The Myth of Information Overload
In this hyper-connected information age people often point to the massive availability of content/information via the media (e.g., internet, TV, radio, etc.) as a key source of stress and overwhelm. But think about it, have you ever been in a situation where there was lots of information available (there ALWAYS is) but you did not experience stress or overload? What was it about that situation that made it different?
If you knew the answer to that question you could use it to drastically reduce your stress level. Let me offer you a possible answer.
What if the real source of the problem is not the amount of information available in any given situation – but a lack of self esteem? When you feel confident about what you know and what you are capable of doing there is usually no overload - even in the face of massive information - because you are comfortable in your ability to filter and focus, make decisions, take action, and deal with the consequences of your decisions and actions. On the other hand, it is easy to see how a lack of self esteem can push you into overload as it causes you to endlessly seek more and more input or impedes your ability to feel comfortable filtering and disregarding information, focusing on just what is important from your own perspective (which you don’t value), or taking action. For example, overwhelm is just around the corner if you:
- Believe that everyone else is an “expert” that knows more than you do. You say to yourself, “I don’t know enough; others are smarter than me.”
- Are continuously searching for the “perfect” solution or that magic bullet.
- Are driven by a fear of missing critical information; you continually search for more information (reading every email, etc.) because you fear that the one you miss could be critical or lead you to a life-changing experience.
- Continuously seek more information as an excuse to keep from having to take action; you are dogged by the feeling of “I am not ready – I don’t know enough yet.”
How Can I Avoid Overwhelm?
There are two key antidotes to the overwhelm caused by low self-esteem:
- Learn to value what you already know
- Take action
Look at the successes you have had so far in life. How many of them were really the result of listening to “experts” and following what they said? Did they come about because you uncovered that one unique gem of information that drastically changed your life, your finances, or your relationships? Or did they come about because you applied yourself, trusted yourself enough to make decisions, take action, and learn from the resulting feedback?
To allow yourself to value what you already know it helps to keep the following in mind:
- It is an almost universal human trait to devalue what you know and value what everyone else knows. This is the intellectual version of “the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence.” You know what is in your mind – you don’t know what is in someone else’s mind – therefore it must be better.
- We are trained from birth to believe that others know best – first our parents, then our teachers, then our bosses, etc. We continue to accumulate personal knowledge and wisdom as we grow but it never occurs to us to shift our perspective to listening to ourselves - to believing that we might have the right answer.
- In most cases you know a lot more than you give yourself credit for.
- Much of the information that is out there is not actually “new”; in fact, a good portion is previously discovered wisdom that has simply been “rediscovered” or re-purposed to apply in a different domain than the one it was originally intended for.
* Take action
It is an interesting fact that many people simply “collect” information and never use it or apply it. A startlingly large number of people who down load eBooks off the web or buy self-help books never end up reading them! It is equally true that people attend seminars and never apply the principles they learn. These people get stuck in information search and collection mode.
Real growth is more often accumulated through your direct experience than by simply reading or hearing about a topic. There is a wonderful quote that reads: “Good judgment comes from experience, but experience comes from bad judgment.” - Anonymous.
Recognize that there are always multiple ways to proceed in any given situation. Certainly there are some ways that are “better” than others (e.g., more ethical, more efficient) but there is rarely, if ever, just “one right way.”
Yes it is true that if you take action some of the results you get might not be what you wanted or expected, but that is where the learning takes place. As Rich Schefren says: “Wisdom comes not from devouring information, but by filtering it through personal experience and taking action on it. It’s the action or reaction, not the information itself, that makes us wise.”
To be able to take action you will need to understand something about how you work best. Ask yourself, “What it is that I need to motivate me to take action? Is it clear plans and systems to follow? Schedules and deadlines? A support structure or network? Decide what it is and then put it in place.
To be able to take action you will also need to be able to convince yourself that you know “enough” to move forward. This is where it is important to keep in mind that you don’t have to “know all the answers” up front, you just have to be comfortable in your ability to “find the answers” as the need arises. As a simple example – it is not important that you know how to spell every word in the dictionary, but it is helpful if you know what a dictionary is and how to use it. It is not necessary to stuff yourself full of information – but it does help to acquaint yourself with available resources.
Another helpful tactic that can keep you taking action and moving forward is to commit to pick a course of action and then follow it until you see that it is not working. It is all too easy to continuously second guess yourself and keep changing courses so often you never experience the feedback that can help you clarify and adjust your path.
The Bottom Line
Sure there is lots of information available now days and it is tempting to blame the stress and overwhelm you feel on its sheer volume. But if you look closer, you might discover that the real cause of your stress and overwhelm is a lack of self esteem. If that rings true for you, then you can use the strategies and tactics listed above to start taming the problem. When you value what you know you gain the confidence necessary to identify, sort and filter relevant information and take action, and by taking action you can move forward step-by-step to build a solid foundation with the knowledge you are getting. Taken in this context the wealth of information available today becomes helpful, reassuring and supportive, not stressful and overwhelming.