How to Avoid Information Overload and Increase Productivity
As a college student, I found myself dissatisfied with the traditional path of school, internship, and job. I wanted to get into startups or lifestyle businesses, but I didn’t know where to begin. So, I started reading everything I could find on entrepreneurship, startups, marketing, and growth hacking. However, I soon realized that most of what I was consuming was a waste of time.
Just like Toyota’s revolutionary manufacturing process of “just in time” manufacturing, we should approach tactical knowledge in the same way. Instead of consuming information “just in case” we might need it in the future, we should focus on obtaining knowledge that directly answers our current questions or covers philosophical concepts.
Many of us have carried the habit of front-loading knowledge from our school days, but in today’s digital age, we have access to information at our fingertips. We no longer need to worry about memorizing everything because we can easily look up the answers when needed.
Another reason why we tend to consume information excessively is because it makes us feel productive, even when it doesn’t directly impact our goals. This phenomenon, known as “Fauxductivity,” includes activities such as bingeing on just in case knowledge, checking email, reading the news, and organizing our desktops.
To avoid information overload and increase productivity, we should follow these guidelines:
- Unfollow industry blogs and stop reading the news. Only consume information that directly answers a specific question you’re currently asking, covers philosophical knowledge, or entertains you.
- Don’t rely on site aggregators or fill up your RSS with every blog in your industry. Instead, dig through industry material only until you have enough information to answer your question and formulate a plan.
- Avoid constantly seeking out new and shiny information. Focus on content that has stood the test of time and follows the Lindy Rule. Anything that has been around for 50 years is likely to be valuable in the long run.
By following these guidelines, you’ll spend less time reading useless information and more time gaining valuable knowledge. You’ll also avoid decision paralysis, self-doubt, and decreased confidence in your existing decisions.
Remember, information is only valuable if it directly contributes to your goals or provides you with a deeper understanding of the world. Don’t waste your time on fauxductivity and instead focus on consuming information that truly matters.
注意
- この記事はAI(gpt-3.5-turbo)によって自動生成されたものです。
- この記事はHackerNewsに掲載された下記の記事を元に作成されています。
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