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Information Overload Lowers Your IQ

February 1, 2007

Every business owner deals with a mountain of information.  Everywhere you turn someone is offering another “Secret” to success.  If you’re in an online business, there is a new product launch at least every week if not every day. 

We’re not talking about short 50 page reports or ebooks either.  We’re talking about products with 20 CDs, 5 manuals, and several DVDs.  You’ll never have enough time to pick up all these products and study them.  It’s impossible!

The overload of information also leads to another problem…Information Paralysis.  This is where you have so much information coming in, and you don’t take any actions.  You’re always in a state of preparation trying to get more facts before you start. 

Recently I stumbled over this article on NewScientist.com. There was a study done on volunteers who worked in a quiet environment versus working in an environment with many incoming emails and phone calls. 

Even though they were told to not respond to any of the incoming messages, their IQs still dropped by 10 points on average.  This is a greater drop than similar tests done with marijuana. 

So Information overload isn’t just a small problem.  It literally makes you less intelligent, and that’s something many of us definitely don’t need!

Here are a few quick tips to help you manage with information overload:

1. Have specific times you check your email, answer phone calls, and read any feeds. 

Don’t do it all day long.  Many people who are new to doing business online establish a horrible habit…checking their email all day long for questions or orders coming in.  Quit it now.  If you’re in a business where you have to be accessible to your clients 24 hours a day, I really feel for you (as we all hear the whosh of your IQ going down).  Most people simply don’t have to do it.  They just think they do. 

Have one set time you examine feeds and no more than twice that you answer your email (early morning and the end of the day are good times).  Anything else is just a distraction from your real work.  And yes, I’m speaking from experience.  I still fall into this bad habit from time to time.

2. Take time to set daily and weekly schedules. 

At the end of every day, make a list of your schedule for the next day.  At the end of the week, look over what you’ve accomplished this week.  Then set up a basic plan for the goals next week. 

If you have a plan written out, it’s much easier to stay on target.  I’ve noticed that without a set daily plan, I kind of “roam.”  I don’t stay on track and don’t get nearly as much accomplished. 

3. Shut the Door on Time Vampires.

There are people who will suck your time dry.  It may be the person who asks, “Do you have a moment?”  It could be that customer that’s never satisfied.  They take up all your time and your staff’s time.  In many cases, it’s better to give them a refund and send them on their way.

If you’re someone who stays on the phone too long, set a little egg timer beside your phone.  Give yourself three minutes for each phone call.  When times up, times up.  It’s so easy to begin searching the web and spend two hours doing so.  It’s also easy to get on the phone and waste 30 minutes without accomplishing anything.

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2 Responses to “Information Overload Lowers Your IQ”

  1. Interesting Blog Links - Week 4 » All About Blogs and Blogging on February 24th, 2007 8:38 am

    [...] Terry Dean gives a few quick tips to help you manage with information overload [...]

  2. Sheppard Salter on February 24th, 2007 1:07 pm

    Great entry! I recently dropped my President position on our H.O.A. board just because of time vampires!

    Run your business or it runs you.

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