Helping You
- * Beat information overload
- * Organize your information
- * Write effectively
- * Edit and index your publications
Free E-Course: Beat Information Overload the 5F Way 
Get your free e-course to find out how focus, fun, finding, filtering, and filing can help you conquer information overload.
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A recent storm took out power to more than 868,000 customers in the Chicago metropolitan area. I was without power for 57 hours, from 8:00 a.m. on Monday to 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday. I counted myself lucky at that, as power wasn’t predicted to be restored until Friday at noon. A few customers didn’t get power back until Sunday morning.
A prolonged power outage is inconvenient, of course, especially as no power means no water from my well. Still, I discovered a few upsides of being without power:
- I went to bed earlier (too hard to read much by flashlight!), got up earlier, and was able to exercise more and write more in the early morning hours.
- I had limited Internet access from locations outside my home. I focused on handling just the most important e-mails.
- The forced break from web surfing and social networking freed up time and eliminated information clutter.
I’m grateful to have the power back on, but also grateful for the break from information overload.
What’s the longest you’ve ever been without power? Did you discover any upsides?
 One of the best ways to beat information overload is to take time to reconnect with nature. I spent the morning at my computer paying bills, updating a membership database, and writing a newsletter, but I took time this afternoon to enjoy the cold but sunny day. I like gardening, so I did cleaned up the yard and cleared weeds out of my vegetable garden. Signs of spring were everywhere—worms writhing in the soil, birds singing, and crocuses and snowdrops blooming. It was good exercise and a relaxing break after an intense week.
What’s your favorite way to reconnect with nature?
Honoring all those, past and present, who have acted to win and preserve our freedom, including our freedom of information and expression — soldiers, writers, artists, teachers, librarians, voters, statesmen, and more.
Information is like the ocean. To avoid drowning in information, we need to learn when to surf the waves, when to swim, and when to dive deep.
In an earlier post, I talked about focusing as a key step in beating information overload. If you don’t focus on what’s important to your vision and goals, you can easily get sidetracked by less important, even trivial, bits of information. That’s what happened to me last Saturday. During a get-together with friends, the discussion turned to purses. Two friends remarked that they liked Vera Bradley handbags because of their many pockets. I like pockets and compartments in my own purses as well, so this relatively minor bit of information seized my attention, and I found myself window-shopping for Vera Bradley purses at two malls that afternoon. Afterward, I regretted not having accomplished my planned priorities for the day.
Had I intended to buy a new handbag, the information about Vera Bradley purses would have been important and immediately useful. In this case, however, my lack of focus ended up wasting time.
If you could use help defining your vision and focusing on your goals, Cathy Demer’s free report on magnetic goals is a good place to start. She also offers a home study course with more in-depth information.
On this Independence Day holiday in the United States, I am grateful to all who have fought and worked to establish and maintain our freedoms, including intellectual freedom and freedom of information.
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