5 Cool Ideas for Avoiding Information Overload

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The good news is that we live in an information age. The bad news is that there seems to be way too much information. Here are 5 Cool Ideas for avoiding information overload.

1.  Writing things down relieves stress.
Humans experience stress when they have to remember too much. Putting things on paper allows you to focus on more immediate concerns, like whether your zipper is down. Record the information into a time management system, rather than on scraps of paper.

2.  Keep one calendar and put everything in it.
Maintain one calendar and keep it with you at all times. This calendar should include social events, work appointments, and the kids’ soccer games. Keeping one calendar will help integrate your business and personal life.

3.  Use your planner as a diary.
Almost every time management system allows for daily journal entries. At the end of the month, these pages can be inserted into a binder that automatically becomes the easiest diary you can ever keep. A Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) can also help document your life.

4.  Use e-mail to document your life.
Save important e-mail to topic folders labeled “Family” and “School.” These time-stamped messages will serve as an official record of past events. At my company, Edison House, we use e-mail messages as contracts, invoices, and receipts. This cuts down on the amount of paper that needs to be filed and stored. Be sure to have a data backup in case your computer crashes.

5.  You are what you read.
People who gossip, read junk magazines, and watch bad TV will have richer lives when they choose not to process useless information. Try substituting magazine time with book reading. Instead of watching sitcoms, take in quality films. Remember, if you read good books and watch good movies and eat good food and drink good wine and think good thoughts and have good friends, you will have a good life.

For more information, please contact Michael Angelo Caruso at michaelangelocaruso@edisonhouse.com