Worst Advice I Got
Welcome to Issue 86 of Yath’s Blogletter, a newsletter where we explore mindful self-growth and navigating life.
Dear friends,
Once upon a time, I received some pretty bad advice that I've been following until recently. Little naive me in high school was told repeatedly, "just get into medical school and then you don't have to worry about anything else". Now, I can't remember who exactly gave me this advice but I feel like it was a few people - teachers, mentors, and other students.
The bad advice can be applied in any context that goes, "just do X and Y won't be an issue". It's bad because you can't just do something that will fix all else. Every milestone will come with further milestones to be unlocked and nothing in life can be completed in one step. Essentially, what I gained from this bad advice was a drive to do absolutely everything in my power to get into medical school because obviously then I wouldn't have to worry about anything else.
That's exactly what I did, I got into medical school and thought "ok great I've done it now, I can relax". Naturally, I took less interest in extracurricular activities and slowed down on developing a contemporaneous CV. I didn't think I had to try as hard anymore, as I was now on the medical school conveyor belt leading to the promised fortune. I was wrong.
How silly was I to take this bad advice so dearly to my heart? Hard work and furthering your abilities, achievements, and accolades should never stop. There will always be the next interview and the next milestone. I'm feeling this now as I approach a point in my medical career where I have to apply to specialities. Even if I was to gap from medicine for a few years, I'd still have to prepare a CV, make a competitive application, and excel in an interview to gain a decent position at a big firm.
I'll be honest, my CV is lacking (at least in my eyes) because of this bad advice I held onto from high school. I haven't done much research throughout medical school, I haven't won many prizes, and I have only held a handful of leadership positions. But, I suppose it is better I have realised this now rather than later.
I don't think the advice came from a bad place, and I'm sure a great aspect of it all going wrong was me holding onto it too dearly. You also shouldn't do things for CV-sake or career-progression-sake, but doing things to further yourself will subsequently make you a better candidate or asset.
Anyway, what is the worst piece of advice you ever received?
Quote of the week:
“If only I had more money” is the easiest way to postpone the intense self-examination and decision-making necessary to create a life of enjoyment.
Recommendation of the week:
Video 📺 - Sahil Bloom's Life Advice
Sahil is a ridiculously 'successful' investor and creator. In this podcast interview, he gives some phenomenal advice on navigating life, being an online creator, and how to invest effectively by following very simple steps.
That’s all for this week - be safe, be happy!
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