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How do you evaluate expert advice without losing yourself?

It's tough. You need a framework.

Ask yourself these six questions:

Does it align with your core values? My core values: autonomy, integrity, freedom. If someone told me, "Work 80 hours a week for $40,000 a year," I'd have questions.

Does it respect your unique wiring and personality? So much advice assumes anybody could do this, everybody should be doing this. But some people will be miserable doing what experts recommend. I'm creative. I do my best work alone—practicing guitar, producing music, writing, making art. If an opportunity requires me to be out all the time at clubs, bars, parties, networking events? That's not me.

Is it a tool or a complete system? A technique might get you the date (or contract, or opportunity). But three dates in, you're in a relationship—and all the things that worked to get attention have nothing to do with the new situation. A tool is nice. But most businesses use a variety of tools, not just one. A complete system gives you the steps, the exact process, the frameworks, the templates.

Does the advice make you more dependent, or does it empower your independence? Does this advice make me more dependent on the person giving it? Do I have to buy additional coaching, their book, their course, the next course? Or does it empower me to hit the target on my own?

Does the advice have a clear, measurable outcome you can define? What is the advice designed to help you achieve? And more importantly, is this something the expert says you should want, or is it something you want? "Build an email list" is clear. "Become a thought leader" is nebulous.

Does it encourage evolution, or is it just dogma? Does your teacher set you up to surpass them, or are they the gatekeeper to more knowledge you need to purchase to get where you want to go?

As an independent creative, your intuition is one of your greatest assets. Use people's advice as wisdom, not as gospel. Separate the wheat from the chaff. Take what works. Leave what doesn't.

We could all become the clone of our favorite guru if we tried. But that's not the goal. What's most powerful? You being your most authentic, genuine self.

In this post (and video), I share how to evaluate expert advice without losing yourself. https://davidandrewwiebe.com/?p=28064