In today’s world you are not only inundated with information and ‘how to’s’, but you are also overwhelmed with everything you want to get done.
Your senses are assaulted on a daily basis. You are constantly receiving information, much of it useless. However, if you are like me. you continue to ask for more. You browse the internet nonstop and multitask at all times. Yet each click of the mouse leads you down another path of information and adds to your never ending collection of bookmarks. Each podcast gives you 50 more ideas to pursue. Each article you read results in 10 new domains to check out. You are entrepreneurial. It’s in your nature.
Here are five ways I use to help me handle the impending information storm.
Have a collection tool
You need to have a way to collect and organise all of the information you are receiving and generating. You could use a traditional notebook but you should look for a tool that you can access and utilise from any device at any time such as Evernote or Microsoft Onenote.
Each time you come across an amazing resource, technical tidbit, or you spawn your next big idea, jot it down in your tool. That tool needs to serve as your central information repository.
Organise, you can’t Google everything.
As the information comes in, start to put it into logical buckets. Organise the structure of your tool to store content on related topics aligned to your business components.
Establish folders for Sales, Marketing and Accounting. Create a Tools folder to store all of the resources you discover. Itemise and categorise each idea you have regardless of where you are or what time of day it is.
Make sure you not only create this organisational system but that you also embrace it and use it religiously for your daily informational needs.
Filter the information you’re exposed to.
Not all of the information you receive is good information, and even some of the good information may not need to be retained.
You have to stay on top of your consumption and organisation of data. You cannot let it spin out of control to the point where it becomes a useless collection of items.
Stay focused
Keeping your focus is difficult, especially if you are entrepreneurial. There will be information flying at you from all angles. Make sure you focus only on the information that directly benefits what you are working on right now.
Clean up after yourself!
Finally, don’t let your information repository become a cluttered mess that continues to grow beyond your control. Periodically revisit your tool and clean up the contents. Get rid of articles that are no longer relevant. Delete the information you no longer need.
