14 Tips to Defeat Information Overload

Information overload is paralyzing. 

There is so much information coming at us that we simply cannot process it all.

This is very common among newcomers to internet marketing who often get so overloaded that they do not know where to begin.

This leads to feeling overwhelmed which causes stress and in turn leads to procrastination and avoidance.

This is a very vicious circle.

Here are 14 tips to break the vicious circle of information overload: 

1. Clearly define your goals.

Information overload can often be attributed to a lack of direction and purpose.

Define what you want to accomplish. Be extremely specific.

2. Identify the actions required.

After you have defined your goals, identify the core activities that will help you achieve them.

Again, be specific.

For example, you may note the following:

• keyword research
• writing blog posts with these keywords
• submitting articles using these keywords
• promoting posts and submissions using social media

3. Take appropriate action.

Focus on one of the core activities until you have it completed.

Only read and reference material that relates directly to that core activity.

4. Set a time limit.

Allow yourself a specific time period, say, one hour, to complete a task.

5. Don't worry about being perfect.

Often we procrastinate because we feel we have do do something "just right".

So we gather a ton of information, get overloaded, and procastinate more.

Results come from taking action.

Don't worry, you cannot fail.

If something did not turn out right, you are one step closer to learning how to do it better the next time.

6. Make a "to-do" list with 3-5 daily tasks.

Review this list before you go to bed.

Mike Dillard wrote an incredible article on how he uses Notepad to create a "to-do" list. 

Read "How Mike Dillard Made Millions With This Simple, Free Software", to learn how a simple daily strategy has brought him huge success.

7. Finish a task from your action list first.

Do NOT open your email, or do anything else for that matter, until you have completed at least one task from your daily "to-do" list.

If you can do this and be consistent, you will be successful.

8. Decrease the information coming at you.

You really can do without much of the stuff that comes at you everyday.

Unsubscribe from lists, magazines, newspapers, and turn off the television.

9. Schedule time to keep up with new information.

Set aside one hour, once or twice a week, to catch up with the latest news.

You should be able to discover a small, select set of resources that will keep you up to date.

This doesn't sound like much time, but you should be too busy running your business and engaging in actions that are producing results to care.

10. Give yourself time to learn new habits.

Overcoming information overload and applying the above steps involves developing new habits.

This takes time.

Set some small goals like this:

• for this week I will get two tasks finished before I open my emails
• this month I will get three action items completed every day

11. Take it one day at a time.

If you create and review your "to-do" list at night before bed, you should wake up in the morning with a good idea of what you need to do TODAY.

Just focus on completing items from your list today.

Don't beat yourself up about yesterday, it's gone.

Don't fret about tomorrow, it's not even here yet.

Tell yourself, "Just for today, I will get these things done."

12. Don't overload your list.

As a matter of fact, keep it small and very achievable.

It's much better to get two things done than none at all.

This will lead to feelings of accomplishment and create positive feedback.

13. Reward yourself.

After you get your list done, do something that you enjoy.

Set this up beforehand.

Tell yourself, "I will get my list done and then [fill in the blank]."

14. Set aside quiet time each day.

Your mind needs a break from processing information.

Take some time each day, even only for 5 minutes, and just relax in a quiet place.

The key to overcoming information overload is taking action.

This often means facing your fears. Fear is the one obstacle to making money online.

Confront your fears head on, develop new habits, and smash information overload once and for all.

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Mark McCullagh is the owner of the NewSuccessOnline blog, one of the top sites on the web for network marketers looking for internet marketing strategies that work.