Information Overload: Part Three - What To Do / Solutions

In the final analysis of the problems caused by information overload, we must not only identify the causes, but also identify workable solutions. The task alone seems daunting, but it doesn't have to be. While none of us can completely eliminate the endless streams of information in our lives, we can make a truly significant reduction in how much of our time that information consumes.




The critical thing to remember is that we still have control over the information in our lives. But to stem the problem does require a systematic approach. Given the vast scope of places that information overload consumes us, certain area within each of our lives may require more diligence than will others.

Overall, the maxim to live by is, "decrease quantity, increase quality." With that concept in mind, lets try to bring these areas into focus. In considering these, take a piece of paper and jot down your own specific needs.

1. At the Office -


• Be careful with your phone time. Don't tolerate sitting on perma-hold, listening to elevator music and even more stupid radio commercials. Leave a short, efficient message which indicates precisely what action you want taken and move on. Remember: when in doubt, hit 0 for the operator. A recent Reuters survey found that 20% of all voice-mail time is spent fumbling through menus.


• Reduce Paper. An old boss of mine told me to touch a piece of paper only once. Either use and file it or toss it in the recycle bin. To help facilitate this, switch to a fax/modem instead of a regular fax machine. There is no paper involved, and the "delete" key really can be your best friend.
• Get Organized. If you have never done that and/or believe that you're not capable, then download and learn a utility that will centralize your daily activities. CorelCENTRAL or Microsoft's Outlook are good examples of utilities which will structure your time.
• Keep Meetings Short, Sweet, and Focused. Make it known from the outset what your time limitations are and confirm beforehand the presence of a constructive agenda. I can't count the number of precious home hours I've lost to a company-bought pizza and managerial meandering.


2. At home -
• Kill your television -- or at least make it hard to use. Some families keep just one TV and leave it in the closet except for occasional viewing. Before sitcom stupor sets in, ask yourself, "Is this a good use of my time?" Even television news is mostly fluff designed more to sell commercials than to educate the public. Weather and commercials now account for half of each hour's broadcast. The U.S. Department of Health and Human services has published findings that TV might actually cause learning disorders (really?!), so try instating a family reading time instead.
• Keep your phone number unlisted to reduce solicitation calls.
• Prioritize your phone time. It's taken years, but friends and family have learned to call me with planned discussion items and then not take it personally when I shove the call to a conclusion.
• Develop a hobby. Many of us feel that we don't have the time or talent for a hobby, or maybe that was something our parents did -- and God knows we don't want to be like them. A hobby, however, besides having its own inherent rewards (not to mention a second possible source of income) will take time from otherwise wasteful brain drains like TV. Exercise can be viewed as a hobby. It may take an hour out of your nightly rerun ritual, but think of the extra 20 years of health you gain on the backside.


3. On The Net -
• E-mail can be a virus in its own right. This is a BIG one. For starters, only drop your e-mail address when essential. If you're using a desktop e-mail program, then set-up authentication for your profile. If you don't already do so, start using a good SPAM filter. This saves huge time. you can usually tell which messages are worth your time just by scanning the header. Dump the extraneous ones. Respond to non-important messages as infrequently as possible since correspondence tends to increase exponentially.
• Newsgroups, like social networks can consume your life. But if they are relevant to your life, culture and society and used effectively, they can make be wonderful hubs. Try to ignore threads or comments that aren't directly relevant.
• Remember the library!? Many of them have their entire catalogs online ! When doing research, you may save innumerable hours forsaking the Web altogether and logging into your local library's server. In researching this article, the Web was virtually useless while a periodical database supplied over a dozen valuable references.
• Use your printer sparingly. When you find information that you need, print it. This saves both on reading time and the need to find the page again later.

If you can approach the task of eliminating information overload from your life as a maintenance process, it seems less daunting and in that light, you can see these types of practices as ongoing ones. Good Luck !

--William Van WInkle