsumption overdrive. We consume career advice, productivity hacks, self-help books, LinkedIn posts, podcasts, and 60-second videos, hoping the next piece of information will finally tell us what to do. Creators make their tidbit of knowledge very enticing. Many have worked in a variety of seductive fields or companies that, on the surface, make them sound like an authority because hearing a career hack from an ex-Google, Apple, fill-in-the-blank leader of the field company.
We live in a world that is addicted to consuming. We overconsume to fill a restless yet never-satisfied hole in our minds. Consuming has been pushed and rebranded as progress when, in fact, we are just deepening our connection with what doesn’t bear gifts.
Over the years, I've considered myself a die-hard self-help connoisseur. I ferociously consumed book after book, thinking it would give me the secret to unlock a career that would catapult me into the limelight. I envisioned being requested for comment and interviews. However, over the past two decades, I noticed that the more I consumed, the less I used.
How to Know If You’re Overconsuming Information
When you overconsume knowledge, like hoarding food, it eventually spoils. Dealing with spoiled food sucks, especially when you reflect on the cost and effort it now renders useless. The same happens with overconsuming knowledge. We can watch and parrot back all the latest self-help or therapy speak, yet still not live a life that shows transformation.
A typical tip I have seen for those who have been laid off or are grossly underemployed is to follow thought leaders in your field to educate yourself. Like anything in life, moderation is the name of the game. But when you spend your morning scrolling instead of doing what you could be doing, ask yourself: what am I actually getting out of this?
Overconsumption can feel like mentioning goals to friends over brunch and getting the same euphoria as if you actually made the goal a reality. We can feel good about doing something, but it's an illusion that can cause compounding fractures in our confidence and our ability to go the distance in our searches.
I am an advocate for upskilling and learning as having as I’m allergic to narrow-mindedness. You must examine all those saved articles and TikToks and assess whether any of this information is new or helpful, or if it's just fanning my need for comfort. Free knowledge can take you surprisingly far. But knowledge without implementation eventually becomes another form of procrastination. At some point, you have to invest your time and energy into doing the thing that could actually change your circumstances.
How to Turn Career Advice Into Action
One of the best ways to alchemize the knowledge you have acquired is by experimenting. So let's say you're consuming a lot of LinkedIn content; I would take 2-3 tips you have learned and experiment with them. That could mean updating your resume through a more strategic lens, actually sending coffee invites, or upskilling. Once you do that, observe if you are getting closer to your desired outcomes. Experimenting with or applying what you've learned scares most people, and if you're dealing with a layoff or underemployment, that can feel insanely exhausting.
You can also take what you have learned and help others who may be in the same boat. Mastermind groups have been around for decades, and the core idea is bringing together two or more minds to build momentum through shared knowledge. Sometimes we need to actually mingle with others to make the knowledge practical and executable.
Stop Consuming and Start Applying
As 2026 wraps up, I am more focused on ensuring that everything I consume can materialize in my life, or it’s ruthlessly removed. The comfort of spinning my wheels is not comforting. You can blow out your energy by constantly overconsuming content or books.
If you’re ready to stop consuming more advice and actually move on one goal, book a Strategic Game Plan Session.
We’ll take one goal that matters, clarify what’s really standing in the way, and leave you with a practical action plan you can execute.
Sessions are limited, so book yours while they’re available.