How to Avoid Losing Your Time from Information Overload

Information overload can be costly in terms of time.  When you're stuck in information overload, it keeps you from taking action.  Months and even years pass by, but the lack of action causes a lack of results.  And your time ends up being wasted.

So it's important to avoid information overload.  But how do you avoid information overload?  The lure of reading another book or learning another tip can be tempting.

To avoid information overload, you need to have a bias toward action.  To do this, only read information when you need it.  For instance, if you're at the stage where you're figuring out how to build a Web site, go out and find information on how to build a Web site.

But at that stage, it's probably not a good idea to start looking for information on how to sell your business.  You're still at the stage of building a Web site.  So the information on how to sell your business isn't immediately applicable.  By the time the information is useful, you would have forgotten it by then.  And the time spent learning it would be wasted.

So the key is to take action.  When you reach a point where you need how-to information, go and find that information.  Then once you've learned enough to apply it to your situation, stop learning and apply the information.  Only look for new information when you reach a roadblock.

That way, you'll keep taking action.  You'll avoid information overload and analysis paralysis.  And you'll get results faster.