The Social Media Reset: How to Stop Scrolling and Boost Career Success

Social media can feel like a blessing and a burden. One scroll can inspire you, but the next can leave you drained, doubting yourself, or questioning your progress. I’ve been there too.

As an entrepreneur, professor, husband, and father, I often feel the weight of “doing it all.” When creating content, I sometimes wonder: Am I trying to generate leads? Build community? Drive traffic? Grow my brand? Add those questions on top of life’s other responsibilities, and it can get overwhelming fast. Recently, I had to remind myself: this is just one post. That mindset shift was the start of my own reset.

Step 1: Remember—It’s All a Highlight Reel

Some people I meet think I just started my speaking career in the past two years, mainly because I’ve been able to post more photos and videos lately. The truth? I’ve been building this career for almost nine years. What’s different now is that I can afford to bring someone along to capture the footage.

What most people don’t see are the rejection emails from conferences, the speaking engagements that didn’t pan out, or the ideas I launched that failed. (I’m saving those stories for the book!) But they exist. They’re part of the journey.

And that’s the danger of social media, we all highlight the good stuff. So if you find yourself comparing your “behind the scenes” to someone else’s “highlight reel,” remind yourself: there’s always more to the story than what you see on the screen.

Step 2: Audit What You Consume vs. What You Post

The real reset begins with awareness. Take a hard look at both sides of the screen:

• What you consume: Are the accounts you follow motivating you or distracting you? Do they push you forward, or do they pull you into comparison?

• What you post: Are you creating content you’re proud of, or just posting because it’s trending? Does it reflect the leader, professional, or person you want to be remembered as?

This isn’t about perfection, it’s about alignment. The more your inputs (what you consume) and outputs (what you post) match your values, the more confident you’ll feel in how you’re showing up online.

Step 3: Set Boundaries With Purpose

Here’s a filter I use: If a student, colleague, or parent were to see this post, would they trust me to talk about leadership? If the answer is no, it doesn’t get posted. Period.

That doesn’t mean I don’t enjoy funny or viral content, I just save that for the group chat. Online, my posts are intentional because I know they’ll live beyond me.

Boundaries aren’t about restriction; they’re about clarity. And clarity is what fuels momentum.

The 3-Part Social Media Reset (Try This Today)

1. Clean Your Feed

   • Unfollow or mute 5 accounts that drain you or trigger comparison.

   • Replace them with 5 that inspire, educate, or align with your goals.

2. Set Your Posting Filter

   • Before posting, ask: Am I proud of this? Does it reflect who I am as a leader/professional? Would I be okay with this attached to my name five years from now?

   • If the answer is yes → post it. If not → skip it.

3. Reclaim Your Momentum

   • Each week, write down 1 real-life win (big or small) that you won’t post online but that you’ll celebrate privately.

   • This keeps you grounded in your progress, not in likes or shares.

Looking for more practical resets like this?

Join my weekly Leadership Insights newsletter for tips and free resources that will help you lead with confidence and clarity.

And if you’re ready to go deeper—especially on LinkedIn—check out my AI Career Toolkit.

Inside, you’ll find fill-in-the-blank prompts, scripts, and templates to:
✅ Craft a LinkedIn profile that tells your story with confidence
✅ Refresh your resume with results-focused bullets
✅ Prep interview answers and STAR stories that build credibility
✅ Write networking messages that get real responses

Think of it as your reset button for professional momentum.