How to deal with information overload?
So many things are happening at this moment.
Someone is dying. Someone is taking birth. Someone is coming home after decades of travel. Someone is getting huge payhike by changing his job. Someone is investing time to create a business that his generations will be proud of.
People are doing this. People are doing that.
People used to do this. People used to do that.
Then came Facebook. And Twitter. And Google+ … all different kind of social media.
Result?
Information overload.
The number of messages we get to hear in a typical day has been multiplied by hundreds if not thousands.
But, what does it mean to you?
It just means that you get a lot of garbage your way.
Bigger Problem? You don’t know what information is the garbage.
We say “yes” to what seems exciting or what seems new and indirectly say “no” to the path we are traveling.
How to find out if something is garbage or not?
Get clear on what “drives” you. Get clear on your goals that you must achieve. And get clear about how you are going to use incoming information to achieve your goals.
Now, there are three types of information:
- Information that advances towards achieving your goals;
- Information that enables you to visualize, articulate, refine and challenge your goals;
- All other information!
Number three is garbage. Get rid of it.
Absorb what’s useful; reject the rest. ~ J.D. Meier
Some people crib about information overload while few, only a few, take what’s useful and reject the rest.
Make a wise choice.
