Going on an Information Overload Diet - 5 Quick Tips to Dieting



Usually we don't like the word "diet." The cartoon character, Garfield - the orange and white big, fat cat hated this word and said it was like die with a 't.' Most of us couldn't agree more if we love food and I know I do - that's why traveling is so much fun.

Today I'm talking about the one kind of diet most of us don't mind - the information overload diet. That's right...'the ditch some of your information diet.'

Do you ever get to your computer and you have dozens of emails, people expecting a response back, letters, news, phone calls, and people wanting you to join yet another Internet social network?

In one week, I had seven people tell me about five online social networks, about how to join and what to do. You know, there's some pretty good ones like www.youtube.com and so forth, but I just don't have the time to sit holed up in a basement, checking all my responses on a social network. It's great when you're a teenager and you have tons of time and want to meet people all over the world - in fact it's pretty awesome. But, when you're running two companies, dealing with family and more, you just have to prioritize your life.

Want to know how to gain an hour of time a day, make more money and have more freedom - GO ON A DIET, AN INFO DIET!

How do you do that? Simple - see what you're paying attention to and why and think about how you can eliminate some of the 'noise' in your life. 99% of the stuff we pay attention to isn't relevant to our lives, we're just nosy. (I admit it!)

Start like this:

1. What do you read, listen to, respond to? What can you drop this week? Drop one to three things that you don't really enjoy and that take up time. Perhaps you drop a newsletter, quit an online social network, etc.

2. Stop watching the news right before bed - this doesn't allow you to relax. If you want to see the news, watch it early in the morning or the evening or just scan a newspaper.
We're all so worried we'll miss something but everyone is 'plugged in' so even when you miss the news, people say to you, 'Hey, did you hear about...'

3. What is relevant for your life? Ask yourself this question. There's only 24 hours in a day and you should focus on information that interests you, that you can respond to and that makes your life better. Sometimes the news makes you feel hopeless, depressed, unable to help. Why watch it if you feel like this?

4. Internet, T.V., iTunes, etc. Put a limit on the amount of time you'll watch or listen before you do this if time is an issue. For example, if you love surfing the net, tell yourself you'll research for no more than 30 minutes; set a timer if you must. This can really save you. Once I surfed the net for a whole afternoon and then I missed great weather and a chance to get outside and do things.

5. Set your techno rules. Only check email two or three times a day and spend 15 minutes per time and you'll save at least an hour a day, possibly longer. Tell people when they can phone you and have time when you can't be reached so you set a buffer of time to relax and 'chill.'

That's my rant for now. Send me your ideas and I'll post them for others. We all are in need of some serious dieting.

Lisa "Small Biz Stress Buster"

Lisa Rickwood, "Small Biz Stress Buster," is a small business coach, visual artist and author of Escape The Pace: 100 Fun And Easy Ways To Slow Down And Enjoy Your Life and co-author of Power & Soul: 42 Successful Entrepreneurs Share their Secrets for Creating the Business and Life of Their Dreams. She helps small business owners ‘master stress for professional and personal success.’ Get your FREE e-book, 5 Critical Actions That Hurt Your Business and Add Stress to Your Life…and How to Escape Them by visiting: http://www.escapethepace.com/