The Infuriating Reason All Good Career Advice Sounds Silly

It’s actually good news.

My Nigerian mother had a knack for dropping truth bombs disguised as annoying proverbs when I was growing up. One of her favorites was, “Common sense isn’t common.” As a kid, I rolled my eyes, but now, years later, I get it. And it’s a lesson that’s become central to my own journey as a creative and entrepreneur.

Let’s face it – we all love a good “secret sauce” story. We eat up hearing about the hidden tricks, the overnight successes, the magical formulas that propelled someone to the top. But more often than not, when we finally get a glimpse behind the curtain, we’re left feeling…underwhelmed.

The truth is, most successful people didn’t get there by stumbling upon some mystical secret. They got there through a series of seemingly mundane, everyday choices: showing up consistently, putting in the work, prioritizing their health, learning from their mistakes, and never giving up.

It’s not glamorous. It’s not exciting. It’s just…common sense.

And that’s precisely what makes it so infuriating.

In today’s world, we’re addicted to extremes. We crave the shiny new object, the quick fix, the overnight success. We want the secret handshake, the hidden door, the shortcut to the top.