5 Simple Steps to Conquer Information Overload
I recently made fun of Information Overload on April Fool’s Day, but I know to many people, it’s not a laughing matter.
This is one of the reasons why I created my 22 Day Bootcamp.
I wanted to stick to the basics and offer time & money saving tips instead of offering yet another “money making” scheme.
The truth is if you want to conquer information overload you just have to learn a few simple steps and learn to turn some things off, and I may shoot my own self in the foot here, but it’s important.
Step 1 – Reduce your email
Get an Extra Gmail account just for marketing newsletters, optin forms and miscellaneous non-critical email.
Check this extra account 1-2 times per week. Unsubscribe from any lists that you don’t feel provide immense value to your business.
Step 2 – Keep your hard drive organized
When you download your free reports download them into a folder on your computer named “Unread Reports”.
Take notes when you’re reading them. Copy key points into Notepad, or any text editor and save the notes to a separate folder. Example: SEO Tips
After you read the report, change the file name to “reportname-finished”
When you download other products create folders for them as well. “UnWatched Videos” “Unseen Graphics” etc. At your convenience watch them and take notes again.. saving those tips in the relevant folders. Don’t be afraid to stop videos and take notes.
When you’ve watched the videos rename them to “videoname-finished”
Now here’s another important point.. If these videos/graphics/reports have MRR (master resale rights) or PLR (private label rights) make sure you note that as well. They have value and you can offer them as incentives to others.
DON’T DELETE THESE FILES
Why, because I can’t tell you how many people buy the same information over and over again. Before you buy anything new.. check to see if you already have it, or have something similar in your unread folders and check your notes.
Step 3 – Outsource More
Don’t try to do everything yourself. Focus on your strengths.
If you want to learn how to do something else well… learn how to outsource really well.
Use the strengths of others to build your business even stronger. Need a new webdesign check out 99Designs.com, or ThemeForest.
Don’t spend countless hours making yourself a site that looks great to you, and crappy to everyone else, when you could spend $25 and be done in 30 minutes.
Frustrated writing articles? Hire someone on Elance to write them.
Can you earn $0.10 a day in Adsense with a good quality original article? If you can, that article you paid someone $10 to write will return a $26.50 profit at the end of the year.
See what I mean? You have to think about your business that way..
Step 4 – Don’t buy an InfoProduct until you’ve absorbed the last one
Buying new products is a great way to learn, but make a vow to yourself not to buy any new products until you’ve read/digested the last one.
I buy a lot of infoproducts for one reason, I want to learn a simple actionable tip that I can use to at least earn double what I paid for that product.
That’s it. Sometimes it’s worth buying a $1000 product because you’ll learn one little tip that makes you an extra $10 per day. Once again.. would you like to earn $2650.00 on your investment?
Step 5 – Share your information
Find a buddy online to follow my guidelines above and exchange your notes.. You can learn twice as much at half the price. Think about how easy that is.. get an IM/IM Buddy and talk about what you learned each week.
Conclusion
Information Overload is a state of mind.
- Get a new email account for IM news and downloads, organize your harddrive.
- Create your own personal infoproduct with all the information you’re receiving that you can reference at any time.
- Don’t buy new products until you’ve absorbed the last one.
- Find a buddy online and exchange your notes..
Okay.. before you take any of what I just said to heart.. Buy My Bootcamp and Optin to my list above using your primary email account.. : )
Hey Dan,
This article is right on time. These 5 Steps are golden. From my own experience, getting started is the biggest hurdle. Staying organized and focused is paramount.
I’ve purchased $1,000’s of dollars of Internet Marketing tools and gadgets and secrets over the past several years. And have just been too overloaded and overwhelmed to do anything because I need to see how to do instead of reading or hearing instruction. I get frustrated when things don’t work right the first try and then move on to the next shiny object. Not now though.
Most people learn by watching first. And when they can “watch and do” at the same time, that’s “hands on” learning, training and experience. A huge confidence builder.
I just purchased your video templates and am ecstatic and confident about how easy it’s going to be to master this new marketing tool.
Thanks for sharing all this knowledge at such a incredibly low price. You will be rewarded in kind for your generous deeds.
Thanks for millions.
Gary
Ok…you win……I thought I was EXTREMELY organized. My outlook Wizards would make an assembly coder cower. Until I hit the 2Gig Outlook limit and crashed face first. Twice…….with an untested new “failproof backup”…
So I took your advise and moved everything to another computer and setup just my IM stuff on it.
Now, not only am I off Ritalin but I can go over and surf the latest launches without interrupting tasks that actually make me money……
As usual I have a suggestion to your post – - Every year, at least once, go for a 6 day walk…. with nothing but a stick, a backpack full of REI microfiber and a small notepad. ……By Yourself…… (Search Walking Tours or Walking Trips)……. You will come back with a clear mind, stronger legs and a new appreciation for your loved one(s). And very focused.
Adios……
Can I bring my iPhone? Just for the emergency apps… and of course, my iFart app to scare off bears.
Sure……by the 3rd day you will be dumping
anything that weighs more than a Qtip…..
and the Crows will be haunting you with
your Sneak Attack…….
Two programs that helped me get organized were LastPass (puts roboform to shame) and objectdock- did wonders for keeping my desktop organized:)
and goodsync…for keeping things backuped.
No wonder it took me forever to get off the ground (ha, ha).
I am an info-overload JUNKIE!
Anything that comes out, I GOTTA have.
Don’t worry though, I’m “in therapy” now (ha, ha).
But seriously, Dan has it right.
Remove yourself from e-mail lists if you never read them. And especially (this is the hardest for me) organize your Hard Drive. It’s eaiser as you go along versus when you need to after it’s a complete mess.
Great post, Dan!