Sometimes we think we need to listen to other people to find out the best way.
It’s easy to feel that we need to learn better strategies, do more exercises and read more blog posts before we can find the best course of action. Doing this gets us caught in a doom spiral of endless preparation.
Today a client was telling me that he felt like there were so many ebooks out there he needed to read. “There’s so much great information that could help me improve or find a better way to do things.”
The problem was that despite consuming a lot of ebooks and courses he still wasn’t any closer to finding out what he wanted to do. But couldn’t there be the perfect exercise out there waiting to give you a blinding epiphany? Maybe… but probably not.
Angels don’t explode from the sky in a chorus delivering your true calling upon reading your 100th book. But sometimes we keep searching for an answer from someone else anyway, and it’s often because we’re not confident that we have the answers within ourselves.
Alan Watts once said “If you don’t get it from yourself, where will you get it?” I think that’s true. We can seek advice and look at the examples of others, but it’s our own inner wisdom that must guide us. If not, we’ll keep searching on a path to nowhere. Or worse, live based on someone else’s idea of what our life should be.
If you’re struggling to find your passion, or what you want your life to be about, yes, sometimes exercises and workbooks can help. Hell, I have a few available for free here. But they can only take you so far.
The best guidance you can get is from yourself. Everything you need is inside you. The best map is the one you create as you walk your path.
If you’re struggling with this my suggestion is to go on an information diet. Don’t read any blogs, books, ebooks or take in any inputs for a few weeks (or months if you’re bold). Spend some time reflecting and meditating on what you want your life to be about.
And perhaps, more importantly, allow yourself to really believe that this is possible. You can’t get permission or confidence by looking at the notes or approval of others. Faith comes from deeply trusting yourself.
If you’re struggling with this, I invite you to unplug from all the inputs for a while and see what’s inside of you.
My question for you: Have you ever struggled with information overload? What did you do about it?
In short, GO WITH YOUR GUT, because it knows best* ;-)
*very occasionally your gut instinct is wrong, but that’s no reason to ever stop trusting it because it is way smarter than your conscious mind.
I did exactly what you’re warning about here. I just found the receipt from my first e-course today. It was July 1, 2009. I literally spent the last 2 years reading voraciously and acquiring every ebook, audio course and webinar that “rang a bell” with me. — Actually in my case, it actually worked. I was so good at listening to what other people wanted that I no longer knew how to access that part of myself that knew what I wanted. Even traditional reflection and meditation seemed fruitless, but I was a pretty extreme case of being out of touch with myself. — Of course, if you told most people how many hours and dollars I invested in that journey they’d freak. I highly recommend Mark Silver’s courses at HeartofBusiness.com for others like me who need to learn how to access and trust that inner knowing.
Yes and no. Sometimes I can’t find anything on what I want to know about.
I don’t think I’m omniscient. I do think it can be delightful and valuable to learn from others. So I don’t think all the answers are inside us. But we certainly can stop ourselves doing what we already know.
Yes. I think we all suffer from overload–and with the constant stream of internet information, it’s very easy to fall into feeling like you don’t know something everybody else does.
The best solution I’ve found is just to take action. Go ahead and start your project, even if you’re not 100% sure. There’s time for adjustment and tweaking, but there’s never enough time to learn everything first.
Start, take action, and keep learning as you go–because then you’ll also be creatively teaching yourself instead of relying only on ebooks and ideas from other people.
I used to struggle with information overload.
The most effective way to combat is to disconnect/untether from services/information streams that aren’t providing enough value.
I unsubscribed from numerous blogs, deleted Facebook, unfollowed most people on Twitter, etc.
I also practice being present in the real world instead of glued to the screen. The Net tends to throw too much at us all at once. In real life, information moves in a way that our minds are better suited to absorb (in my opinion).
Yeah I’ve been on that hamster wheel before, many times. The best thing I’ve done to escape the information overload is to detach from it all (like you said Jonathan). I’ll cut myself off and not allow myself to dive back in for some predetermined length of tie like 5 days or something. Then I try to get back “in the moment”, do things I enjoy and make sure I’m present and not fixated on the future and what I “should” be doing. Just stop, relax and enjoy life as it is.
i take my hearing aids out when im done listening.
I unsubscribe from mailing lists and clean out the folder on my desktop where I save all the ebooks I download.
When I start working on a new project/topic I tend to subscribe to a lot of blogs to get a sense of what’s out there, and then weed them out as I go along.
I agree with Tim that gut feeling is a good place to start. Often you can tell the minute you open an ebook/new blog whether it’s going to be worth the effort.
I had a break down.. just last month.. I am trying to get myself started as a money and biz coach for people struggling to get started.. and I had a break down myself due to all this information overload… I know my stuff but was advised to complete a few exercises which led to a few more and then some..
So, now I am actually in the process of implementing what you are suggesting here.. I have packed away those books and have started working on it.. I offered help to few women within my networks and now I am learning through experience rather than killing myself from desparation over all that I need to know. Thanks for another brilliant post, as usual.
Care,
Megz XO
When I need an answer for something i always stop what I am doing and meditate. I know that the answers are within me and going to this quiet powerful place helps me find it. I always have amazing breakthroughs. It never used to be like this though, I was an information junkie and learned that it was just overwhelming me and not helping me find the way.
OMG I really needed to read this today. I am SO frustrated right now. I spend hours looking at everyone else in my business wondering why, when Im doing exactly the same thing, they have business and I dont. Ive closed down my Tweetdeck and unsubscribed from their blogs. Watching everyone else succeed at the same thing gets me down and distracts me from figuring out what I truly want to do with this business. Im trying to imitate instead of find my joy in it.
@yTravelBlog Im not good at meditating but Im learning that sitting quietly and burning sage calms me down and brings me answers. Its extremely hard for me to switch off my racing thoughts, so I think about the things what would make me feel ecstatic if they happened and then I feel better!
The irony, of course, is that I’m over here commenting…
I used to buy information products like crazy and never implemented anything… and then I wondered why I wasn’t getting any results. After a while I started to realize that they all were saying the same thing in different ways…and I just needed to take action. In the last couple of months I banned myself from looking at sales pages and buying new info products…because they just weren’t adding much to my life.
The irony, of course, is that I’m here commenting.
In a larger sense, I have found there is value in listening simply to allow others to be heard, whether or not I intend to act on it or not. It’s about being part of the conversation.
This was so timely! Just yesterday I had a minor depressive episode because I get so unsure of how to sift through all the information out there. Trying to learn something in these times is easy because there is so much at our disposal, but I don’t think we are equipped to deal with this overload.
My best advice is to listen to your inner self, and let things grow organically. Often the most successful people in their respective business is someone who turned it all off and just DID IT. That’s what I try to do now, and only pay attention to quality content when I’m in the mood, not because I feel like I have to.
Thank you so much for this post! It’s so nice to know I’m not alone in this madness!
This was so timely! Just yesterday I had a minor depressive episode because I get so unsure of how to sift through all the information out there. Trying to learn something in these times is easy because there is so much at our disposal, but I don’t think we are equipped to deal with this overload.
My best advice is to listen to your inner self, and let things grow organically. Often the most successful people in their respective business is someone who turned it all off and just DID IT. That’s what I try to do now, and only pay attention to quality content when I’m in the mood, not because I feel like I have to.
Thank you so much for this post! It’s so nice to know I’m not alone in this madness!
@TheDameIntl I finally decided that if I wasn’t making enough money (let’s face it, money rocks!) doing what I was “supposed” to be doing, I might as well be doing something I liked doing.
I love the information diet. It’s a cleansing for the soul.
I agree with JM’s advice limit the amount of advice that you intake. Contrary to that advice, I want to make a point by recommending another book! Tim Sander’s Today We Are Rich; pg 235 identifies the difference btwn following passions (self) and finding a purpose (service). Huge distinction and it snapped me out of a deep funk of depression.
@baker.lawley I agree with you on this the key is to take in then take action on what you take in.
I will have to admit that I am an info junkie. I consume large amounts of information but I rarely act upon what I have consumed. Recently recognizing this down fall I posted the this tweet “For those who are always getting ready to do something, stop obsessing over information and do something now!” https://tinyurl.com/6k68h5j
I believe the key is action, and also only consuming what you plan to implement immediately. When eating food I practice only eating to satisfy my hunger and try not to overeat. I believe that this same thing can be applied to information, eat until it satisfies your need but not to the point where you are being glutinous.
Just in the real world if you eat more calories than you consume you become overweight. I believe the practice of consuming without application will make you sluggish at completing projects and tasks.
The danger of taking in information is that it gives the facade of productivity, but the reality is if the information doesn’t get things done it can be simply a waste of time.
So true-we drown out the inner voice with permanent busyness and info overload. It is this simple-quieten the mind, spend time alone reflecting and getting in touch with your real self, recognise emotion (energy in motion) and understand what the deeper message is telling you. It is all about heart first then engaging head but unfortunately 99% are doing it the wrong way round.
@Megzspeakz I love your willingness to share your experience. And everyone else’s comments as well. Even though I’m deeply committed to listening within I also sometimes think I have to keep up with all the information and I imagnie it is simple and easy for everyone else!
Here’s to making clear decisions about where we want to put our attention and care and to not neglecting our inner ears.
I find that information overload happens when I am doing too much <i>consuming</i> and not enough creating. When I’m reading, reading, reading, and not producing, that’s when the uncertainty steps in and the information overload threatens. When I’m working diligently – whether that be writing or with clients – this tends not to be a problem. (Maybe because I’m too busy and engaged to see all that information out there?)
The best thing in the world for me is to trust my inner wisdom. It’s nearly impossible for someone to provide you with answers without them injecting what they value most into the advice. It takes someone skilled to simply help you ask yourself better questions so as to allow you to operate from your own value system rather than their own. Or for you to even uncover and discover your own values. (not all coaches are skilled at this) People “giving you answers” is no substitute for self awareness and doing the self work. There’s no real “easy” way. You just have to trust your gut.
@TonyTeegarden That’s a great point Tony, and you’re absolutely right. It’s really hard for people to give you their advice without being biased.
@32000days I think everything comes in waves. Sometimes we feel very drawn to creating, and other times very drawn to taking things in. It’s important to honor those feelings and try to create a balance.
@alchemy4thesoul That time is really important. For me getting lost (not literally) on the trail in the heart of the woods is the best medicine for me.
@521solutions That might be a good idea… for every thing you consume it’s required that you match it with an action, or you don’t get to consume it…
@jpb555 That’s a great distinction, thanks for sharing that.
@janicemacleod Sometimes you have to take out all the noise to see what’s really there…
@sascha906 Congratulations on taking steps to do something about it. That’s huge.
@doolin I’ll make an exception and overlook it this time. ;)
@AnthonyKuo That’s awesome Anthony. I know that big things are in store for you.
@TheDameIntl I had to stop myself from doing this last year. I was getting really disappointed comparing my success to everyone else (of course we never seem to compare it to people that have achieved less…). I had to realize that we’re all running our own race.
@Fiona Leonard That’s a great practice Fiona. I’ve been doing this with my email a lot lately because I’ve been feeling overwhelmed. Filtering is awesome.
@livingauthentically Always the contrarian. :) Thanks for your input.
@brotheryellow I wish I could do that.
@murphtim That’s a great practice Tim. I think it would be really great if we could all do this for one week a month.
@nickdanforth That’s the ultimate litmus test: is it improving my life?
@TimBrownson You’re right, as usual Tim. Thanks for joining the conversation.
How funny is it that I came here to read this just as I said to myself “you need to stop all this searching, clean out your in box and get to work!” I’m so glad I chose this as the last one for now.
I would not be where I am were it not for the wisdom of yourself and quite a few other wise writers out there, but there is a point where enough is enough. I know what I need to do and I am ready to get to work. The ebooks will always be there when I need a refresher.
Thanks for the reminder and as always great advice.
Excellent piece Jonathan, thank you… Quick question… Would this mean you might not post for a month? hm…
I absolutely feel you on this… There is no research, or keyword analysis that I can run to tell me Surfers need help… Help freeing themselves from 9-5’s so they can surf, and help surfing better! It is a gut feeling I get from being involved in the surfing community and speaking with surf business clients daily.
Mahalo, and Surfs up!
I became enlightened with information “overload” . Whatever it takes as long as no one is harmed.
Wise words Jonathan. I took a hiatus from reading books and blogs for awhile and instead when into “take action” mode. It is very easy to get analysis paralysis.
Sometimes I feel that there is not enough of the right kind of information. There is so much: “you should….; doing … will …”, “I did …now look at ….”. There isn’t enough of: “If you want to ……., Then you should take these steps….by doing……”.
Commenting not so much because I have something useful to say in reply but more to acknowledge I’m here and listening. I am struggling to trust myself. I don’t think I do. I’ve let myself down, before. I certainly have been meeting people and doing things that I would not have believed possible a year ago. But I’m just so overwhelmed at the moment that it’s hard to have that kind of faith that I need, to keep walking forward. We’ll see. I really hope you’re right.
Before embarking on my first ‘real’ novel I dredged the ‘net for advice and tips until my mind was spinning – and I probably hadn’t even scratched the surface of the Information Superhighway. Nevertheless I kept reading and reading, printing out reams so that I’d have the information to hand. Needless to say, most of those reams are still unread! I began to notice though that many ‘advisers’ were largely giving out the same information – and realised that the law of diminishing returns was applying. The more I read, the less new stuff I found. That was the point where I realised that it was time to turn off the Superhighway and strike out on a beaten track of my own – and that was when I really began to learn.
Stop reading, stop procrastinating…get on and create something of your own, otherwise you are doomed to regurgitate the thoughts of others.
Actually there’s one good thing about voraciously consuming information – eventually all the information crashes together in your brain and implodes, leaving you clear and fresh and empty. The only place left to look then is inside…
*grin
So my advice is… if a diet doesn’t appeal, you might want to go for gluttony – cram as much information as you can in as short a time as possible and then just wait for the inevitable.
Sage! i might have to try that. I have heard of that being used before. Thanks for the tip @TheDameIntl @yTravelBlog
@Allysho That’s a pretty damn awesome alternative Allysho.
I went on an information diet over the weekend, and went one step further: No technology whatsoever. The result: Clarity of mind and overall increased calmness. I’d recommend it!
@JonathanMead yeah sometimes silence and solitude is the greatest teacher.
This is my problem exactly. I have always been a voracious reader, fiction and non-fiction, but lately I have started to realise that I read too damn much and take too little action. My reading recently has been around business strategy, self development, and blogging (making money at it). I like nothing better than to read about these subjects and learn, waiting for the epiphany ‘EUREKA!’ moment that never seems to come.
So I made a decision a while ago – I am buying no more books, or reading any, until my various projects have some momentum in the physical world. Its already working in that I actually have a new blog started. Its early days, but it physically exists.I’ve been tempted several times by friends offering to lend me the latest, greatest book they have just finished (raving about how brilliant it is). I also still can’t resist walking into book stores and browsing when I get the chance. Of course, suddenly now that I am on diet there are HUNDREDS of great books I would love to read.
But I am remaining firm and strong indefinitely. Until I have exhausted the ideas a knowledge I already have, and start to hit some walls I need to get over, I’m not reading any more books. There is PLENTY to do with the information and knowledge I already have and all reading/research time is currently allocated to action.Wish me luck! ;-)
Wow you’re so right- I find myself being inspired by reading information & viewing other peoples blogs & websites… but then I get “over-stimulated” and feel unworthy in what I want to achieve as their are so many more tallented people out there with great ideas & I guess thats when it’s time to take a step back & focus on me & my ideas & not compare or absorb anyone else’s projects. Thanks
Yes! Whenever I’m designing or creating something new, I go into consumption mode. I read blogs, books, listen to music, look for art… essentially I go on an inspiration binge. When I hit capacity –when I don’t think I can possibly look at one more idea– I unplug. I ruminate on everything I’ve found. I put a board together of my favorite findings. And, I let things sit. For a day or a week. I give myself time to stop consuming and just ponder what I’ve got. It’s usually during this time when I have my best ideas. When I’m not actively seeking or pursuing, but instead just being, living, breathing.
Well said! I think it’s important to acquire some basic knowledge before starting something new. I would never go sky diving by following my inner wisdom. I would take classes and get trained. But there has to be some point after which I have to simply take a deep breath and begin.
There is just too much information on any topic to reasonably consume it all before getting started. I think the reason we sometimes want to wait until we get the next big piece of information before starting, and then the next, and then the next, eternally delaying launch-time, is because we have this sense that what we do has to be the perfect thing, done in the perfect way, once and for all. If that were the case, I would never have become a father, a husband, a teacher, a blogger, or anything else for that matter.
When I start something new, I first learn about it. Get the basics. See what others are saying about what has worked for them. Look around and see how others are doing it and how they are doing it differently than others. Then I simply jump in with both feet. I’ve had lots of failed attempts. But I’ve learned from each of my failures. Besides, my motto in life is that I can always keep learning along the way and tweak what doesn’t work and add what I come across as I go. But if I never go, then there will never be anywhere I ever arrive at.
Thanks for the reminder!
I do not struggle with information overload. The television and the web are not “information” they are mass marketing medias. I pay attention to what I need and what I choose. I call it mindfull meditation. A way of being I actively practice.
Addendum: I trust serendipity/coincidence to bring me whatever information is needed in my daily life.
How strange (or most likely not) when I’ve had a week of feeling inundated with information (especially emails) your post pops into my inbox!
I definitely switch off from time to time (having complete digital sabbaticals whenever I go to a Buddhist festival or retreat) and it is BLISS…
On a daily basis, I’m still figuring it out. Picking up emails 2-3 times a day only is great (if you can avoid the iPhone temptation) and I now only subscribe to blogs that I really connect with.
@KateBacon I’ve noticed without space sometimes everything feels like noise, even the important stuff.
@JonathanMead @KateBacon Exactly, just need to unplug from time to time. Otherwise we can’t even take in what is important, just as you mentionned.
This is crazy!! I read this after a month where I set up a filter where each and every newsletter/blog I subscribe to skipped my inbox to directly go into a folder called “Experiment”…and the results were astounding! No wonder I felt so scattered about how I was to go about doing what I wanted to do….these were all ‘other’ voices (excellent though they might be)…not my own unique one with my own unique method and way about things. I think the moratorium on consuming this information is going to stay till I feel the shift in me to finding and more importantly identifying my own unique voice.
I recently also decided to extend this band to buying ebooks.
Thanks for this blog post, Jonathan!
This is such a powerful and honest post. I think that for most of us we live a life in fear… so we seek guidance from others so we can feel “safe” with the next step, but true creativity comes from dancing with fear…. I once had a professor tell me that the best writing comes when you write about what makes you uncomfortable. I believe life is the same way. Its in taking the leap that we find we can really fly. I like your “information diet” suggestion!
Hi Jonathan,
I was planning to write a post about exactly the same topic. But now you’ve already said everything there is to say ;)
I think there is a real phenomenon of self-help addiction. We tend to move on to the next great self-help topic without and especially in order not to have to implement the previous approach. If we only ever stopped once to bring into practice ANY ONE approach, we’d probably see major change, but instead we chase the neat, quick, easy solution and thus never actually spend even just 5 minutes on the “self” part of self-help ;)
Loved the post,
Jonas
Hello sir, Whenever I overload myself with information as to what shall I be doing in future, my career to be precise I end up in confusion. I try to gather pros n cons of everything. In fact in my personal relationships its very disturbing when I am confused about showing my true emotions or pretending to be calm n silent.( thinking how would the concerned person react). I end up being miserable in personal relationships. As far as other things like recipes, career options I gain a awareness, its helpful and fun. Indirectly or directly I can see positive results.
Information overload is endemic. I admit I am addicted to Twitter. Time to do stuff.
Bah!!! Get out of my head!! I was thinking of this exact same thing this morning! And recommending myself to take an “information fast”.People like to read and gather information because of the potential it holds. “If I just had this widget, then I would definitely move toward my goal.” I don’t know the exact term for this phenomenon, but it’s there. I always thought that was the driving force behind sales at The Container Store – “If I just buy this box/crate/container, then I’ll finally get organized!” – when it reality someone may just need to eliminate things from their lives.I’ve gone to asking myself two things – Do I really need a certain object/book/information to progress? And have I even used the information/objects that I’ve gathered previously? (The answer is usually a gut-wrenching ‘no’.)
“It’s easy to feel that we need to learn better strategies, do more exercises and read more blog posts before we can find the best course of action. Doing this gets us caught in a doom spiral of endless preparation..”
This is me right now and I feel so doomed without even knowing what to do. I feel overwhelmed with so much information around the web that I believe that I getting so lost, so confused… I lost track of it! Maybe I find something maybe I won’t… I steel don’t know!
I often suffer from information overload and it can seem really overwhelming. You can get so much free information from so many sources that it’s easy to just keep ‘learning’ and not actually do anything with it!! I’ve been guilty of that with my blog. It’s almost as if sometimes I feel I’m doing something but really I’m not. Often it’s because of my fear of starting something new.
I find that I think best when I unplug. I take a walk by the beach near where I live and, away from all the distractions, I can think more clearly and simply. I take a pen and paper with me as this is often when I have my best ideas. And they’re usually really simple ones that are buried under all the noise!
Thanks for this. It’s helped me think more clearly, realise that I’m overloading and that I can do something about it.
Thankyou so much for writing this! It has literally changed my perspective on life. I’ve been trying to improve myself the past year. I read countless articles and books on how to go about doing this. I wanted confidence but I just realized I can’t gain it by asking for the answers to someone besides myself! I now realize what I’ve been doing wrong the whole time- thanks to you! I will now live according to my own definition of life and go about my goals MY way! Again, Thank you so much!