How to avoid information overload (a.ka. Being a Digital Squirrel)

Most business professionals have NO idea who to avoid information overload. There’s just SO much available that everyone is walking around in overwhelm.

Recently, I had a conversation about information overload with a local community college instructor named Don. He and I were discussing the various ways I could attack my biggest project – the renaming of my company from “Mattson Business Services, Inc.” to something a bit more exciting, easier to spell, and more descriptive of what my company does today.

As we kicked around ideas, he encouraged me to use Google as I searched for word combinations, phrases, and definitions.  He also gave me two great pieces of advice:

1. He encouraged me to give myself time to dive into the re-naming project – but to not give myself too much time.

His next piece of advice made me laugh out loud…

2. He told me not to become a digital squirrel.

I immediately imagined myself searching the web for phrases, words, ideas, and images and stuffing them into my cheeks for later use. After I’d stuffed myself with those things, I imagined myself running around my office and putting sticky notes everywhere so I wouldn’t forget what I’d found.

And this led me to realize: We are ALL in danger of becoming digital squirrels. Our “virtual” cheeks are about to explode!!!

Think about it! How many times do you go and research a subject and (a) end up with a four inch stack of articles you printed out; (b) end up with 56 new browser tabs opened of information to read; or (c) you ran out of room in your physical files because you are an obsessed (prolific?) newspaper article clipper or magazine page tearer?

Or better yet, are you addicted to using Evernote, the online service that literally lets you “capture anything – save your ideas, things you like, things you hear, and things you see.”

Gads! If I tried to save all my ideas, all the things I like that I read, see, or hear, I think my virtual cheeks would explode and I’d crash the servers at Evernote.

I wonder, though, how many of you reading right now are looking sheepishly at your computer. Yes, the one in front of you that is covered with real sticky notes? How about those virtual sticky note apps – yep, you own a virtual sticky note factory right there in front of you. You’ve stuffed your physical and virtual cheeks with things to remember, things to not forget, things to do, things to buy, thing to put on your To Do list for later. Whew! Enough already!

And oh, the worst might be the digital squirrels who stuff themselves with email! And are those inboxes STUFFED! Whether unable to keep up with the sheer volume of email received (some people get upwards of 250 messages a day) or you’re playing “CYA” and decide to keep everything – just in case.  Whether you don’t know how to use your delete key or are perhaps simply too busy (or distracted) to file messages away, you become an email hoarder.

To all of these people acting like digital squirrels in order to stay on top of this flood of information, I say: STOP!

Here are my Top Ten Rules for How to Avoid Information Overload (Stop Acting Like a Digital Squirrel):

1. Be discerning. Have nothing in your inbox that doesn’t add immediate and lasting value.
2. Use discretion. You can’t read it all, no matter how much you try.
3. Have some faith. When you need the information later, you can find it again.
4. Prioritize. What matters? Focus on that.
5. Be exclusive. Only the best gets your attention.
6. Raise the bar. There’s a lot of mediocre information out there. Don’t consume junk.
7. Be ruthless. You can’t keep it all, nor should you want to. Delete. Shred. Recycle. Toss.
8. Stop procrastinating. Lots of time is wasted clicking through…
9. Unsubscribe. This includes everything that doesn’t serve you (newspapers, magazines, blogs, e-zines, memberships you’re not using…)
10. Let go. Give yourself permission to not know it all, have it all, do it all, keep it all, or worry about it all.

That last one should probably be #1 – it’s the hardest to admit and is even harder to practice. So, right now I give you permission to let go.

Notice that big sigh you just took?

It’s called relief. Your cheeks will thank you for it!