Information Overload

The information age has brought a lot of good to this world.  Gone are the days of not knowing what you’re eating, where you are or how many licks it takes to get to the center of a tootsie pop.  364 licks if you’re wondering (Purdue did a study).  

Knowing things is awesome.  Understanding things is trickier. With bombardment of information comes the overwhelming task of consolidating it all into manageable and more importantly, applicable, chunks.   

For this, I use a few techniques to help manage information overload.  By doing these semi-consistently, I’m able to avoid long, sleepless nights of wondering where climate change will take us.  

Have 1 mentor/coach in each field

In my world, this means having one personal trainer, one massage therapist, etc.  Having multiple voices in my head on the same topic complicates matters to an extraordinary level.  Fact checking is important but so is trust.  Finding people that I trusted with my questions was initially difficult but has led to less wondering.  Meaning more time to be curious elsewhere!  

Take information breaks 

This one I stole from Precision Nutrition.  By stepping away from the intake of information, I find it easier to digest information that I’ve been taking in over the previous weeks and months.   Consolidation is difficult when the stream of info never stops.  Taking a week off every few months and avoiding all new information (within reason) helps me stave off emotional breakdowns… usually.   

Read 1 nonfiction book at a time 

I’m still working on the one book at a time thing.  I can usually tell things are out of hand when I have more than 3 books sitting on my nightstand.  There isn’t usually a problem if I’m reading one nonfiction paired with a story before bed but once additional nonfiction topics get thrown into the fire, chaos erupts.   

Put a timer on news intake

20 minutes at a time unless you’re a day trader.  No exceptions.    

Ask questions and get answers immediately 

Finding the right mentors here is key.  I’m guilty of the dreaded “To Do List” where I plan to learn something… and then never learn it.  Ask the questions as they arise and rely on your amazing (and patient) mentors to drive progress.

A few ways that have helped maintain a semblance of sanity during my early years of career and personal growth.  The information age is exciting.  It can also be debilitating when not managed properly.  Think simply!