Create Focused Time
Schedule blocks of time to complete specific tasks and refuse to do anything but those tasks.
Create Non-Focused Time
Have some dedicated, flexible time to help you complete the things that are less structured.
Block the Interruptions
During your focused time eliminate interruptions. Don't check new email, don't answer the phone, and don’t read new texts.
Schedule Your Day
Use whatever tool you're comfortable with to schedule your day. Break your day into hour chunks and allocate time sensibly.
Limit Meetings
Don't set up meetings if you can take action on things right away with a short chat.
File, But Don't Over-Index
Several times a day, place all the email you think you'll need in one folder and delete the rest. Don't waste time moving stuff around and navigating to find things.
Process Things Quickly
Use simple techniques to quickly determine if something is interesting and relevant. Address problems immediately so you can get back on track quickly.
Learn to Say No
You don't want to take on more work than you can handle because something important will inevitably suffer.
Don't Sweat the Small Stuff
Don't waste your time worrying about small and unimportant things. Accept that some things will get dropped and missed in order to make room for more important things.
Take Action
Don't waste a lot of time thinking about your plan, just take action. It's a more efficient strategy to think while doing, rather than sitting around and guessing what might be important.
Disable Your Alerts
Disable all your email and social media alerts. Only log into your accounts when you have spare time.
Personalize your Feeds
Personalize your news feeds, so you only get exactly the information that you need
Log Off
Once a week, completely log off all of your devices and spend that time doing other things that you enjoy, like reading or cooking.
Prioritize
Prioritize your time. Decide what tasks are the most important and work on completing those first. Once you've finished the important things, then you can go through and tackle the less critical items on your list.
Unfollow and Unsubscribe
At least once a week, go through your email subscriptions and unsubscribe from those emails that are no longer relevant. Do the same with your social media and unfollow feeds that work on your nerves.
Let it Go
Sometimes you just have to stop and take a breath. Let everything go and focus on spending time with your family and friends.
Meditate
Take control of your focus and attention and learn to focus your mind on one thing.
Clear Clutter
Clear your workspace of clutter and carefully choose items that are in your line of vision. This will allow your brain to focus better on the task at hand.
Take Breaks
Taking breaks is important for both your physical and mental energy. They allow you to come back to the task refreshed.
Minimize Interruptions
Designate several hours during your day as your do-not-disturb time. Avoid checking email and texts during this time.
20 Ways To Prevent INFORMATION OVERLOAD
Tip #1
Create Focused Time
Schedule blocks of time to complete specific tasks and refuse to do anything but those tasks.
Tip #2
Create Non-Focused Time
Have some dedicated, flexible time to help you complete the things that are less structured.
Tip #3
Block the Interruptions
During your focused time eliminate interruptions. Don't check new email, don't answer the phone, and don’t read new texts.
Tip #4
Schedule Your Day
Use whatever tool you're comfortable with to schedule your day. Break your day into hour chunks and allocate time sensibly.
Tip #5
Limit Meetings
Don't set up meetings if you can take action on things right away with a short chat.
Tip #6
File, But Don't Over-Index
Several times a day, place all the email you think you'll need in one folder and delete the rest. Don't waste time moving stuff around and navigating to find things.
Tip #7
Process Things Quickly
Use simple techniques to quickly determine if something is interesting and relevant. Address problems immediately so you can get back on track quickly.
Tip #8
Learn to Say No
You don't want to take on more work than you can handle because something important will inevitably suffer.
Tip #9
Don't Sweat the Small Stuff
Don't waste your time worrying about small and unimportant things. Accept that some things will get dropped and missed in order to make room for more important things.
.
Tip #10
Take Action
Don't waste a lot of time thinking about your plan, just take action. It's a more efficient strategy to think while doing, rather than sitting around and guessing what might be important.
Tip #11
Disable Your Alerts
Disable all your email and social media alerts. Only log into your accounts when you have spare time.
Tip #12
Personalize your Feeds
Personalize your news feeds, so you only get exactly the information that you need
Tip #13
Log Off
Once a week, completely log off all of your devices and spend that time doing other things that you enjoy, like reading or cooking.
Tip #14
Prioritize
Prioritize your time. Decide what tasks are the most important and work on completing those first. Once you've finished the important things, then you can go through and tackle the less critical items on your list.
Tip #15
Unfollow and Unsubscribe
At least once a week, go through your email subscriptions and unsubscribe from those emails that are no longer relevant. Do the same with your social media and unfollow feeds that work on your nerves.
Tip #16
Let it Go
Sometimes you just have to stop and take a breath. Let everything go and focus on spending time with your family and friends.
Tip #17
Meditate
Take control of your focus and attention and learn to focus your mind on one thing.
Tip #18
Clear Clutter
Clear your workspace of clutter and carefully choose items that are in your line of vision. This will allow your brain to focus better on the task at hand.
Tip #19
Take Breaks
Taking breaks is important for both your physical and mental energy. They allow you to come back to the task refreshed.
Tip #20
Minimize Interruptions
Designate several hours during your day as your do-not-disturb time. Avoid checking email and texts during this time.
Here's is the URL to the original Google Presentation file:
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1SSLKkkfv_ToW9_be9xHaK6iTyEhqRZJdJHz9eNFhIB0/edit?usp=sharing
Simply make a copy by opening the Google Presentation, clicking on File > Make a copy.
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Day 1
Subject: [firstname]: Thanks for signing up
Dear [firstname],
Thanks for signing up to my short e-course on overcoming information overload. Over the coming days I'm going to be sending you a LOT of information. Be sure to check your inbox every day and mark my messages as “important”. You might also want to set some time aside each day to read my messages and act on the information they contain.
Specifically, we're going to cover where this overload of information is coming from, some common traps you may be falling into, how to beat information overload (IO) and a lot more besides.
Of course, if you want to get a head start on all this, I've put together a no-holes-barred guide to overcoming IO in next to no time. You can find out all about it here: [link to sales page].
Of course one question to ponder is…
Why is Information Overload such a problem nowadays?
In a way, I suppose it's an unwelcome symptom of modern life.
We can find out all sorts of information just by typing on our computer keyboards or looking at our smartphones. Rolling TV news broadcasts spurt out information 24/7.
Years ago, however, sources of information were limited:
If you wanted to find something out, you had to go look it up in the reference section of your local library. You'd get your news from your daily newspaper, from the radio, or from the nightly TV news.
If you wanted to catch up with friends, you'd meet them in person, talk to them on the phone or (if they lived a long way away) exchange letters.
The thing is, though…
Although the way we receive information has changed, the way we digest it hasn't. Over the coming days, I'll show you how to declutter your brain and get back in control of your life.
Sincerely,
[Your Name]
PS. Do you know where all this information is coming from? It's probably not from where you think it is. I'll explain more tomorrow. Be sure to check your inbox then.
Day 2
Subject: Do you know where all this information is coming from, [firstname]?
Hi [firstname],
If you're suffering from information overload (IO), you'll know that it can be a very debilitating condition. While doctors may not recognize it as a genuine medical ailment (they prefer to call it “stress”) if you're suffering from it, you KNOW you're suffering from it! The first step in beating IO is to identify where all this information is coming from.
The main online culprits are:
E-mail lists.
Text messages
Facebook
Twitter
WhatsApp
Snapchat
The list goes on and on.
Think about it …
As soon as you receive an e-mail or a tweet, the first thing you do is go and read it. Then you go back to what you were doing before. Later, someone pings you a Snapchat picture (and the fact Snapchat's images are only available for a short time practically compels you to look at it right away) .Then another message comes through which sends you off at a tangent to look at something on a web page where you click on an ad that sends you to another website, but before you can do anything the phone rings and then half the day has gone and you've accomplished nothing constructive.
Am I right?
Offline it's no better.
After work you stop off at the grocery store to get a pint of milk and are presented with a baffling array in the dairy aisle: There's regular homogenized milk, non-homogenized milk, low-fat milk, skimmed milk, half-and-half, sheep's milk, goat's milk, gluten-free milk, coconut milk, almond milk…
And you're thinking: Geez! All I want is some milk to go on my cornflakes in the morning – or is that wheat flakes, or frosted wheat flakes, or granola, or …
You get the picture!
The truth is our modern world is full of distracting information. As you'll see over the coming days, the solution is to develop the right strategies to deal with it all.
Warmly,
[Your Name]
PS. A good strategy is to grab a copy of my guide to overcoming information overload. Here's the link [link to sales page].
Day 3
Subject: [firstname]: Do you REALLY need all this info?
Hey [firstname]!
Yesterday we talked about all the different sources of distracting information you receive each day; today we're going to start dealing with it.
The first thing to tackle is all the e-mails you receive. You've probably signed up to a whole bunch of lists over the years, but I'll bet you don't read all the messages anymore. Yet as soon as you hear that “ping” (or whatever audio notification you have) which tells you there's a new e-mail, you probably stop what you're doing and check it out.
Am I right? Here's what to do:
Go through your inboxes and ask yourself if you still need all this info. Chances are you probably don't. So unsubscribe from lists you no longer read. Incidentally, the list owner will thank you for this. If you're not reading the messages, there's not a lot of point in ending them to you. You've become what's known as a “list squatter”, and no use to them at all.
The next thing to do is restrict the experts you follow – be that by e-mail or on Facebook and Twitter. Is what they are saying still relevant? If it is, then fine: Keep listening.
But here's the thing…
A fact is a fact. Whether you hear it from one expert or another is irrelevant. Just following one expert means you only have to hear it once.
One person's opinion, of course, differs from another person's, so when you get conflicting advice from different “gurus”, it only adds to the confusion. Decide who's opinion makes the most sense to you and stifle all the distracting ones.
What about stuff that's just distracting - “joke of the day” type messages etc.? Do you REALLY need to keep receiving them? Probably not, so unsubscribe from those, too.
Talk soon!
[Your Name]
PS. Something that's not distracting is my guide to overcoming information overload. Find out more here [link to sales page].
Day 4
Subject: Are you addicted to your smartphone, [firstname]?
Hi [firstname],
Don't take this the wrong way but…
Have you got a smartphone addiction?
You see, smartphones are a leading source of information overload (IO).
There's no doubting that smartphones have completely changed the way we live our lives. Twenty years ago, mobile phones were just that – phones that were mobile. People used them for making phone calls “on the go”. Other people could reach you when you were out of the office. You could make a call while you were walking the dog or standing in line at the supermarket checkout.
You could also send and receive short text messages – although it was clumsy and awkward, and some people developed a condition called “texter's thumb” because it was the only digit you could use in the absence of a “qwerty” keyboard.
That all changed when the iPhone came out – soon other smartphones followed.
Now you could send and receive e-mails and “surf the 'net”. Thanks to smartphones, social media took off in a big way – some platforms are ONLY accessible via smartphone now. Then came the banking apps., music streaming apps. etc. etc.
All of a sudden, smartphones became an integral and indispensable part of out lives.
The only trouble is…
All this information on tap 24/7 starts to become very distracting. E-mails, Facebook, Twitter etc. Your brain just can't handle it all and IO follows.
So resist the urge to check your phone every 5 minutes!
Unless you need your smartphone for work, keep it switched off during working hours. Send all your calls to voicemail, and check them at various times during the day. Tell family and friends to call your (landline) work phone if they need to contact you in an emergency.
Likewise, keep your smartphone turned off at mealtimes (checking your phone at the dinner table is VERY rude, anyway) and when you're behind the wheel. As well as being dangerous, it's also illegal in most countries.
Warmly,
[Your Name]
PS. You can find out all about my overcoming IO guide from your smartphone. Just tap this link [link to sales page].
Day 5
Subject: Quit multitasking, [firstname]!
Hey [firstname]!
Multitasking has become the buzzword of our age. It means doing multiple things at the same time – literally multiple tasks.
The term comes from computing, where processors were developed to run multiple programs (tasks) “in the background”.
The only thing is…
Your brain doesn't work the same way a computer does. Your brain has evolved to do one thing at a time.
This all goes back to your inner caveman/woman. Back then you'd need to concentrate on things like making the fire or tracking down and killing the wooly rhinoceros you were going to eat for dinner. You'd need to block out all distractions while you concentrated on the task at hand. Your survival depended on it.
Today things are different…
Yet though our lifestyles have changed, our brains haven't evolved that much. Sure you can sometimes do two things at once (walk and chew gum etc.) but three or more is pushing it!
Nowadays we're trying to do our work – which more often than not means using our brains more than our hands – as well as listen to what people are saying, read updates on Facebook, tweets on Twitter, e-mail messages, information from web pages, and take a call on Skype all at the same time.
Our poor old neolithic brains just can't handle it! In fact, it's reckoned that it actually takes 30 % longer to perform multiple tasks than just doing one thing at a time.
Incidentally, even the best computer will struggle if you give it too many tasks to do at once. For example: My i5, quad-core computer slows down to a snail's pace while Windows 10 is doing one of its (very frequent) updates.
When you stop multitasking, and concentrate on just one thing at a time, you'll find things go much more smoothly. You'll be able to take in just the information you need for the task at hand and are not likely to suffer from information overload.
Talk soon!
[Your Name]
PS. Don't forget your copy of my guide to overcoming information overload. Here's the link [link to sales page].
Day 6
Subject: [firstname]: It Ain't What You Do It's The Way That You Do It
Hi [firstname],
Back in the 1980's the group Bananarama had a hit with a song called: It Ain't What You Do It's The Way That You Do It. If you haven't heard the song before, they've got it on YouTube – but I warn you it's a real “earworm”.
Part of the song goes like this:
“It ain't what you do it's the time that you do it
And that's what gets results.”
Creating a routine is the best way to gain control over what information you receive, and when you receive it.
For example, if you're only on Facebook between 5:00 and 6:00 in the evening, and you let people know that's the only time you're going to be on Facebook, then if someone want's to chat with you via Facebook they'll have to turn up on the platform at that time. If what they have to say to you is important, they will. If it's not important, they won't – and if it's not important you don't really need to know it anyway.
Likewise, schedule times throughput the day to check your e-mail. For example, I check my work e-mail when I start work in the morning, at lunchtime, the middle of the afternoon, and just before I stop work for the day. That way, I'm not distracted by incoming e-mails throughout the day. I filter the e-mails in my inbox, too, so I can tell if an e-mail is from a client (that requires reading right away) or just a mailshot message that I might read if I have time.
If people need to get in touch with me urgently, they can call me on my landline work phone – and I screen those calls through the answering machine, so if it's NOT urgent I can call them back at the times I have scheduled for making phone calls.
This is the key to beating information overload.
Warmly,
[Your Name]
PS. There's still time to get my guide to overcoming information overload. Here's the link [link to sales page].
Day 7
Subject: [firstname]: Just do it!
Hey [firstname]!
We've covered a lot of stuff over this past week, and just in case you're feeling a bit information overloaded by it all, let's just recap.
We've talked about what information overload (IO) is
We've discussed where this info is coming from and whether you really need it
We've talked about smartphone addictions and the dangers of multitasking
Finally, we talked about how creating a schedule can help you take control of the information you receive and help to beat IO.
Now its time to take action!
Whatever you do, don't put things off. Putting things off is called procrastination and it can ruin your life. Not for nothing is it called “the thief of time”.
Actually, procrastination is a symptom of information overload. A confused mind does nothing – it all goes back to your inner caveman/woman. Your mind stops working so you can assess the situation, but if you're being bombarded with MORE information, you're just going to stay confused.
But the thing is…
If you do nothing, what's likely to happen? You guessed it: Nothing!
Taking action to tackle IO now can help make things better in the future, especially if you assign a specific time to deal with certain information like we discussed yesterday.
In this short e-course I've only been able to scratch the surface of what is necessary to overcome information overload. I go into much more detail in my comprehensive guide to overcoming information overload. I've still got a few copies left, but they're going fast. Grab your copy now from [link to sales page].
To your success!
[Your Name]
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