It's no secret that we live in a world where we're constantly hit with endless streams of information.

From social media to online news, it's easy to get caught up in a never-ending cycle of consumption without digesting what we're taking in.

But have you ever stopped to think about the damage of this practice?

What happens when you fill a glass with water past its limit? It spills over.

What about the content you're watching? How does that overfilling manifest in our minds?

Warning: Overdose Leads to Mediocrity

There are 3 big problems that overconsumption promotes:

1) Lack of Creativity

When we're constantly bombarded with the ideas of others, it's difficult to come up with original thoughts and ideas of our own.

It's like our brains get so used to consuming the ideas of others that we lose the ability to think for ourselves.

2) Reduced Productivity

Over-consuming content can also lead to a lack of productivity. We all know this feeling a bit too well.

It's easy to get caught up in the endless scroll of social media and the never-ending stream of Netflix shows popping up. How long is your watch list? You’re never going to get through it all. And let's be real, most of the content we consume is meaningless.

It doesn’t add value to our life and vision. How much of what we watch, read, or listen to do we remember and find useful? 

3) Mental Health Issues

Most importantly, this has adverse effects on our mental health. Comparing ourselves to others people’s achievements and exposing ourselves to the endless stream of information leads to feeling shitty about our lives.

We get so caught up in comparing our lives to the carefully filtered versions of other people's lives. We forget that what we see online is just a tiny slice of the pie.

I’m Guilty of This…

Consuming media has been the bane of my existence for as long as I can remember. I grew up with video games, the advent of social media, and sadly, a porn addiction before my teenage years.

It wasn’t until nearly 30 years of age that I was finally able to get control of my impulses and pleasure-seeking through a screen. This digital age has become a battleground for the modern mind – a sort of spiritual warfare if you will, to keep you and me distracted.

This results in lifelong mediocrity and reliance on external sources for our health, wealth, and happiness.

If this feeling of overstimulation and internal conflict sounds familiar and you’re wondering why your life isn’t measuring up to where it should be, then you’re going to want to listen to what’s next.

You might be asking,

“Alright dude I get it, so wtf do we do about this then?”

I’m going to explain 3 ways you can turn your life around and use content consumption productively.

Treat Screen Time Like a Big Event

What happens when your nephew’s birthday is coming up? There’s always an invitation and a dedicated spot on your calendar for it. We need to schedule time for consumption each day.

It's going to be vital to set limits on the time we spend consuming content. Yes, you’ve heard this a million times but hear me out.

Set aside a specific time each day to consume content and stick to that schedule. It may seem trivial but taking regular breaks from screens gives our minds a chance to recharge.

Another option is a social media detox. I talk more about how to do this in a video, but these can work well. If you’re like me and want to use social media for business, that may not be an option. If you’re intentional about your work, you should be intentional about your attention.

For example, I schedule my “mindless” consumption periods at 6 pm when my energy is low and all my daily duties are done. I’ll choose 30-60 minutes to consume but usually, I won’t want to for that long. Pushing social media scrolling to the end of the day ensures you’re too tired to keep scrolling.

By now, you’re tired of entertainment media. You’ve realized it's way too stimulating and gotten past the:

"sh!tposts"

"degeneracy reels"

& "danceToks"

This next step makes consumption a bit more resourceful.

Content as Mind Food

Consider content that is educational or based on research for a project you’ve come up with. Having a passion project is a GREAT alternative to social media consumption. You get the dopamine you crave while potentially adding immense value to your life.

The biggest benefit achieved from educational consumption is my physique transformation I started back in 2013. I was 155 lbs at 5’11” (skinny-fat & weak). I learned a ton of weight training principles on Fitness YouTube for 3 years as I built over 30 lbs of muscle and lost overall body fat (185 lbs at 12% bf).

The knowledge I gained was far deeper and more practical than my 4-year kinesiology degree taught me. This shows you the power of the internet and what you can achieve with intentional research.

Choose to engage in content that is informative, educational, or otherwise useful, rather than purely entertainment content. It's a good idea to be selective about the sources of the content we consume and to be wary of fake news or biased information.

• YouTube 

• Medium,

• and what I call, Value Twitter 

are good examples of places where you can make more intentional choices.

Be mindful of each message you see and take it with a grain of salt or simply question its validity until it makes complete sense. This type of content and a desire for self-improvement will skyrocket your potential if approached correctly.

The final tip is the most crucial and life-changing route you can take. Be careful though, this isn’t for the instant gratification-seeking wanker that wants a get-rich-quick scheme (spoiler: there isn’t such a thing).

Opposites Attract

The most life-changing piece of the puzzle is to create your own content. This can be as simple as writing a blog post, creating a piece of art (have you seen AI-generated ones???), or even just sharing our thoughts and ideas with others.

Creating our own content not only helps to develop our creativity and productivity but also gives us a sense of accomplishment and pride. And who knows, maybe our content will even inspire others to do the same and bring in some extra cash.

The digital age doesn't have to be gloom and doom. There is hope for the quick-hit dopamine-addicted lovers out there. Making money online is now easier than ever.

You may have heard tales of young bucks coming from rages to riches on YouTube by starting businesses like dropshipping, freelance web design, or social media marketing agencies. People like

• Iman Gadzhi,

• Hamza Ahmed

• and OG’s like Uncle Elliott Hulse

have been inspiring role models in the game of solopreneurship.

What do they all have in common? They have all started by documenting their journey online. We like to think we’re making ourselves feel better by saying,

“Oh, they got lucky,”

or,

“They already had money, to begin with.”

I call bullshit.

If you look at their backstories, they all came from debt, poor families, or at some point in life at the bottom just like you and I. Believe me when I say it’s possible. Look at these stories as inspiration, not as an excuse!

Choose your own Adventure Story

Recently I stumbled upon another creator that blew my mind! You may have heard of him or seen his 30-minute YouTube videos that you may have skipped over because it was “too long.” I'll give you a second chance though. His name is Dan Koe & this was the video that pushed me over the edge.

I had been contemplating starting a YouTube channel for years only to quit because of the long-term commitment. As I listened to Dan’s video during a workout, a lot of points clicked for me that made me pause and rewind the video:

“Productize yourself”

“One-person business”

“Work less. Earn more”

“Monetize your interests”

These words lit up my brain like the neighborhood Christmas lights. It was the push I needed to get my head out of my ass and start getting serious about content creation. What you’re reading now is the current iteration of what became of that and it's only going to get better.

If you’re ready to take on content creation and consume intentionally, I encourage you to check out the 2-hour Writer course that Dan crafted for people like us. You only need 1-2 hours a day to create something worthy of your unique experience.

You're a Wizard, Harry!

To wrap this up, we talked about how overconsuming content can be a real productivity killer. It can plummet our creativity, drain our small willpower reserves, and damage our mental health. But don’t worry. By

• scheduling blocks for screen time,

• intentionally selecting educational content,

• and documenting our learnings online,

we can avoid the pitfalls of overconsumption and focus on what truly matters in our lives. We can develop a growth mindset and discard the victim mentality.

If you need some accountability from like-minded individuals, consider checking out Modern Mastery – a group of dedicated creators like us that keep each other accountable, give pointers on potential content ideas and learn from the experiences of others who have been through it all.

Small changes compounded over time can make a big difference in your life. Let's stop letting the never-ending cycle of consumption control us and start with step one!

If you found this helpful and want to learn more about striking a healthy balance in your lifestyle through self-improvement and mindful living, be sure to subscribe to the YouTube channel for the video versions of these letters.

And let me know what you think of this one. Did I miss anything crucial? Would love to hear your feedback in a reply or a DM on Twitter.

See you in the next one!

Resources:

• Content OS: Set up a framework for content creation around your interests to attain internal fulfillment and financial freedom! Check out the article on creating your own content.

• 2-Hour Writer: Learn a marketable skill by writing 1-2 hours per day that translates to a professional upgrade, starting a business, or bringing clarity to your overactive mind.

• Modern Mastery: Join a like-minded group of individuals committed to content creation, starting a one-person business, and networking with others on the path to self-mastery.

• Hypefury: Tired of posting your content manually? Schedule unlimited tweets and save your ideas in a simple dashboard. I schedule all my tweets on Sunday saving me hours per week! (Also post to IG, FB, and LinkedIn) + many more features!

Read the previous letters on the blog.