Dealing With Information Overload
 Information on just about any topic you could ever imagine is just a few
keystrokes away, however we are bombarded with so much information that it can be overwhelming to us. In this article, I'll provide a few simple tips to reduce information overload.
Subscriptions
As you already may have discovered, if you enter a free contest or subscribe to a newsletter online, you could end up with hundreds of advertisements in your inbox on a weekly basis. It can often be a nuisance to unsubscribe from these lists because you may have to investigate the source of the message, and their unsubscribe method may not work. So think before providing your email address to any site.
If you are unfamiliar with the policies of a site and it requires your e-mail address in exchange for something, it would be wise to use a secondary e-mail address.
You can obtain a free email address from a variety of sites such as hotmail.com or gmail.com If you become comfortable with the type and quantity of e-mail sent from a particular source and would like to
continue receiving information, then sign up again with your primary e-mail address.
If your e-mail address is at the mercy of a site that will not remove your name from their list, block the sender using your e-mail program. Microsoft's Outlook Express allows you to do this. Simply click on the Tools drop menu, then "Message Rules," then "Blocked Senders List," and add that address to the list.
When you receive an e-mail from a sender you have blocked, Outlook will automatically place the unwanted e-mail in your "Deleted Items" folder so it won't clutter up your inbox.
Getting The Information You Need
When doing research, finding the facts can be a nightmare at times. I suggest that you conduct a search by using your favorite search engine and place every site that appears relevant in a favorites folder. When you are done, you can go back and review these sites in greater detail. Then, copy the information you need and paste it in a separate document. When you're through you will have a document that contains valuable notes on your desired topic.
Organize Your Information
You may not always have the time to read every e-mail you receive, so create a folder for each category and save the relevant information therein. For example, I'm interested in new trends, so I have created categories for technology, computing, business, human behavior, etc. As everything is now in
its proper folder, I have a valuable reference that I can use quickly and effectively.
Don't Try To Read Everything You See
Reading everything can be time consuming. Skim the information and take notes, or save only the parts of the material that are important to you. Taking notes allows you to better retain information, and in the end you will have created a useful summary.
Discard Information That You'll Never Use
Whether it be a hard or soft copy, if you don't plan to use a piece of information, get rid of it! If you're not sure if something is worth keeping, file
it away for awhile. If you don't refer to it within 6 months, it can't be that important to you. A pile of unread magazines and newsletters won't help you deal with information overload -- it just makes matters worse.
That's The Way I See It!
Acey Gaspard
A Touch of Business.com
Related Resources From A Touch of Business:
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Related Resources From The Web:
Information Overload Research Group
Happy Information Overload Day!
Information Overload Strategies
Information Overload - WS
Video:
Dealing with Information Overload
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