Dealing with Information Overload

Are you like me and sometimes find your self-overwhelmed by all the information available? We choose a subject or a skill we want to learn about, maybe subscribe to an email or two on the subject and then feel overwhelmed by all the information that seems to come our way. We often don’t read the emails sent our way or if they are, we rarely action them.

How do we use the information sent to us, glean out the useful, and begin to use it? Here are some practical ideas, but first accept that feeling overwhelmed is normal, feeling confused is normal. It’s part of the journey of self-development. Accept it as normal and it helps in the process of choosing what we will implement, and what won’t work for us.

1. Be very specific in what you want to learn. If it is increase your knowledge on a particular subject then focus your reading on that subject. Modern marketing techniques encourage the distribution of links and aids to other people’s websites and materials. Once you start to accept emails from a variety of sources you may find your reading is diverting your away from your original learning intention.

2. Take time to sift through all the information you are currently receiving on a subject you want to learn more about. Ask yourself which of these emails or information sources is providing me with information that I need and a practical approach to implementing it in my life.

3. Cancel your subscription to any information that is not of immediate value to you, though maintain the information for to enable you to subscribe again in the future if required.

4. Skim read all emails or information sent to you and highlights the important points. Create a document that enables you to cut and paste information directly relates to your personal development interest.

5. Use the document you have created to create a list of goals and the means you intend to use to achieve those goals.

6. Make your goals measurable and achievable. Set yourself a dead line to commence implementing them and to finish implementing them. Create a way of showing to yourself that you are achieving your goals. (for example)

Let’s be practical. If you plan to learn how to bake a cheesecake, restrict your emails to just those that teach good cheesecake recipes. Make your goal to learn to bake a great cheesecake within 4 weeks. Your measurable goals would be feeling confident in making a great cheesecake to have people tell you how great your cheesecakes are within four weeks.